Truffles in Paradise: Markets, Fests, Feasts, Hunts & More

It's truffle season in Provence! Our famous fresh black truffles, considered one of the most prized and expensive food products on earth, are at optimal ripeness in January. If you've never been to a truffle market or done a truffle hunt, it's great good fun. But do it soon...the season ends in mid March. Below are some of the best places to experience tuber melanasporum (truffes noirs) in Provence, from marchés aux truffes to truffle festivals to truffle farms to restaurants. You can take check out the Fête de la Truffe in Uzes (Jan 14 to 16) or the one in Aups (Jan 23), join in a festive town-hall luncheon (ten more times this winter), attend a Truffle Mass followed by a truffle meal (next month), get a guided tour of a pros-only truffle market (on Fridays in Carpentras, for one euro!), sign on for Patricia Wells' five-day truffle cooking extravaganza (in 2023) and even adopt a truffle oak (anytime). And of course, taste truffled everything, from liqueur to honey to scrambled eggs to ice cream. Also, some news: a group of truffle producers in Provence have just banded together to combat the sale of fake, foreign, unripe and otherwise sub-par truffles with a “collective brand” called Le Diamant Noir du Vaucluse. Read on! 

The Richerenches Truffle Market, Truffle Mass and Truffled-Omelette Lunch

The famous winter truffle market in the village of Richerenches is now in full swing, every Saturday morning until March 12. 

The intoxicating aroma of fresh truffes hits you before you even see the long row of vans, each with a cluster of buyers huddled behind it...everyone bundled up warmly, patiently waiting their turn. With many thousands of euros worth of product changing hands, there's a hushed sense of serious excitement in the air. Each truffle is meticulously weighed, calculations are made, cash changes hands and sacks are handed over...while gendarmes mill around very visibly, keeping an eye on everything. Most of the sellers here are courtiers en truffes, who buy direct from the trufficulteurs for the purpose of reselling. Sellers without their own vans wander the crowd, their goods tucked carefully out of sight in cloth bundles, plastic bags or market baskets. 

And king of the market, of course, is the prized tuber melanasporum, also known as the French black truffle, truffes noirs, Black Diamonds or Black Gold. 

At Richerenches you can also buy truffle-oak saplings, kitchen gadgets to ease truffle handling and even a truffle hound...I saw one very sweet one in a cage, looking a bit forlorn that he wasn't running around in the sunshine like all the other dogs. Other vendors sell locally grown produce, charcuterie, olives and olive oils, soaps in delicious scents, nougat and other sweets. It's all very colorful, very authentic and very Provencal. 

Statistics are a bit hard to come by but the Richerenches truffle market is said to be the largest in France and probably Europe. It sells both wholesale and retail and many top chefs in the region shop here. I'm told that 50% of the truffle transactions in Southeast France happen here...accounting for 30% of all the truffles that change hands in France. And that the Vaucluse (one of the six departments in the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region) produces 70% of all the truffles in France.

All morning long on market day, people pop in and out of the Etablissement Cafe, for warming drinks and truffle talk. The unmistakable aroma of truffle wafts in with them and, by this time, is probably permanently embedded in the walls. By 11:30 the market crowds have dwindled and the Etablissement is packed.

After you've done your marketing, you can move on to a truffled-omelette lunch at the Town Hall/Salle des Fêtes, just a few doors down from the Etablissement Cafe, or at the Salle des Remparts, by the church.  You'll sit with strangers but no doubt become fast friends, thanks to the Kir that kicks off the meal and the serve-yourself bottles of Côtes du Rhône on every table. The 25€ price includes a salad, a creamy omelette with shaved truffles, bread, dessert, coffee, wine, a souvenir glass...and lots of juicy local gossip. These lunches fill up quickly so call the Richerenches Tourist Office to reserve: +33 (0)4 90 28 05 34. You can reserve by phone for up to six people; more than six requires a 50% deposit. See details and dates here.  

There's also an outdoor summer version of the truffled-omelette lunch; it happens a couple times a week and alternates between the villages of Richerenches and Grignan. Summer 2022 dates are still TBA. 

The Richerenches truffle market takes place on Avenue de la Rabasse (Rabasse is Provencal for truffle) and on Cours du Mistral.  It runs every Saturday morning, mid November to mid March, from 9 am to 1 pm. Anyone can buy truffles on the Avenue de la Rabasse; the Cours du Mistral is for professionals only.

Richerenches even has a Truffle Mass in the Saint Denis Church on the third Sunday of January (Jan 16, 2022). It’s dedicated to St. Antoine...the patron saint of truffle growers...and followed by an apero, open to all. Crowds have been known to get so big that a giant TV screen is set up outside in the courtyard of the Knights Templars Commandery so everyone can join in. As of now, it's expected to go ahead next month. There's a small museum devoted to truffles and wine in the Commandery as well. Info on the Truffle Mass and meal that follows (€65 pp, by reservation) is here. 

For more info, lunch reservations and other events, contact the Richerenches Tourist Office at  +33 (0)4 90 28 05 34 or via their website in English here. 

The Carpentras Truffle Market

Richerenches is the biggest but not the only regular truffle market in Provence. There are also two in Carpentras on Friday, which is the village’s regular market day as well.

The first happens on Friday mornings, from mid November to mid March, at the Hotel-Dieu. The start whistle blows at 9 am and it’s all usually over within an hour or so. This market is private and for professionals only...but the Carpentras Tourist Office  offers a guided tour of this market to the public for €1 (yes, one euro!) per person. Tours are in French only and can be booked online or in person at the Tourist Office.

The second truffle market is for everyone else. It too happens on Friday morning, from 8:30 to 12:30, in front of the Tourist Office on Place du 25 Aout 1944.

The professional market started November 19; the public market on December 3. Both will likely run until early March, depending on the harvest. 

Periodically throughout the season, the Tourist Office offers a truffled-omelette and wine tasting in their office, for €10 per person, featuring different chefs and wine domaines. There are none in January but check back in February; dates will appear on the website. To reach the Carpentras Tourist Office: +33 (0)4 90 63 00 78 or click here.  

Three Places for Truffle Hunts in Provence

*Year after year, truffle hunting at Les Pastras is one of the most-popular activities in the Luberon, according to Trip Advisor and other sites. With English-speaking guide Johann and three adorable dogs named Mirabelle, Caramel and Éclair, you’ll head into the Provençal countryside sniffing out winter or summer truffles. Learn how truffle trees are cultivated, the signals nature sends to indicate your trees might have truffles below and the extreme lengths to which people will go to steal the precious tubers or sabotage other hunters. Plus, tips on how to clean and prepare fresh truffles, what dishes taste best with them and how to tell a real tuber melanosporum from, say, a Chinese fake. Then kick back with Champagne and fresh truffle hors d'oeuvres...and truffle ice cream with truffle honey...and a tasting of Les Pastras’ homemade products including truffled salt and olive oil. You can also purchase truffles here at less-than-market prices. Winter hunts (roughly Nov. 15 to March 15) are weekdays at 10 am or 2:30 pm. Summer hunts (roughly May 1 to Sept. 30) are weekdays at 10 am or 6 pm. Expend to spend about 3 hours. For all the info, click here.

*Based in Gordes, Robert Florent dug up his first truffle at age five, while hunting with his grandfather. Today he organizes winter and summer truffle hunts with his dog Perle, followed by wine and a tasting of truffled toasts. You can buy his truffles and other truffle products and, if you book ahead, possibly stay on for a meal. A truffle hunt with tasting costs 200€ total (for 1-3 people) or €250 (4-20 people); more than 20 people add €10 pp.  Robert speaks some English but works mostly in French; a translator is available for €50 extra but must be booked in advance.  The summer or winter experience lasts 3 to 3.5 hours but can be shortened to 2.5 if needed. For info or to book: +33 (0)4 90 72 11 60, +33 (0)6 80 55 30 47, florent.gael@gmail.com.

*On a sunny December day two years ago, with snow-capped Mont Ventoux in the distance, my friends and I enjoyed a super-successful truffle hunt and a wonderful meal with truffles in every course (including cheese and dessert) at La Truffe du Ventoux, run by the Jaumard family. Details about everything they offer--truffle hunts, meals, truffles and truffle products, B&B, etc.--are on their site. 

Three Upcoming Truffle Festivals

The elegant, historic village of Uzes will hold its annual Fête de la Truffe January 14 to 16, 2022. This year you’ll find a winegrower's evening, a truffle market, workshops, special truffle meals and more. General info about the truffle season in Uzes is here and the the program for the January truffle festival is here. For whatever else you might need, call or email the lovely folks at the Uzes Tourist Office: +33 (0)4 66 22 68 88, info@uzes-pontdugard.com

Every Thursday morning from late November to mid March, the village of Aups, in the Var, hosts a truffle market on the Place Frédéric Mistral from roughly 9:30 am to noon. On the 4th Sunday in January (Sunday January 23, 2022) there's the Fete de la Truffe with truffles and other local products for sale, a truffle dog competition and truffle menus in village restaurants (definitely book in advance). I'm still trying to confirm if the Truffle Festival in Aups will happen this year or not but in the meantime, for info, click here and here. And  when you're in Aups, check out the Maison de la Truffe where you'll find truffle info, activities, a museum and a shop. The helpful folks at Visit Var can help with all the info you need about the region.

For now, the Nimes Truffle Fair is scheduled for February 4 to 6, 2022, Covid permitting. It’s organized by the Ville de Nimes and hasn’t been posted online yet so check in with the Nimes Tourist Office closer to the date.

Truffle Meals in Restaurants

At this time of year, you’ll find truffles on restaurant menus all over the region. Here are four suggestions to get you started.

* At Restaurant Bruno in Lorgues (in the Var), you'll encounter a serious, decadent use of truffles in just about every dish including the famous truffled scrambled eggs known as brouillade. They currently offer multi-course truffle menus  at €83, €125, €175 & €195. Or, pick and choose your dishes à la carte and pay accordingly. This year Bruno was one of just two Provence restaurants to receive Michelin's new "Green Star" designation for sustainability. 

*At La Beaugraviere in Mondragon, on the N7 north of Orange, you can indulge in one truffle dish or an entire truffle tasting menu...and an award-winning wine list packed with Rhône vintages. This year, truffle menus are €69 or €150...and other menus, without truffles, are also offered.  

*In Carpentras, Chez Serge has been known for truffles for years. They used to do a fantastic truffle pizza but no longer...dommage! Now you’ll find à la carte truffle dishes and an €89 three-course truffle menu.  

*In Nîmes, the intimate restaurant Gamel will feature special truffle menus to coincide with the Uzes Truffle Fair (January 14-16) and the one in Nimes (February 4-6). Chef Cristian Moisa is self-taught, rising up through the culinary ranks from local brasseries to Michelin-starred eateries such as Lisita in Nîmes and Bibendum in London, while his partner Morgane, a pâtissier, runs the front-of-house. For more info, contact the restaurant in the new year. +33 (0)4 66 36 25 80. 

A Truffle Cooking Workshop 

Every winter at their cooking school in Vaison-la-Romaine, Patricia and Walter Wells offer a Black Truffle Cooking Extravaganza. It's five days of classes, meals and outings devoted almost entirely to fresh black truffles. Menus focus on complementary wines, particularly the prized whites of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. All instruction is in English, with recipes geared to home cooks. The workshop has been Covid-postponed until 2023 but all the info is here. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Patricia's 2011 book, Simply Truffles, on Amazon here. 

Two Bits of Truffle News...

The Maison de La Truffe et Du Vin, which for years has occupied a beautifully restored 17^th-century maison particulier at the top of  the village of Menerbes—selling a fantastic selection of local wines as well as a wide range of truffle products--is closed until further notice. They may reopen...or not. But you can still buy their products (including their Truffle Aperitif, which a Menerbes-based friend says she loves to give as a novelty gift) on their website.

To promote and protect the integrity of their products, five truffle growers in the Vaucluse have banded together to launch a “collective brand” called Le Diamant Noir du Vaucluse. Rigorous specs guarantee the truffle’s origin, pesticide-free production and freshness: they must be sold within seven days of harvesting. According to association president Nicolas Monnier, an organic producer in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, the goal is to combat the poor quality of truffles sometimes sold in local markets, some of which come from Spain or are unripe. “We want to take back control as producers...in order to guarantee that the truffles are ripe and black,” he says.  “Gray or white truffles aren’t ripe and don’t have the same aroma. We practice reasoned farming, without the use of pesticides. We also want to guarantee...that our truffles are fresh and out of the ground for less than 7 days. A consumer buying a Diamant Noir du Vaucluse truffle is guaranteed a fresh truffle. The black truffe of the Vaucluse might be the most expensive, but it’s worth it!” 

For More Info

There's a calendar of truffle markets in the Gard and elsewhere in Occitanie here.

And finally,  you'll find lots of great info on truffle markets, visits, hunts and more on the Vaucluse Tourism here. 

Photos: (1) Pasta with fresh black truffles at Patricia Wells' cooking school in Vaison. Her next five-day Black Truffle Cooking Extravaganza will be offered in 2023. Photo by Jeff Kauck. (2) Happy Shopper: I met the smiley Pierre Sauvayre last time I visited the Richerenches Truffle Market. (3) Delicious truffled omelettes are served up on most Saturday mornings in Richerenches during truffle season. Check the schedule and reserve ahead. (4) One section of the Richerenches market is devoted to wholesale only and many of the region's top chefs buy here. (5) The stall selling charcuterie does a booming business on Saturday. (6) A typical seller's rig at Richerenches. (7) Truffle vendor Thierry Vidal in the retail section of the Richerenches market.  (8) Rabasse is Provencal for truffle. (9) The markets also sell tools for handling truffles. (10) The Etablissement: preferred hang out for buyers and sellers in Richerenches.  (11) Here comes the truffle truck! (11) A sign on the Mairie boasts Richerenches' status as one of the 100 Remarkable Sites of Good Taste, a designation honoring local foods and producers. (12) The Truffle Mass in Richerenches will be January 16. (13) At the Truffle Market in Carpentras. Photo via Avignon-et-Provence.com. (14, 15) Les Pastras in the Southern Luberon is known for truffle hunts and truffle products, olive picking parties, grape stomps and more. After your truffle tour, tuck into truffle ice cream with truffle honey--and lots of other delicious things. (16, 17) Two winters ago, some friends and I did a truffle day at La Truffe du Ventoux in Monteux. With snow-capped Mont Ventoux in the distance, our day included a truffle talk in the Jaumard family's workshop, a successful hunt with this adorable Border Collie and a wonderful meal with truffles in every course including this pumpkin soup with truffle cream. (18) Poster for the Uzes Truffle Festival next month. The Nimes Truffle Fair is tentatively scheduled for mid February.

Painting Workshops in Provence in 2017

Many of my readers and clients ask about painting classes in Provence...and I've found some great instructors who are happy to give half- and full-day lessons. (Interested? See some here and then email me: whattodoinprovence@gmail.com.) But if you'd like something longer and more comprehensive, you might consider a trip devoted mostly or entirely to painting. Most workshops last about a week, there are many happening all over Provence and a sampling appears below. (A few of these instructors allow for day-long drop-ins.) I can't tell you which of these trips are best as I haven't experienced any of them myself. I've chosen these because they're either led by painters I know and admire...or they were recommended by people I trust...or they look really promising online. For questions, please contact the organizer or instructor directly. And if you have another workshop to promote or recommend anywhere in the South of France, feel free leave the info and a link by clicking "comments" below this story...or email me and I'll add it. Here's a great selection of what's available...with captions for all the photos above appearing at the end of the text.

There are still two places left for Julie Houck's painting workshop at the very beautiful Moulin de la Roque, not far from St. Remy and Avignon, April 22 to 29. Julie prides herself on small-group mentoring and highly personalized instruction while encouraging camaraderie between students. You'll stay in a lovely restored farmhouse with a full kitchen and enjoy daily painting excursions (the poppies will be in bloom!). Price: $2,250 includes lodging, workshops and use of the painting studio; airfare and meals are extra. For info: juliehouck.com, juliehouck@gmail.com.

The talented watercolor artist Tessa Baker, originally from London, has lived and taught in the Var region of Provence since 1985. In addition to day classes in a variety of locations, she offers popular week-long watercolor workshops. "If there are poppies we go to the poppy fields, if there's lavender we go to the lavender fields... and so on!" she says. "And I have a beautiful studio at my home in Lorgues on the off chance it rains. Painting is a joyful moment in time so I encourage students enjoy, laugh, have fun, create. It seems to work very well!" This year Tessa is offering her week-long workshop four times; the dates are April 29 to May 6 (two spots left), June 10 to 17, July 1 to 8 and September 9 to 16. Plus, Tessa will host "Cook and Paint with Tess" from May 20 to 27, during which you'll learn to make popular Provençal dishes with produce from the local markets. For info: paintprovencewithtess.com, tessabakerart@gmail.com.

British artist Julian Merrow-Smith lives and paints in Provence full time. I think his work is exquisite and so do the thousands of people who follow his "Postcard from Provence" online art sales. In 2017, he'll be offering just one painting getaway with his wife Ruth Phillips, a writer and musician. The dates are April 27 to May 4, the price is $2875 and there's one double room with two painting spots left. (You could also come alone and pay a single supplement...or come with a non-painting partner.)  "There are no frills to this workshop," Julian says. "We usually visit one of the local markets; otherwise the week is all about painting—talking, living and breathing it together. Our aim, above all, is to give you the experience of living the painter's life in the south of France." The group stays in the lovely restored priory/B&B called La Madelène, in the countryside at the foot of Mont Ventoux. For more info, click here or email: couguieux@gmail.com. 

This year, Workshops in France is offering four Provence painting trips. Two 10-day uninstructed "art retreats" are being offered from a château in the Luberon near Aix for "Poppy Season" in May/June and "Glorious Provence" in September.  These retreats include 10 days of artistic immersion (mentoring available) and daily painting sessions in private vineyards, small fishing ports, charming villages, markets, on the Van Gogh trail and more. There's plenty to do for non-painting travel partners as well.  Click here for details. In addition, two workshops with well-known instructors are scheduled in early May and late September. You'll stay and work in a château above the hillside village of Chateauneuf de Gadagne, not far from Avignon, and again, there's plenty for non-painting partners to do.  Click here for details. Workshops in France also accepts drop-in guests for the day. For info, click here or email Julie Snyder: julie@workshopsinfrance.com. 

Based in one of the Luberon's loveliest villages, the American artist Andrew Petrov lived and painted in Provence for many years before returning to the US in 2012. But his heart remains in rural France and he returns each summer to Saignon, to paint and teach. "There's no better place to learn, practice, and enjoy the process of plein aire painting than in Provence!" Andrew says. This summer, he'll be teaching two seven-day workshops--June 17 to 24 and July 1 to 8--and if there's room, day painters can join in (prices below). Otherwise, half- and full-day a la carte painting sessions will be available in between (June 25 to 30).  You'll paint beautiful fields...pretty, historic villages...prehistoric and Roman vestiges. And all skill levels are welcome; Andrew says his easy-to-grasp methods make it possible for someone "who's never lifted a brush" to create real and empowering artworks. The seven-day package (lodging, meals, art supplies and more) is $2500. Half-day sessions are 100€ per person; full day sessions: 200€ per person. Prices include all supplies and group prices are available. For info: andrewpetrov.com or petrov.andrew@yahoo.com. 

French Escapade is offering six different eight-day painting vacations in Provence--each led by a different instructor--plus one workshop in the Loire Valley and one artist retreat in the French Alps (no instructor). Choose from oil painting, watercolor or journal sketching. Groups are 12 max and prices start at $2,990 for a double room. "We usually stay at the same lodging for the entire tour," says company founder Jackie Grandchamps, "so you can feel at home without having to pack and unpack every day and you can spend more time painting rather than on the bus. Best of all, choose an ideal base location and take you on a wide variety of daily painting excursions in a comfortable van." French Escapade also has workshops this year in Spain, Belgium/Holland and Tuscany. For details, click here or email Jackie: contact@frenchescapade.com.

British artist Jill Douglas will teach a class at the artists' studios Ateliers Fourwinds, on the outskirts of the pretty little town of Aureille, not far from Maussane and Les Baux. The property--a former quail farm--sits in the foothills of the Alpilles Mountains, surrounded by olive trees. "When I first spent time painting here, it was life changing," Jill says. "After painting every day for two weeks I knew I was breaking through to a new level.” Jill has created a course appropriate for complete beginners to advanced painters, taking place in the studio and the surrounding countryside. Lodging is either at Fourwinds or a nearby hotel. Typical excursions are to colorful market in Mouriés, the Roman city of Arles and the village of St. Remy, where students will visit the places Van Gogh painted. "My focus is to help students develop and express their visual voice," Jill continues. "We do group and individual critiques, which helps you critique your own work better and learn how to know when you're finished...the much asked question!” 2017 dates are May 15th to June 3rd and Sept 18th to 30th. Price: 1860€ per week includes art instruction, transport, lodging and meals; come for one week or two. For info, click here or jilldouglasart@gmail.com.

Atelier Provence (July 3 to 14, 2017) is a unique course that combines a 7-day painting workshop in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence with a 4-day art history tour in Barcelona (easily accessible by high-speed train). This is a great opportunity to paint in plein air (glorious lavender fields, ochre cliffs, Cézanne’s beloved Mont St. Victoire), learn art history and theory, visit Barcelona’s greatest art sites and enjoy famous Provencal and Catalan cuisine and wines...in an intimate environment fostering creativity and fun. Visit Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, Gaudi’s marvelous Sagrada Familia, the Picasso and Miró Museums and much more. Atelier Provence is sponsored by Walk The Arts, which has been hosting workshops in Europe since 1997. The price ($2750) includes painting instruction, lectures, 11 nights double accommodation (7 in Provence, 4 in Barcelona), all breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 gourmet dinners with wine, all ground transport including TGV train Avignon to Barcelona and entry fees to museums and sites. For info, click here or email Walk the Arts' co-owner Monica Marquez: info@walkthearts.com.

Based in Monterey, California, Cindy Wilbur will offer a Provence workshop September 3 to 12, hosted by Provence Art Experience Workshops. The group will stay in a guesthouse in the heart of Arles (20 meters from the Roman arena!) and explore many of the enchanting villages of Provence. The price ($3,950) includes the workshop, airport or train transfers and ground transport,  lodging and all meals....everything but airfare and painting supplies. Cindy tells me her course is suited for serious beginners and seasoned painters alike. For info, click here or email: cindywilbur920@gmail.com.

Judy Ryan is a talented landscape painter who has taught adults at the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) for more than 20 years; she loves to share the basics of plein air painting with beginners and offer practical advice for more-advanced students. Her two 10-day painting workshops will be kept small, allowing for individual attention and intensive painting time. You'll be based in the very-rural area of northern Provence in the Drome region, near Montelimar and Pont-de-Barret, an area of lavender and sunflowers, quaint hill towns nestled in the foothills of the French Alps and mountain rivers with rustic stone bridges. Lodging is in a beautifully restored farmhouse. Each workshop includes a private room, wonderful French meals, all painting supplies (easels, umbrellas, chairs, paint) and lots of time to paint "the legendary light that inspired the French Impressionists." The 2017 dates are June 27 to July 7 and July 11 to July 21.  Price: $2150 singles (private room) and $3150 couples (one painter and one non-painter).  For info: provenceforpainters.com, judy.ryan.artist@gmail.com.

Jill Steenhuis is an Atlanta-born, French Impressionistic painter who lives in Aix, where she taught painting and drawing (at the American University) for ten years. In addition to leading Cezanne and Van Gogh walking tours for American museums and art lovers,  Jill offers week-long oil painting workshops in the countryside for all ability levels. (For those who share her passion for Cezanne and Van Gogh, special arrangements can be made to paint on the very sites where they did.)  "My joy comes from watching the beginner or more-advanced painter climb a mountain in their creative way and in their inner soul," she says. Students may bring their own supplies or Jill can provide them. Details are on her site here. For info: jill@jillsteenhuis.com.

Under the auspices of Coastal Maine Art Workshops, Tony van Hasselt will lead a 10-day watercolor trip Oct 13 to 23. Tony has led workshops in the region for more than a decade. You’ll stay in a lovely 16^th century, 3-star hotel in the old section of Vaison la Romaine, take day trips to nearby medieval villages and spend the last night at a 4-star hotel in Marseille. Tony creates terrific sketchbooks to capture and keep handy the memories of every trip; he’ll also teach you the tricks of these quick painterly sketches and how to enhance them with written notes, menus, photos and more, to bring back a sense of place...“an easy way to be creative without bringing along your entire plein air kit.” The price ($3995 for painters in double rooms; $3595 for non-painting companions) includes lodging, all ground transport, all breakfasts, 2 lunches and all dinners.  All levels welcome. For info, click here or email:  info@cmaworkshops.com.

Since 1990, David and Liz Atkinson have run Arts in Provence in the tiny hamlet of Les Bassacs, with its commanding views over  the Luberon Mountains and the Vaucluse. Surrounded by cherry orchards, vineyards and olive groves, Les Bassacs is within easy reach of the well-known villages of Gordes, Lacoste and Bonnieux. Workshops of varying lengths are led by different artists reflecting a wide range of styles and themes. This year there are 14 of them, between early May and late September.  Group size is 12 max...and all the info is here.

And One for the Sculptors...

Ateliers Fourwinds offers a wide range of art programs for locals, travelers and visiting artists. (Read more about it in the listing for Jill Douglas’ painting workshop above). Fourwinds' co-founder Ursula Hanes will lead her very-popular clay sculpture workshop here October 9 to 13, with instruction from 9 am to 12 noon daily. Students will work with a model and produce a full-figure sculpture. Beginners are welcome and, as Ursula tells me, "their experience is enhanced by working with students who've already had some training. The emphasis is not only on acquiring knowledge and technique but also in meeting other sculptors. My groups have always been friendly and helpful towards others." The fee of 180€ per person includes daily instruction and the firing of your completed piece; students buy their clay at an extra charge of 13€ for a 10kg block. Everyone is responsible for finding their own lodging but Fourwinds can make suggestions and in some cases, offer lodging on the property. Students are responsible for their own meals, with a group potluck the last evening. For info: ateliersfourwinds.com, ursulabear@orange.fr.


Photos: (1) A student paints lavender at its peak, in a workshop led by Judy Ryan. (2) Judy Ryan's painting "Small House in the Field." (3, 4, 5) Two paintings by Cindy Wilbur, who will teach in Provence Sept. 3 to 12...and the terrace of the guesthouse in Arles where Cindy's group will stay. (6) A student on one of Julie Houck's Provence painting trips; there are two spots left in Julie's workshop April 22 to 29 at Moulin de la Roque. (7) One of Julie Houck's own paintings, "Les Cocquelicots" (The Poppies). (8) A painting by Tessa Baker, who will lead five Provence workshops this year, including one pairing cooking with painting. (9) Last year Tessa Baker's group did a day trip to St. Tropez. (10) A typical meal during Tessa's workshop: fresh, colorful, healthful and Mediterranean inspired. (11) One of Julian Merrow-Smith's lovely fruit paintings. (12) Julian with students among the poppies. (13) One of Julian's Provencal landscapes. (14) Julian's group might lunch on the terrace at La Madelène or share a picnic like this one.  (14) Julie Snyder returns to Provence each summer to teach, paint, host and mentor through Workshops in France. (15) Julie Snyder's oil-on-canvas "That's Done." (16) Artist Patricia Alexander painting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape; she has attended four art retreats hosted by Workshops in France. (17, 18) Two paintings by Andrew Petrov, who leads week-long workshops and day classes in the Luberon.  (19, 20, 21) Three paintings by Sandy Delanty, hosting a June workshop through French Escapade. (22) Shari Blaukopf will teach travel sketching in July, through French Escapade; this watercolor is from Costa Rica. (23, 24) Two paintings by Jill Douglas, who'll be back this summer teaching at Ateliers Fourwinds. (25) A painting by Jill Steenhuis. (26, 27) From Tony Hasselt: A couple sketchbook pages...and a watercolor of a Provence village.