French Art Retreat
This summer Katie Moody returned with a watercolour retreat to France. Her and 15 talented artists travelled to the French countryside filled with watercolour and joy. It was great to see Katie bringing along Hahnemühle papers such as our Britannia, Harmony and Lana papers.
What is it about Hahnemühle paper that keeps you coming back to it for your watercolour work?
"I love that it handles everything i throw at it! As a mixed media artist, its important to me that my paper can cope with lots of different mediums and plenty of water. I know Hahnemühle paper works beautifully with the layers of watercolour i use, holds up to the haphazard way i sometimes apply my paint, and still allows me to work back into my paintings with other materials."
You recently ran a retreat in France, what was a highlight from one of the artists on the trip that really stuck with you?
"I did, and it was such a wonderful experience! One of the biggest highlights for me was seeing how much the artists' confidence grew over the week. It can feel daunting getting a sketchbook out and drawing in front of other people, but because everyone was there to create, it quickly became such a supportive environment.
We spent time playing on loose sheets from Hahnemühle paper pads as well as in our sketchbooks, giving ourselves permission to experiment without worrying about the outcome. By the end of the week, I could really see a difference in everyone's mark-making and confidence. They were embracing the process, finding their joy and not letting self doubt hold them back. Watching that transformation was really special!"
What is it about the summer season that inspires you creatively?
"For me its the longer days and sunshine. Having those extra daylight hours makes a huge difference to my mood and means I spend more time creating. I'll often head out one evening to the forest or to a local common to do some plein air sketching. I always feel most inspired in this season, especially with the vibrancy of nature encouraging me to fill my sketchbooks with colour."
In collaboration with Hahnemühle you recently ran a giveaway for an A4 portrait watercolour book to your followers. What made you choose that format, and what art impressed you the most when deciding?
"I loved the Hahnemühle Watercolour Book for a long time and repurchase it often because i find it so easy to fill. Portrait is my go-to format because it gives me so many composition options, from full page layouts to splitting things up into smaller panels. Sometimes, A5 sketchbooks feel a bit too small for me, whereas an A4 encourages me to be bolder and more creative. I paint more loosely, make more confident marks and get so excited filling the pages with big and fearless brush strokes!
When choosing a winner, i was drawn to artwork that captured a real sense of place and movement. The energy of a painting often leaves a stronger impression than technical perfection to me, and that's something i'll always love seeing in other artists' work."
The team at Hahnemühle cannot wait to see Katie Moody return to France for another retreat next year in summer 2027.
To keep up to date with Katie's art journey, you can find her on instagram @katie_moody
To find out more about Katie's choice of the Hahnemühle A4 portrait watercolour book see the product here.
The watercolour book is the ideal companion for artists who love to capture their holiday memories without delay. The natural white 200gsm paper features a fine grained surface structure on both sides. Making it ideal for creating full width panoramic paintings.
With 60 pages / 30 sheets, the watercolour book is compact while offering an ample amount of pages to paint your memories on. With a durable cover and a rubber band to hold the cover together your art work is protected.
