6 night / 7 night painting holiday with accommodation, superb cuisine and gorgeous uninterrupted country views. Includes 18 hours of expert tuition. The painting holiday is suitable for all levels.

Painting partners are welcome too.

Our fabulous art tutor is full of enthusiasm and will teach you new skills to maximise your art creativity in a range of different media.

During your stay, you will enjoy daily art lessons on the waterfront deck under the mature carob trees with accompanying bird song. The surrounding countryside and views of the river will make you feel as though you have discovered a secret oasis and you won’t be at a loss when choosing your landscape art scenes.

When you are not capturing the beautiful landscapes in paint or pencil enjoy riverside walks, lounging by the infinity pool, kayaking, SUP, admiring the sunsets and night skies, or visiting the nearby Moorish castle.

You will feel relaxed, confident and inspired to take on new artistic challenges. 

• Your swimming costume to enjoy the pool and watersports on the dam. The water levels may differ depending on the time of the year and drought conditions.
• Something warm to relax in at night.  Yoga mats available for use.
• Sun hat and suitable footwear for walking to explore different paths and also if you plan to visit the historical town nearby, during free time, as the cobbled roads can be slippery
• Plastic or cardboard postal tubes to take your rolled artwork home. Paper sizes provided will be no larger than an A3

“Tracy taught me so much about painting and really inspired me. I pay so much more attention to colours and shapes and lines in all the nature I see. ”  – Ramla

“Tracy, our art teacher, was extremely knowledgeable in a variety of techniques, gave you confidence and always made you feel at ease.” – Sally

“We were able to understand all the different painting techniques that were incorporated into this workshop.” – Jenny

“Tracy was relaxed, fun, informative and talented” – Liza

“Tracy is a very talented artist and a great teacher I hope to return again” – Jenny

“Cheryl is an excellent host and her culinary skills have literally changed our view of food; vegetarian food in particular, with flavours, textures and combinations that were an assault on the senses.” – Clive

“The River House, I can’t recommend this place highly enough….you wont be disappointed with its location and beautiful views overlooking the river. ” – Charlie

“The hospitality couldn’t have been more attentive by the owner, Cheryl.” – Liza

“The owner Cheryl was very welcoming and cooked amazing meals.” – Ramla

“The villa and grounds are beautiful and the surrounding countryside is breathtaking. At night I saw the sky filled with stars.” – Ramla

“I went along to Figs on the Funcho as a non-painter with my painting partner. My time there was incredibly relaxing with stunning views across the river and countryside, with interesting walks and sunsets to die for.” – Clive

Email me if your partner would like to join.

There are several quiet areas on the property to enjoy and take advantage of the peaceful, tranquil, scenic surroundings. Enjoy bird watching, book a relaxing aromatherapy massage, enjoy stand up paddle boarding or kayaking or simply chill out by the infinity pool and soak up some much needed vitamin D.

The clearly signed walking route is ideal for exploring the countryside on your own and you are welcome to join the art group when they go out walking and exploring the countryside.

There is so much to discover and enjoy in the Algarve that is within easy reach if you have a car.

Expect warm temperatures and rain is almost nonexistent. Daytime temperatures reach an average of 16°C (60 °F) and a high of 28°C (82°F). Comfortable night temperatures can be about 17°C (62°F) during an average night.

You can cancel until 30 days before arrival and you shall be entitled to a refund of the total amount paid by you to us in relation to such booking less a cancellation charge equal to the amount of the Deposit paid by you.

You will be charged the total price of the reservation if you cancel in the 30 days before arrival. If you don’t show up you will be charged the total price of the reservation.    

The event is held outdoors and additional safety and sanitation measures are currently in effect.
Figs on the Funcho have been awarded the Portuguese Clean&Safe seal and we work together with our cleaning company and our villa manager to ensure that our rental property’s cleaning protocol meets the “Clean & Safe” protocols by following the new villa rental hygiene guidelines.
In addition to the new holiday rental Clean&Safe guidelines, our art students attending our painting lessons will be asked to adhere to our coronavirus protocols, see details regarding our coronavirus policy 

Settle into The River House at Figs on the Funcho before enjoying a group welcome dinner.

Morning: Natural inspiration workshop

Relaxed introduction morning at Figs on the Funcho learning how to use different shapes, textures and form from the nature. Using various drawing techniques and materials including graphite, charcoal and pen where you can ease into your art holiday learning new tips and tricks or a good refresher for the more experienced. Also a great way to get to know each other and discuss our art interests.

Afternoon: Walking with Cheryl

Explore the via Algarviana walking route (optional). This walking route is perfect if you enjoy solo walking or running in the morning allowing you to clear the mind of chatter and make space for clear thinking so that you can focus on the peaceful surroundings and enjoy the present.

Morning: When colour runs riot workshop

A day letting vibrant colours and bold imagery inspired from many different sources comes together to create powerful abstract art. This will be a creative day exploring different colour and how it makes us feel. Chance to try out different art materials like watercolour, acrylics or chalk. All that is required is an open mind willing to explore.

Afternoon: Sunset river walk 

Admire the sun setting behind the hills and the water reflections (optional). An ideal opportunity to study water reflections for your painting projects.

Full Day Outdoor Landscapes Painting

En plein air painting is the French expression for “in the open air” and we will be outdoors using the stunning location of Figs on the Funcho as inspiration for creating some plein air landscape painting. The morning will be used to work together and discuss how to select your landscape, then compose a painting or drawing while on location. After lunch, we will continue with the landscapes back at base where we can tune the fine details with guidance to create some impressive works of art. The hardest part of this day will be which view to choose, so maybe bring a camera. Material choice is  totally up to you, but maybe try something loose and see where the inspiration leads you.

Morning: Ink and mixed media workshop

A session on the joys of using ink in various ways to create interesting art works. A morning of play and experimentation where we will show you how versatile this medium can be, not to mention the possibilities when other mediums are used. From the application of ink from a pen for sketching, to brush work and the introduction of bleach and other unusual things.

Afternoon: Historical town 

An interesting historical town with narrow cobbled streets leading to one of the best-preserved Moorish castles in Portugal. Visit the magnificent Gothic cathedral, the archaeological museum, and perhaps do some souvenir shopping before enjoying a leisurely evening meal below the castle walls under mature jacaranda trees and marvel at the beautifully lit historical buildings

Morning: Suggestive animals workshop

Have you ever tried to draw an animal but felt it wasn’t quite right? Have you attempted to draw furry coat but it ended up looking flat? Well this tips and tricks session on all things animal will help you master simple shapes into various species followed by the techniques needed to make fur and feather come alive. From the smallest mouse, to the biggest elephant, anything goes in this session.

Afternoon: Massages for those who have booked (optional)