introducing: l'Artesania | The Craft

we have officially opened reservations for our retreat center for artists, writers, and justice seekers, and i can't wait to tell you what you can do when you visit.

announcing: l’Artesania | The Craft retreat center
in L’Albi, Catalunya, Spain is welcoming guests!

one of the many olive groves we can walk to from l’Artesania to spend time creating in the middle of beauty, “en plein air.”

in january of 2023, my dear friend dee and i traveled to spain to find a retreat for our two families. we wanted something near enough to barcelona for an easy day trip, close enough to the coast for an afternoon at the mediterranean sea. nearing the end of our trip, we visited a house that opened up our dreams in ways we never could have imagined: what if the retreat wasn’t just for our families? what if it was for everyone in need of beauty, rest, a safe place to find restoration?

and so, we purchased Cal Castell and started taking steps to put those dreams into reality. we hired the fabulous Albert, who redid the plumbing and updated the electricity, and changed out the old wood burning furnace for a gas burning one. we made multiple IKEA trips. when massi and i moved full time to cal castell in july, we started pulling down generations of wallpaper, patching walls, painting, setting up kitchens (yes, there are two) and bathrooms. Albert came back multiple times, to help us with things like emergency light installation and getting electrical outlets up in the attic that would become studio space for our guests.

inside cal castell: the double bedroom, the attic before, outside the home, the guest kitchen, and main living room

and now, two years later, the website is live, the architect at City Hall has approved our short-term rental license, and we are accepting reservations. big week over here!

i am so looking forward to providing more than just rooms for rent:

• we are putting the finishing touches on turning the attic spaces into art studios, where you can focus on a writing project, throw paint around, or whatever creative endeavor you can think of (i’ll even grab any specific art supplies ahead of time for you if you don’t want to schlep your own through the airports).

• you can walk out the door with me to a neighboring olive orchard or almond grove to set up for a plein air session for painting, drawing, writing, or just contemplating beauty. maybe with a nice bottle of spanish wine, and some olives I cured myself (with the help of my neighbors concepcion and pilar) last fall.

• maybe you’d like to explore art journaling. whether you’re completely new to it or a seasoned journal filler, i can design a plan specifically for your needs. we can play with free writing and blind contour drawing exercises, dig through my collage materials and ephemera, and i’ll send you off with ideas and prompts to keep you going after your departure.

• not renting your own car? no problem, we’ll provide transportation: to and from the airport/train station/etc, to a larger grocery store should you want to stock up, to any of the many cathedrals, beaches, markets, three course menú lunch spots, towns up in the mountains frozen in time… you get the idea. there’s so much to explore just around the corner from l’Albi.

  

  

what else can you dream up? want to take a trip with your writing group? your book club? have a fully guided retreat with dee’s help? maybe you just need an intense two weeks or month on your own to finish a book proposal or really dig into a large art commission. well, come on over, we have discounted rates for weekly and monthly stays.

i look forward to planning and scheming with you a trip that meets your needs-for escape, for reconnecting with beauty, for allowing yourself time and space to create, to find restoration and rejuvenation, ready to continue to fight the good fight back home.

this is a lifelong dream that i never imagined happening in spain, but providing retreat and restoration and reconnecting people with beauty? lifelong dream. it is that whole “where the world’s greatest need and your greatest joy” thing that people always talk about! how thrilled i am that i actually get to live it.

holly