Answering Your Painting Retreat Questions

·46 min·3 clips

Sari says acrylic is the “best medium to learn in” because it dries fast and forces better color mixing.

1. Not Sorry Art Podcast episode “Answering Your Painting Retreat Questions” centers on Sari Shrike explaining how painting retreats work. 2. Sari Shrike, the artist and creator of Not Sorry Art, hosts solo and draws on workshops, online art school teaching, and international retreats. 3. The episode answers whether retreats are vacation, class, or both, and Sari frames them as “a vacation and a painting workshop” together. 4. She compares workshops and retreats by cost, saying workshops usually cover instruction and space while retreats also cover meals and accommodations. 5. Sari says retreat venues can range from a “bunk room” in Wimberley to “private little houses,” depending on the site. 6. She says retreats usually supply easels, tables, chairs, water buckets, and solvents, while students still bring paints, brushes, paper, and canvases. 7. Sari describes her own retreats as typically seven full days, with workshops usually three or four days. 8. She says the schedule often includes breakfast together, a demo, lunch, three or four hours of afternoon painting, and dinner. 9. She explains that some days include outings to a local market, a local beach, Granada, or Tagazut, and sometimes cultural events like Berber bread making in Morocco. 10. She says lesson plans often focus on plein air, still life, and value, with a bigger color push later in the week. 11. Sari emphasizes that she “honor[s] where you’re at” and lets students opt in or opt out of intensive pushing. 12. She says retreats attract both extroverts who want classroom energy and introverts who want privacy while painting. 13. She describes “drinking from a water hose” on day one, which is how she frames the volume of information in the demos. 14. She says one-on-one feedback usually lands on day three, four, or five, and that she uses it to meet students where they are. 15. Sari says critiques stay respectful, with no competition and comments like “you remind me of this artist or that artist.” 16. She says the biggest retreat value is social: people leave with friendships, numbers, and art community connections. 17. Her tone is conversational and highly specific, with repeated examples from Spain, Morocco, Texas, and her own teaching practice. 18. The format is a solo Q&A built from Instagram questions, with Sari moving from logistics to materials to teaching philosophy. 19. Listeners who love art-making logistics and teaching craft will get the most from it. 20. Listeners wanting a tight narrative or short show may skip it.

As heard by us

A clear, practical look at how painting retreats tend to feel.

This episode looks at painting retreats, with Sari Shrike answering Instagram questions about what they are, how they differ from workshops, and who usually signs up.

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Want a clear, candid guide to painting retreats?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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