15-19 April 2027
Want to build a career illustrating stories for top publishers?
In this journey of Creative Discovery with Cosima Delamare you will be exploring the relationship between text and image, focusing on how to translate ideas visually and communicate a clear message through a single illustration. This Art Escape is designed for all that want to reconnect with creativity, not through rigid techniques, but through intuition, experimentation and storytelling.
These inspiring days in Monsaraz will be ideal to develop the creative process of illustrating stories, building memorable characters, and crafting immersive visual narratives. And to gain the confidence and techniques to illustrate stories with originality, emotion, and a professional approach.
By the end of this creative getaway, you will:
Composition tools for visual storytelling, including scale, contrast and value, levels of detail, and line and gesture, will be explored, and you will be encouraged to experiment with different tools, techniques, and both observational and photographic references to expand your visual vocabulary.
Cosima Delamare is a French illustrator based in Paris. Her work explores emotions, humor, as well as Hollywood imagery and pop culture.
Raised in an artistic environment, she developed a strong interest in drawing and visual storytelling. After studying literature and cinema, she trained in applied arts and worked for several years as an art director at Stylist magazine, where she developed a rich visual culture.
At the same time, she continued to study drawing, first in Ivry and later at École Estienne. She gradually developed her own visual language using colored pencils and graphite, creating images with a soft and painterly quality.
Today, she regularly collaborates with the press, illustrating topics ranging from trend analysis to news stories and social issues. Her work has appeared in publications such as French Marie Claire (where she was invited as artist in residence) as well as other editorial outlets. She also works with brands in the fashion and beauty industries, including FIRN and No7.
Testimonials for Cosima Delamare:
Marie Claire describes her work as:Guided by a very Hollywood-inspired imagery. Using coloured pencils to achieve a painterly quality and creating illustrations with “surprising depth.
Marie Claire France selected Cosima Delamare as its featured artist-in-residence, introducing her as an emerging visual artist whose work would appear across multiple issues. This is an editorial endorsement rather than a testimonial, but it’s a significant vote of confidence from a major publication.
Her work has been commissioned by major French publications including Society, M le magazine du Monde, L’Express, Les Échos Week-End, Stylist, and Marie Claire, as listed on her portfolio.
To know more about Cosima visit her website here.
15-19 April 2027
(5 days and 4 nights)
Single Room:
1789€ PP (+vat 23%) = total 2200€
You can reserve your spot today, and we’ll only charge you once the event is guaranteed.
Our rooms can be prepared for one person or for a couple. If you would like two separate beds and you are joining with another participant, please let us know. Check hotel details bellow.
Booking Process:
Payment:
You can reserve your spot today, and we’ll only charge you once the retreat is guaranteed.
Your place is guaranteed once the minimum group size has been reached and the retreat can be operated safely in accordance with applicable local, national, and other regulations.
In the unlikely event that a guaranteed retreat is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control, we’ll let you know as soon as possible, refund all payments you’ve made in full.
Get in touch for exclusive access: info@sofiainmonsaraz.site
3 full-day Art Classes days with Cosima Delamare
3 Dinners
3 Lunches
Yoga Class
Visit to an old rug factory
and olive oil tasting session
Nights Accommodation (with breakfast included
Private luxury coach transfer to the hotel in Monsaraz, approximately 2 hours from Lisbon Airport, with return transfer to Lisbon Airport included
Thursday, 15 April 2027
The bus will pick up the participants at Lisbon airport at 3 pm. It is advisable to arrive at Lisbon airport before 2.30 pm. The trip to Monsaraz, to the hotel at Telheiro, lasts 2 hours, so we will arrive at the hotel around 6 pm. A light dinner will be served at the hotel upon arrival.
Friday, 16 April 2027
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take a leisurely 15-minute stroll to the event centre, Sofia in Monsaraz.
Our day begins with a warm welcome, followed by our first workshop starting at 9:30 am.Around 12:30, we’ll gather in the garden for a delicious lunch, followed by a olive oil tasting with local produced olive oil.
In the afternoon, we’ll return to our work in the studio until 4 pm, then set out to visit Fabricaal, a historic rug factory that offers a glimpse into local craftsmanship where we will have an opportunity to gather colour inspiration. The day concludes with dinner at a charming restaurant within the ancient walls of Monsaraz Castle, a perfect setting to unwind and share stories from the day.
Saturday, 17 April 2027
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take a pleasant 15-minute walk together to Sofia in Monsaraz, arriving around 9 am. We’ll begin the morning with a refreshing yoga session, the perfect way to ground ourselves and prepare for a creative day ahead.
We’ll move into our painting class at 10:30 am, immersing ourselves in color and inspiration. Around 12:30 pm, we’ll pause for a special and relaxed lunch at the patio. In the afternoon, from 3:00 to 5:30 pm, we’ll gather again for our painting class, with plenty of time to develop our work and explore new ideas. As the day winds down, the evening is free for you to relax and enjoy at your own pace. (Dinner will be independent and not included, giving you the chance to explore local options.)
Sunday, 18 April 2027
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll enjoy a gentle 15-minute walk to Sofia in Monsaraz, where our final day begins at 9.30.
After some work in the morning until midday, we’ll gather outdoors for a lunch of freshly prepared local dishes, savouring the flavours of the region under the open sky. The afternoon will be dedicated to our final workshop, offering space to complete your artwork and reflect on all that you’ve created. Around 5 pm, we’ll enjoy a local wine tasting experience, a delightful way to toast to new friendships and inspiration.
To close the retreat, we’ll share a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant, a celebratory evening filled with connection and conversations for our time in this special corner of the world.
Monday, 19 April 2027
After breakfast, we’ll depart at 9 am for our return journey to Lisbon Airport, with an estimated arrival time of 12:30 pm. Along the way, we’ll make a 30 to 45-minute stop at a charming local pottery shop.
P.S. A heartfelt thank you to our past participants whose beautiful photos bring Sofia In Monsaraz to life!
We ensure that everything is well organised with attention to detail, so that nothing will prevent you from enjoying all the peace and quiet of the Alentejo.
Each participant is given their own room with air conditioning, full and private bathroom, shared or private balcony and outdoor access.
This accommodation is an enjoyable 15-minute walk from the workshop venue (SIM) and passes by the Bulhoa menhir (National Monument) and the Alentejo plain.
Note: The Shared rooms will be staying in the “Double Twin Rooms” and the Single rooms will be staying in the “Studio Suit” and “T1 Suite”.
Booking Process:
Get in touch for exclusive access:
Internacional roundtrip airfare, alcoholic drinks, activities not included in the itinerary, hotel incidentals including room service, expenses during free time, laundry service and hotel bar, food and beverages not included in the itinerary. Partners are welcome with an extra fee of 500€.
We require all participants to have a personal travel insurance that at minimum covers medical emergencies and cancellations. We do not provide travel insurance for the retreat and each participant is required to have their own individual travel insurance. The place, where the retreat happens, has an Insurance that covers accidents. We will not be responsible for refunding any lost trip funds if you have to miss your scheduled trip.
We accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or dairy/egg free, and some allergies. We are unable to accommodate participants with severe food allergies or severe food intolerances. Please contact us in advance of registering if you have any dietary questions
It will start when arriving at the hotel, Thursday evening and finish when you leave the hotel, by Monday morning. We are not responsible for any non-retreat activity that a participant decides to purchase outside of the retreat and such activity will not form part of the participant’s contract with us. The bus transport is covered by insurance.
This retreat includes a walking tour where the ground may be uneven. You may be on your feet for several hours at a time and should be comfortable with walking.
The supplies list will be communicated a few months before the event, and each student will bring their own. The materials can be shipped to our place before you arrive.
You can reserve your spot today, and we’ll only charge you once the retreat is guaranteed.
Your retreat is guaranteed once the minimum group size has been reached and the retreat can be operated safely in accordance with applicable local, national, and other regulations.
In the unlikely event that a guaranteed retreat is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control, we’ll let you know as soon as possible, refund all payments you’ve made in full.
If you need to cancel your participation in a guaranteed retreat, the following cancellation terms apply:
If you are unable to attend, please notify us as soon as possible so we can process your cancellation and discuss any available alternatives.
Payment can be made by Bank transfer or PayPal in euros. Additional costs may apply where special accommodations are made available to participants.
In this event we will accept up to 15 people. The event does not include spouses, partners or friends if they are not taking the workshop. Please contact us if you would like to bring a non-participant partner.
If we cannot gather the minimum participants of 8, the event can be cancelled, and the payments refunded to the participants.
Other questions about this retreat please contact: info@sofiainmonsaraz.site
For more info or questions please consult here our Terms & Conditions.
This website uses cookies to ensure the best user experience and improve the quality of our website. By continuing to browse, you agree to receive all cookies and agree with our Privacy Policy .