{"id":36357,"date":"2026-03-17T11:20:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T10:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/annettemorris.art\/?post_type=tribe_events&p=36357"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T10:20:14","slug":"french-village-sketchbook-august-2026","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/annettemorris.art\/fr\/event\/french-village-sketchbook-august-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"French Village Sketchbook – August 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Join me to sketch life in France as it happens in and around this charming wine-making village where I live.\u00a0 \u00a0This is the time of the grape harvest – the days are warm and the vineyards are buzzing with activity as local winemakers seize the moment to pick the grapes.\u00a0 \u00a0Soak up the atmosphere and fill your sketchbook with images of local views, people, food, old cobbled streets, buildings and markets.\u00a0 I’ll share ink and watercolour techniques for both beginners and more experienced travel sketchers – loads of fun with line and colour!<\/p>\n

Each day we’ll start sketching at 10am, enjoy a local lunch and then finish around 4pm.<\/p>\n

You will need a sketchbook suitable for watercolour.\u00a0 I use a book with cold press 300gsm paper.\u00a0 My sketch kit includes a 6B pencil, watercolour pencils, watercolours, waterproof ink pens and a small portable folding stool.\u00a0 If you do not have your own materials a spare kit can be available on loan.<\/p>\n

Workshop prices exclude refreshments, lunch & accommodation.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Where is Quarante?<\/h2>\n

Quarante is a small historic village not far from the Canal du Midi and located within an area of Occitanie formerly referred to as Languedoc. By car, Quarante is about 30 minutes from B\u00e9ziers or Narbonne, and approximately an hour from Carcassonne or Montpellier.<\/p>\n

I love living in this village. From the minute I moved here (over 14 years ago) I felt it had a warm and friendly character, it combines old fashioned quirks and modern day facilities to have almost everything you need to get from day to day, French style. It\u2019s a working village that remains active all year round. There are various shops and services, schools, a pharmacy, hairdressers, post office, butchers \u2013 plus a friendly boulangerie and bustling caf\u00e9 of course.\u00a0\u00a0The village, like many of this region, is surrounded by vineyards and the wine-growing culture is deeply rooted in the culture.<\/p>\n

From a sketcher\u2019s point of view Quarante is a wonderful place to be. If you wander into the heart of the medieval centre to find the ancient church and the fountain, the cobbled streets are so narrow a vehicle could never pass. Explore a little further and you\u2019ll find charming properties, churches, chapels, stone walls, shutters, rooftops, vineyards and donkeys in fields \u2013 if quintessential France is something you want to capture in a sketchbook, you\u2019ll definitely find it here.<\/p>\n

Where to Stay<\/h2>\n

There are several fabulously equipped modern apartments in the centre of the village – please contact me<\/a> if you would like more information and I can put you in touch with the owners to book directly<\/p>\n