DATES: October 5-10, 2026
FEE: $2,500
Save $100 on your retreat deposit if you sign up by March 1, 2026. Use the code “SMILEY100” at checkout.
SIGNUP DEADLINE: August 6
The signup deadline is to ensure the retreat moves forward. Also, if you're in need of financial assistance, please contact us.
Fall Florals with Victoria Johnson
This immersive, creative experience features six hands-on workshop sessions. During your week with Victoria, you’ll learn to draw from the local aesthetic and combine its rich visual bounty with your own taste and style to create unique floral artworks.
Victoria will share her painting and drawing techniques, focusing on curiosity and experimentation, and can’t wait to guide your explorations of the stunning autumnal florals and foliage from breathtaking natural surroundings.
Throughout the week, Victoria will be hands-on, delighted to help with a huge range of queries, whether they’re about painting techniques, how to photograph and edit your inspiration or artwork, the logistics of running an art business, or anything else you can think of! Victoria loves to have a chat - especially one that helps you reach your goals!
Fall Florals Retreat Schedule
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4:30 pm | Wine + cheese mixer
6:00 pm | Welcome dinner
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9:30 am | Light in-studio breakfast
10:00 am | Morning art session (3 hrs)
Victoria will offer an overview of the week ahead. She’ll talk you through her artwork, describing techniques and materials used, and how she works with a spirit of curiosity, where the creative adventure is as important as the outcome.
She’ll explain how openness, play, and bravery can lead to revelatory “Aha!” moments that will fuel your creativity for years to come. You’ll have a selection of stunning local florals to paint but Victoria will also take you foraging for autumnal treasures in the grounds of the Smiley Manse.– break for lunch –
2:00 pm | Afternoon art session (2 hrs)
Victoria will demonstrate techniques, including how to control (or abandon yourself to) watercolour, how to ‘draw’ with the paint instead of pre-sketching, and how to get the most out of your materials, letting them do the heavy lifting. You’ll then spend some happy hours trying them out.
6:00 pm | Simple in-studio dinner
– post-dinner studio time is available –
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8:30 am | Early studio access
9:30 am | Light in-studio breakfast
10:00 am | Visit to thrift stores
We’ll visit local thrift stores, looking for inspiration. Little pots for floral arrangements, old papers, patterned textiles. They can all be incorporated into mixed media florals!
– break for lunch –
2:00 pm | Afternoon art session (2 hrs)
6:00 pm | Simple in studio dinner
– post-dinner studio time is available –
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8:30 am | Early studio access
9:30 am | Light in-studio breakfast
10:00 am | Morning art session (3 hrs)
Victoria will demonstrate additional techniques, showing you how to build up layers of texture and interest in your paintings. You’ll experiment with coloured grounds and collage and anything else that you have to hand!
– break for lunch –
2:00 pm | Afternoon art session (2 hrs)
You’ll be life drawing! This is super exciting because, although the subject matter will change, the techniques and approaches can be carried across and you’ll see how a spirit of exploration can be applied in any creative context.
6:00 pm | Dinner at local restaurant*
– post-dinner studio time is available –
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Today, you’ll finish your paintings and hand them to Victoria to prepare for a lovely evening of admiring everyone’s work.
9:30 am | Light in-studio breakfast
10:00 am | Morning art session (3 hrs)
– break for lunch –
2:00 pm | Afternoon art session (2 hrs)
5:00 pm | Mini exhibition and aperitivo
6:00 pm | Simple in-studio dinner
– post-dinner studio time is available –
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9:30 am | Light in-studio breakfast
10:00 am | Morning art session (2 hrs)
You’ll have a last chance to finish off, test out an idea with Victoria on hand to help or answer any burning questions!
1:00 pm | Light lunch & goodbyes
– optional studio time until 5:00 pm–
*Not included in retreat fee. Date of dinner out also subject to restaurant availability.
About Victoria Johnson
Victoria Johnson is an English artist based in Italy. Her career began in the United States, where she opened a New York–London design studio and collaborated with leading womenswear designers.
After many years in the US, Victoria moved her creative business to Rome. Her artwork has appeared on a variety of beautiful products for well-known clients, including Anthropologie, Gap, Hallmark, Papyrus, and Windham Fabrics.
Victoria distills 30 years of experience into powerful online art and design courses that motivate and inspire thousands of artists to create authentic, original artwork that’s true to their taste and style. At her art retreats, Victoria encourages guests to understand what makes them unique, value what they gravitate towards, and lean into it.
Victoria will show you how to stay curious and open to new experiences while remaining true to yourself. You’ll gather inspiration from the cultural and aesthetic riches of stunning locations, combine that with an exciting array of media and techniques, and create intuitive works of art, vibrant with colour and texture.
“I was truly touched by your hospitality! I also enjoyed the sense of community – I felt welcomed and accepted, and I also felt challenged and pushed in a good way. I was on a journey of rediscovering how art fits into my life and this retreat solidified how important it is for me to make time to experiment, play, create, and make art.”
— Amy
2023 retreat participant
Where You’ll Be Creating
Springfield, Vermont
The Smiley Manse Barn
Nestled up behind the main property is the barn. This turn of the last century post-and-beam construction with a slate roof that rises to a massive walled cupola, the barn is noted as one of the finest carriage barns in the region. Learn more about the history of The Smiley here.
Inside, you’ll find large flat work tables, each a place to explore and express your individual creativity, yet the atmosphere encourages connection and dialogue. Whether it’s the sound of a paintbrush sweeping across the page or folks discussing technique over coffee, the barn serves as a meeting ground for artists of all levels to create and build lasting relationships, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.
We strive to create a space where the act of making art is as much about building community as it is about self-expression.
Join us for a chance to unwind and create in an idyllic setting.
Your Retreat Includes:
Custom designed art curriculum by Victoria
4.5 days of creative instruction
Extra studio access before/after each full day
All meals (except 1 dinner out)
Welcome wine mixer serenaded by a local musician
Tea, coffee, and snacks always available in the barn
Usage of our art supply stash during the retreat
Private FB group before/after the retreat
What’s Not Included:
Accommodations – there are several great options nearby!
Transportation to/from The Smiley
1 dinner out at a local restaurant