art retreats under
the sun of Crete
Gianni Rodari said that all stories are meetings of contrasting ideas. In this five day retreat, we’ll take a deep dive - through painting, writing, and conversation - into how opposing energies in character, color, text and image can be used to make compelling images and stories.
Together, we'll explore:
* Daily comics exercises
* Identifying emotional moments for our stories
* Three act structure and how to use it
* Emotional use of colour and paint
* Thumbnailing and page composition
* Compositional techniques
* Editing and re-writing
* Daily readings
* Principles of effective picture books
THE ARTIST
Matthew Forsythe is an award-winning author, painter, and designer from Canada. He is the author of Pokko and the Drum, designer of the award winning animated series Adventure Time and the Oscar nominated animated short film, Robin Robin. He illustrated the acclaimed new edition of Gianni Rodari’s classic treatise on storytelling for children, The Grammar of Fantasy. He teaches character design at VIA University in Denmark and has led storytelling and painting workshops around the world.
He lives in Los Angeles. You can see his work here.
Who is
this
retreat
for?
For designers, artists, visual creators or just curious travellers eager to experiment, play, unlearn and connect with their wildest and most symbolic imagery. We welcome beginners as well as professionals alike.
Day 1 - Arrival & Welcome
Welcome to Crete! Guests arrive in Kaliviani, a village on Crete's northwestern coast. In the evening we will come together for a welcome dinner.
Day 2 - Seeds of Story
We begin with introductions and a conversation about goals, helping us shape the workshop around the interests ofthe group. Every day, participants will share selected picture books and discuss the principles that make them effective. We will also use storytelling games created by Gianni Rodari to generate ideas that can be developed over the course of the workshop before we gather for a Cretan cooking class and an olive oil tasting.
Day 3 - Story and Structure
We will spend part of the day exploring Chania town, using our sketchbooks to record its buildings, streets, and everyday activity. Back in the village, we will reflect on meaningful experiences from our own lives and consider how they might be transformed into stories. We will explore how traditional structures - including poetic concepts developed in Greece by Aristotle - can help shape our experiences into meaningful stories.
Day 4 - Colour, Composition, Create & Refine
We will take an easy walk through the Cretan countryside, sketching plant life, surface details, and the changing light. . We will explore the character of different paints and the ways colour can communicate emotion, and lead the reader within a composition. There will also be time to develop individual projects.
Day 5 - Departure
Final breakfast together and reflection.
THE FOOD
THE NATURE
THE VILLAGE
DATES
14 -18 October 2026 (5 days/4 nights)
PRICES
-
private room with double bed & private bathroom €2.100 (4 available)
-
private room with single bed & shared bathroom with 2 others €1.700 (1 available)
-
shared room with double bed & shared bathroom with 2 others €1.700 (1 available)
-
shared room with single bed & shared bathroom with 2 others €1.600 (4 available)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
-
3 full day art masterclass with Matthew Forsythe
-
accommodation 4 nights
-
full meals (4 breakfasts, 4 dinners, 3 lunches + alcohol)
-
daily activities, transfers included
-
visit to Chania Old Town
-
entrances to sites
Things to note:
The masterclass will be held in English.
Transfer from/to the airport can be arranged either by public transport and/or taxi. The nearest airport is Chania (CHQ) and is one hour away by car.
Maximum number of guests is 10
If you are interested in extending your stay in Crete, we are happy to assist.