ISABELLE GABORIT
03-10 May 2027
A Week-Long Immersive Encaustic Retreat in Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France
LANDSCAPE and ABSTRACTION
What happens when we stop trying to paint a landscape exactly as we see it, and respond instead to what it makes us feel, notice and remember?
Luminous Terrain explores landscape, observation and abstraction through encaustic painting. Led independently by artist Isabelle Gaborit, the workshop invites you to translate impressions of a place into gesture, texture, light and atmosphere.
BéArtz’s setting—its river, medieval architecture, ancient stone and distant Pyrenean horizons—provides rich material for this exploration.
From Landscape to Painting
Through guided observation, quick sketches, photographs and studies of light and dark, you will gather ideas to develop in the studio. A hillside line, a reflection or the texture of an old wall may become the starting point for a painting.
Isabelle will demonstrate transparent layering, fusing, carving, incising and scraping back, alongside approaches to texture, composition and intuitive mark-making. Layers, erosion, traces and transformation connect the encaustic process with the landscape itself.
Demonstrations, individual guidance and group discussion will help you develop your own visual language.
Who Is It For?
All levels are welcome, including those new to encaustic. Beginners will receive clear demonstrations and guidance; experienced artists can explore new approaches and deepen their engagement with abstraction.
Bring curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Outdoor observation involves gentle walking around the village. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and an indoor alternative is available in unsuitable weather. Participants may also choose to work in the studio.
Working with Encaustic
During the retreat, Isabelle will introduce and demonstrate a range of encaustic approaches, including:
- Transparent layering to explore light, atmosphere and depth
- Carving, incising and scraping back to reveal traces beneath the surface
- Textural and geological mark-making
- Working with value, directional forces and simplified forms
- Developing a balance between active, textured passages and quieter areas of rest
- Building depth through layering and translucency
- Using heat as a tool for fusion, movement and transformation
- Exploring improvisation and intuitive decision-making
- Distilling landscape into increasingly abstract visual language
There will be demonstrations, individual guidance and plenty of time to experiment.
The emphasis is not on producing a particular style of painting, but on helping each participant discover how encaustic can support their own way of seeing.
The Week’s Programme
Monday 3 May — Arrival
Collection from Biarritz airport or railway station between 12 noon and 2 pm. Settle in, followed by welcome cheese, wine and salad.
Tuesday 4 May — Observation and studio work
Morning: guided landscape exploration in the village, observing shapes, textures, colours, lines and light. An indoor session is available if the weather is unsuitable.
Afternoon: develop a visual diary from your observations and begin exploring ideas for paintings in the studio.
Wednesday 5 May — Studio
Introduction to, and guidance on, the encaustic process.
Thursday 6 May — Studio
Develop your work with individual guidance, with the possibility of further informal sketching after dinner.
Friday 7 May — Excursion
A day in Espelette, with lunch at Choko Ona followed by a guided cave visit.
Saturday 8 May — Studio
Continue developing your paintings with individual guidance.
Sunday 9 May — Finishing and reflection
Morning: finishing work, individual guidance and group critique.
Afternoon: free time.
Monday 10 May — Departure
Learning Outcomes
During the retreat, participants will:
- Develop a consistent practice of observation and visual gathering
- Explore how drawing and mark-making can feed abstraction
- Develop confidence working intuitively with encaustic
- Learn approaches to layering, translucency and surface development
- Explore abstraction through improvisation, elimination and selection
- Learn to distil landscape through value, gesture, texture and simplified form
- Develop a more personal relationship with encaustic materials and processes
- Explore how landscape, memory and sensory experience can be transformed into non-representational imagery
- Develop and extend their own creative visual language
Your Stay at BéArtz
Stay for seven nights in BéArtz’s historic house in Sauveterre-de-Béarn, with access to its studios and workshop facilities.
The workshop is led independently by Isabelle Gaborit. BéArtz provides accommodation and studio facilities and organises meals through local partners.
Encaustic materials are available at cost (approx. €75 per person) Plates and torches are provided.
Prices per Person
Accommodation is provided by BeArtz. Workshops are led independently by the invited artist.
Rooms with en-suite bathrooms 3950 euros
Rooms with shower and WC across the hallway 3550 euros
Please refer to the BeArtz website for room details and photos
What is included
The total includes the independently taught workshop, seven nights’ accommodation, studio facilities, breakfast basics, and five lunches and five dinners organised through local partners.
Excursion and Additional Costs
Transport for the Espelette excursion is offered. Participants pay separately for:
- Choko Ona lunch: approximately €50, excluding wine.
- Cave entrance and guide: approximately €30.
Allow approximately €150–€200 for the excursion costs, additional meals and drinks, depending on your choices.
What to Bring
Bring a sketchbook, drawing materials, a camera or phone, and comfortable clothes and shoes for studio work and gentle walking. A tablet or laptop is optional, as are any favourite drawing or mark-making materials.
Travel and Booking
Arrival collection is from Biarritz airport or railway station between 12 noon and 2 pm on Monday 3 May. Please coordinate your arrival with Magdalena before booking travel.
For availability, room options and booking arrangements, contact:
Magdalena Groszek
Founder and Director, BéArtz
info@be-artz.com
A 50% deposit secures your place. The remaining balance is due 3 February 2027.
Deposits are non-refundable; travel insurance covering cancellation for any reason is recommended.
About the teacher : ISABELLE GABORIT
Isabelle Gaborit is a contemporary visual artist whose encaustic practice explores landscape, memory, geology, erosion and light.
Originally from La Rochelle, she studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Poitiers and completed a BA (Hons) in Fine Art in Ireland. She has exhibited internationally and brings more than two decades of teaching experience.
Her teaching encourages experimentation and helps artists connect materials, observation and their own creative language.
www.isabellegaborit.com
Instagram: @isabellegaboritencaustics