Drawing, qigong and deep rest in ancient lands

Draw from nature. Be inspired by cave paintings and ancient landscape. Relax and rest into a new rhythm. The Dordogne valley has been a place of mark-making for thousands of years. The cave painters of Lascaux traced bison and horses by firelight, capturing something essential about the world around them. We come to the same landscape this September to draw. Using charcoal and natural materials we will experiment with making our own marks, as we explore what we see, and express what we feel.

Each day moves between movement and making.

We begin with qigong (mindful movement) led by Katie, waking up our body with breath, meditation and gentle movement in the garden, weather permitting. Then we go out into the local landscape, to walk, explore, visit caves, make notes, written and visual. We draw from nature, inspired by the patterns and rhythms of the natural world: sunlight through walnut leaves, flickering shadows, ripples on water.

Back in the studio we draw intuitively, from memory, full bodied and gestural. Large-scale charcoal drawings that layer and change and keep going over many hours and days. We will be making smaller drawings too. Sometimes drawing into the evening, in low light, from dreams, from the imagination, from the landscape half-remembered.

Drawing here is a process, not a product. A way of understanding and a record of passing time.

Sergeac sits on the banks of the Vézère river, deep in one of the most quietly beautiful parts of France. The week is designed around rest - settling into a new rhythm, earthing and grounding, finding a sense of place. Walking, contemplating, being in touch with nature.

We're staying at Gîtes L'Enclos in the grounds of an old stone farm house, in the hamlet of Sergeac, on the banks of the Vézère. The accommodation is in both gîtes and the main farm house, set in beautiful parkland gardens, with views over the lower garden, the Vézère river and the valley beyond. There are two heated pools, and room for you all to have your own room (or share with a friend or partner and save £200 each). The studio is a converted barn just outside the gates of the property and for our sole use during the holiday.

There is plenty of space for unwinding, relaxing by the pool, or sitting outside in the shaded terraces. Ten minutes from Montignac and the Lascaux caves, this peaceful and tranquil location is well placed for everything we'll visit during the week.