Pack your core painting kit (a limited palette, brushes, panels, odourless solvent), sun-and-heat essentials (hat, high-factor sunscreen, refillable bottle, light long-sleeved layers) and soft, unmistakeable clothing you can paint in. Check whether the retreat supplies materials — MALLORCA ART RETREAT confirms the kit list in advance so you do not overpack.
The best packing list for a painting retreat is short. Painters who travel light paint more freely — and nowhere is that truer than on a Mediterranean island where the light moves fast and the best subject is often a short walk away. Here is a practical checklist, split into art materials, clothing and the small things people forget.
Art materials
- A limited palette — six or seven colours you actually use
- Brushes in a range of sizes, plus one large for blocking in
- Canvas panels or primed boards (working small keeps you mobile)
- A palette and a palette knife
- Odourless solvent in a sealed container, plus rags
- A sketchbook and pencils for warm-ups and studies
- A portable easel or pochade box if you plan to work outdoors
A note on paint: do not bring every tube you own. A tightly edited palette pushes you to solve problems with mixing rather than searching for the perfect colour. If you are unsure what the retreat provides, ask before you fly — many, including MALLORCA ART RETREAT, will confirm exactly what is on site.
Clothing for the light and the heat
- A wide-brimmed hat — non-negotiable for plein air work
- High-factor, water-resistant sunscreen
- Light, long-sleeved layers to protect against sun and mosquitoes
- Comfortable shoes for uneven terraces and village lanes
- A light jacket or jumper for cool mornings and evenings
- Swimwear — the sea is part of the experience
Dress in layers. Mediterranean mornings can start cool and clear before the day warms quickly, and coastal evenings turn fresh again. Soft, breathable fabrics in natural tones suit both the climate and the easel.
The small things people forget
- A refillable water bottle
- A phone or camera for reference shots
- A small notebook for notes and colour recipes
- Painter’s tape and a few bulldog clips
- Any personal medication, plus basic first aid
- An adaptor for European plugs (type C / F)
What not to bring
Resist the urge to bring your entire studio. Oversized boards, heavy easels and every colour you own will slow you down and, more importantly, keep you from working freely. A retreat is a chance to strip back to essentials — let the light and the landscape do the rest. Explore the retreat weeks.
The seven-line version: limited palette, a few brushes, small panels, odourless solvent, a wide hat, high-factor sunscreen and light layers. That is a complete painting-retreat kit for Mallorca — everything else is optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What art supplies should I bring to a painting retreat?
A limited palette of six or seven colours, a range of brushes, small canvas panels, a palette and knife, odourless solvent with rags, a sketchbook, and a portable easel if you plan to work outdoors.
Do I need to bring my own paints to an art retreat?
It depends on the retreat. Ask in advance. Bringing your own tightly edited palette is always useful, but many retreats confirm exactly what materials are supplied on site.
What should I wear on a painting holiday in Mallorca?
Light, breathable layers in natural tones, comfortable shoes for uneven ground, a wide-brimmed hat and high-factor sunscreen. Mornings and evenings can be cool, so bring a light jacket too.
Should I bring a large easel to Mallorca?
No. Travel light — a portable easel or pochade box is plenty. Oversized boards and heavy equipment slow you down and discourage spontaneous plein air work.
On a painting retreat you typically paint two sessions a day. A predictable rhythm runs through the week: breakfast and a short reflection, a focused morning studio session, a long Mediterranean lunch, a looser afternoon (often plein air), then an aperitivo and dinner on the terrace. No one has to keep up — the pace is designed for rest as much as work.
If you have never been on a painting retreat, the idea can feel a little mysterious. You know you will paint. But what does a day actually look like? When do you work? When do you rest? Will you be able to keep up? These are the questions every first-time retreat painter asks. Here is a walk through a typical day — drawn from the rhythm of MALLORCA ART RETREAT — so you know exactly what awaits. Explore the full painting experience.
Arrival day
You land in Palma and are met at the airport. The drive to Finca Es Cabàs is a short one — through almond groves and stone-walled lanes, the mountains growing larger in the windscreen. By late afternoon, everyone has arrived. There is an aperitivo on the terrace: local wine, olives from the finca’s own trees, introductions. No one is a stranger for long. Dinner is served under the pergola. The retreat has begun.
The rhythm of a typical painting day
| Time | Moment | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Breakfast | Coffee, fruit, Mallorcan pastries and eggs on the terrace |
| 9:00 | Morning reflection | The lead artist reviews selected work from the previous day |
| 10:00 | Studio session | You paint; the artist circulates and works with each person individually |
| 13:00 | Lunch | Long, Mediterranean and shared under the olive trees or pergola |
| 15:00 | Afternoon session | Studio refinement or plein air — looser and more exploratory |
| 19:00 | Aperitivo | Everyone gathers on the terrace as the sun drops behind the mountains |
| 20:00 | Dinner | Private chef, seasonal Mallorcan ingredients, every meal shared |
Morning studio session
The studio opens. You paint. The lead artist circulates, spending time with each painter individually. This is not a distant figure at the front of the room. This is a working artist sitting beside you, looking at your canvas, having a real conversation about what you are making.
The long Mediterranean lunch
Grilled vegetables, fresh fish, salads, wine. Lunch is not fuel — lunch is part of the experience. Conversations continue: about art, about life, about nothing in particular. It is, more often than not, where the week’s closest connections are made.
Evenings on the terrace
On some evenings — a barbecue, a paella night, an open studio, the final celebration dinner — painting gives way to laughter and stories. This is deliberate. A good retreat understands that creative growth happens not only at the easel, but in the spaces between.
What you will learn
Technique, yes — colour mixing, composition, brushwork, how to see light and shadow. But also something harder to name. By the end of the week, painters often say they have learned not just to paint differently, but to see differently. That change — the change in how you look at the world — is the thing that lasts.
- Colour mixing — building a palette that holds together from first mark to last.
- Composition — choosing a subject and arranging the picture rather than copying everything you see.
- Brushwork — confidence, economy and when to stop.
- Seeing light — reading shadow as colour, not as black.
The short version: you paint in two sessions a day, eat extremely well in between, and leave having changed not only your canvases but the way you look at light. No prior experience is required — the pace is built for beginners and serious painters alike. Browse upcoming retreat dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours a day do you paint on an art retreat?
Usually two sessions — a focused morning studio session of around three hours and a looser afternoon session, sometimes plein air. That works out to roughly four to six hours of painting a day, with generous breaks.
Do you need experience to join a painting retreat?
No. The best retreats welcome complete beginners, provided the group is small enough for individual tuition. At MALLORCA ART RETREAT the cap of fifteen painters means every person gets time with the lead artist.
What is a typical painting retreat schedule?
Breakfast and a short reflection, a morning studio session, a long lunch, an afternoon session (often plein air), then aperitivo and dinner. The structure repeats, which lets you relax into it quickly.
Are meals included on an art retreat?
At MALLORCA ART RETREAT, yes — every meal is prepared by a private chef using seasonal Mallorcan ingredients and shared on the terrace. Always confirm inclusions when comparing retreats.