Immerse yourself in the landscapes, light and wildlife of southern Italy on this artist retreat in Puglia, hosted by Carla Grace in collaboration with Olive & Plum.

You’ll stay in a beautiful traditional masseria, a peaceful, characterful setting surrounded by olive groves, providing the perfect base for a week of painting, rest and creative focus.

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This experience is centred around one of Carla’s favourite subjects to paint -  flamingos. Together, you’ll explore the nearby salt lakes to observe and gather reference material in the field, giving you the opportunity to study movement, light, colour and atmosphere in a way that directly feeds into your work.

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Back in the studio, Carla will guide you through her full process of developing these observations into strong, resolved wildlife paintings. The focus is on the fundamentals that truly improve your work — value, colour, edges and brushwork — helping you build confidence and greater control in your painting.​

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Alongside the art sessions, there will be time to explore and enjoy the character of Puglia each day, creating a balanced experience that combines learning, inspiration and space to reset creatively.

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This retreat is subject to minimum participant numbers. We will confirm once the trip is guaranteed to run.

We recommend that you do not book flights or make travel arrangements until you receive confirmation from us.

Exploring Artistic Expression in Puglia

What you’ll gain from the retreat

By the end of the week, you’ll leave with far more than a collection of paintings.

You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to develop strong wildlife artwork from real-life observation, along with the confidence to approach your own work with greater clarity and control.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll:

• Learn how to gather and use reference material effectively in the field

• Understand how to build strong compositions from initial ideas through to finished pieces

• Develop your use of value, colour and edges to create more convincing, impactful paintings

• Gain confidence in brushwork, decision-making and working through the full painting process

• Experience how observation, photography and studio work can come together in a cohesive way

• Leave with artwork that reflects both your progress and your personal response to the experience

Many guests also find that stepping away from everyday routines and working in a focused, supportive environment allows them to reconnect with their creativity in a more meaningful and lasting way.

This art retreat takes place at the Masseria Specula, which is a traditional farmhouse & nearby villas located in Puglia, Southern Italy. It is ideally located in beautiful countryside, close to the long white sandy Specchiarica Beach. 

The Masseria seamlessly merges authentic traditional Italian charm with modern comforts. The villas are modern, spacious and have outdoor space with a swimming pool. The venue is surrounded by countryside and offers beautiful sea views.

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In keeping with the Masseria's Italian charm, meals are freshly prepared by three Puglian women who cook delicious, authentic Italian recipes their mothers taught them. 

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On booking (subject to availability), you can select from rooms within the Masseria itself or one of the villas and more information about the accommodation can be found below. 

Stay at the Masseria

The Masseria is the main building where meals & workshops will take place. 

Relax and unwind in one of the Masseria’s beautifully furnished bedrooms. Each room is tastefully decorated and generous in proportion, whether you are sharing or having the room to yourself.

Masseria Room information

Relax and unwind in one of the Masseria’s beautifully furnished bedrooms. Each room is tastefully decorated and generous in proportion, whether you are sharing or having the room to yourself.

Room Layout:

• First Floor Rooms: Feature roof terraces.
• Ground Floor Rooms: Most have individual garden spaces.
• Accessibility Note: Guests with mobility issues should book a ground floor room.
  

Twin Rooms:

• Priced per person, based on double occupancy.
• You can share with a guest of your choice (if available) or be paired with another guest (by us) of the same gender.
• The en-suite bathroom is shared between both room occupants.
  

Double Rooms (Single Occupancy):

• Designed for single occupancy only, with a double bed.
• You may bring a non-participating artist to share the double room for an additional charge of £1,800. Non-participating artists can join excursions, but will not be able to attend the art workshops.
• Double rooms have a private ensuite

Stay in a Villa, next to the Masseria

If you’re looking for contemporary lines and access to a swimming pool on your stay, then overlooking the Masseria are 4 villas that will offer you just that. Set across the road from the Masseria, they offer the perfect space to unwind and relax.

Contemporary Villas with Pool Access:

• Located across the road from the Masseria, 4 villas offer modern design; each with access to a swimming pool and outdoor space
• These villas provide a relaxing space to unwind during your stay.

Villa Sizes:

• Villas 1 and 4: Larger in size compared to the others.
• Villas 2 and 3: Slightly smaller in comparison.

Rooms in the Villas

• Villa bedrooms are all based on solo occupancy of the room
• Villas will be shared with other participants of the same gender, with shared kitchen, seating area, pool and outdoor space
• All rooms in the villas (except one room in Villa 1) share a villa bathroom

• 7 nights, 8 days of accommodation at the beautiful Masseria & neighbouring villas

•  Exclusive use of the property including all common areas, workshop spaces and gardens 

• Daily Art workshops with Carla Grace as outlined in the itinerary 

• Daily freshly prepared meals cooked by a private chef at The Masseria on most days 

• Two evening meals at local restaurants 

• Wine and non-alcoholic beverages during dinner service

• Unlimited supply of tea/coffee/water during Art Workshops at The Masseria

• Roundtrip airport transfers from Brindisi & Bari airport if you adhere to our flight parameters. These will be emailed to you once the retreat is guaranteed. 

• Excursions as featured in the itinerary.

• Private transportation for all planned trips/English speaking interpreter 

• Access to a private WhatsApp group with Carla Grace before the retreat

• Unlimited Access to Carla Grace Creative tutorial platforms from the date of your booking

• All Art Materials except for personal sketch/note books

• Flights

• Airport transfers outside of our flight parameters (which will be sent to you when the retreat is guaranteed) 

• Required Travel Insurance- this is compulsory 

• Alcoholic beverages outside of the evening dinner service

• Additional excursions or taxi journeys you may wish to take outside of the itinerary 

• Pasta making, pottery classes and horse riding are available to do in your own time, bookable via The Masseria and not included in the Olive & Plum package. 

• Tips — tipping isn't the norm but it's appreciated by the local service providers 

•  Other expenses guests might incur on their own

• ETIAS travel authorisation fees  

• The non-participating artist package (when sharing a double room with a participating artist) excludes all art workshops

Travel insurance is required for all participants attending the art retreat. 

Your policy must ensure that you are covered in the event of unforeseen circumstances such as illness, travel disruptions, or cancellations. Your insurance should cover both the cost of the retreat and any associated expenses, including travel, itinerary excursions and accommodation. Proof of insurance will be required prior to the retreat, and we recommend securing a policy that offers comprehensive protection for your peace of mind. 

We’re thrilled that you’re considering a retreat with Olive & Plum Retreats! 

To secure your reservation, a non-refundable deposit is required. 

The final balance will be automatically charged to your card 180 days before your departure, and you’ll receive a friendly email reminder two days before that charge.  

Here are a few important details to keep in mind:

 • Deposit: Your deposit is non-refundable, except in the rare case that we need to cancel your booking. 

• Final Balance: The final balance payment is due no later than 180 days before your departure. Once this payment is made, it becomes non-refundable if you need to cancel within 180 days of the trip. 

• Exceptions: There may be exceptions to these terms as outlined in the Package Travel Regulations (EU law). These regulations provide for refunds or compensation in certain circumstances, such as significant changes to the trip or unavoidable and extraordinary situations. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.  

• Transfer: If you’re unable to attend, our cancellation terms apply. However, you can transfer your booking to someone else. There will be an administration charge for this, which we’ll let you know about when you request the transfer.  

Lastly, we highly recommend that all guests consider getting travel insurance at the point of booking. This will help protect you against any unforeseen events that might impact your ability to attend.  Thank you for your understanding, and we can’t wait to create an amazing experience for you! 

This retreat is subject to minimum participant numbers. We will confirm as soon as these have been reached and the trip is guaranteed to go ahead.

We kindly ask that you do not book flights or make any non-refundable travel arrangements until you have received written confirmation from us that the retreat is running.

Arrival & welcome

Arrive in Puglia and make your way to the masseria, with group transfers available from the airport.

We offer a group transfer from Bari Airport at 1pm and Brindisi Airport at 2pm. These are fixed times, so you may wish to arrive the day before and stay locally if your flight timings don’t align. There are plenty of convenient accommodation options near both airports, and return transfers at the end of the retreat are included.

Once settled, we’ll come together for a relaxed welcome dinner, followed by an informal introduction and overview of the week ahead.

You’ll also receive your artist welcome gifts, along with studio notes, your lesson plan and a plein air sketchbook kit to use throughout the retreat.

After breakfast, we’ll head out for a flamingo excursion to the nearby coastal salt lakes — a unique landscape of shallow water, wide skies and soft, shifting light. This is one of the best places in the region to observe flamingos in their natural habitat, often seen wading, feeding and moving together across the water. It’s an ideal setting to study movement, colour and atmosphere, and to gather strong photographic reference material for your work.

We’ll return to the masseria for lunch before moving into an afternoon studio session, where Carla will guide you in developing your initial compositions from the material collected earlier in the day.

In the evening, we’ll head to Manduria for dinner — a relaxed and characterful town known for its historic streets, local food and wine. It offers a lovely change of pace and a chance to enjoy the atmosphere of the region beyond the studio.

After breakfast, we’ll begin with a focused morning studio session, developing your initial ideas and preparing for your first stages of painting.

Later in the day, we’ll return to the salt lakes for a second flamingo excursion. This gives you the chance to deepen your observation, refine your reference material and notice more subtle details in movement, colour and light.

Back at the masseria, the afternoon studio session will build on this, with Carla guiding you as you begin to translate your references into more developed work.

In the evening, we’ll head to Grottaglie — a beautiful historic town known for its long tradition of ceramics. We’ll explore its characterful streets and artisan workshops before enjoying the atmosphere at sunset.

 After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning in the studio focusing on developing your composition, building on the work and reference gathered so far.

Following lunch at the masseria, the afternoon session continues this process, with Carla guiding you as you strengthen structure, balance and overall impact within your painting.

This is a more focused studio day, allowing time to settle into your work and make meaningful progress.

In the evening, we’ll enjoy a relaxed dinner together at the masseria.

For those who wish to, we’ll begin the day with an early sunrise experience, heading out to watch the light emerge and capture the changing atmosphere as the landscape comes to life. It’s a beautiful, quiet time of day and a valuable opportunity to observe colour, tone and mood.

We’ll then return for a full day in the studio, focusing on establishing form within your work — developing structure, depth and clarity as your painting begins to take shape.

In the evening, we’ll head to Oria, a historic hilltop town known for its winding streets, whitewashed buildings and far-reaching views. We’ll enjoy time to explore before dinner together.

After several days of building your work, today offers a chance to step back and explore.

There is an optional excursion to Lecce — often referred to as the “Florence of the South” — known for its beautiful Baroque architecture, warm honey-coloured stone and elegant streets. You’ll have time to wander, explore independent shops or simply enjoy the atmosphere of this vibrant and historic city.

Alternatively, you may prefer to take time to rest or enjoy the surroundings at the masseria.

In the afternoon and evening, we’ll return to the studio to continue developing your paintings, with Carla guiding you through this important mid-phase — refining structure, colour and cohesion within your work.

For those staying back, there is also the option to enjoy a relaxed wine tasting in the olive garden.

After breakfast, we’ll begin the day with a final morning studio session, giving you time to bring your work together and make any last refinements with Carla’s guidance.

Following lunch, we’ll prepare your pieces for display, selecting and arranging work to create simple exhibition boards that reflect your progress over the week.

In the evening, we’ll gather for a relaxed botanical cocktail evening, where we’ll share an informal exhibition of everyone’s work — a chance to reflect on the week, see how each artist has developed their ideas, and celebrate what you’ve created.

We’ll then enjoy a final dinner together at the masseria.

We’ll enjoy a final, relaxed breakfast together before departure to the airport.

You’ll leave with all of the artwork created during the week, along with your materials — a lasting record of your time in Puglia and the progress you’ve made throughout the retreat.