“Thirsty work, isn't it?” remarks our luxuriously relaxed teacher, the bon vivant and esteemed landscape painter William Roper-Curzon, as he elegantly dabs his canvas. It's a stretch to describe sitting in a sun-dappled greenhouse, surrounded by a bountiful crop of lemons, rainbow chard and olive trees as such. But seconds later and his already doting followers have got one hand on a paintbrush and the other on a delicious ‘Pink Wink’ cocktail. And so begins our retreat at Arniano Painting School's residency at Lime Wood.
Arniano Painting School started in 2014, the brainchild of artist William and the cook and author Amber Guinness. Amber's elegant family home in the Tuscan hills near Siena provides the students' backdrop and home for the week. The pair provide their guests with a lifestyle that feels as though it belongs to a different (read: better) time; a day at an easel in the sunshine, tables laden with exceptionally prepared fresh produce glistening with olive oil, evenings spent connecting with new friends from around the world. It's a sybarite's heaven.
You might think the Italian house party feel would struggle to be transposed to the UK's slightly greyer pastures, but luckily for us, Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest perfectly matches Amber and Will's desire for cosseting luxury coupled with delicious things. The food is prepared by Amber and Lime Wood's Chef Director Luke Holder, and includes crostini, lemon risotto (fresh from their greenhouse) and Angela Hartnett's mind-blowing tiramisu.
The hotel is surrounded by vibrant green hills, that would make for wonderful walks and moments of reflection between painting sessions – that is if you can bear to tear yourself away from the joys within the hotel (I couldn't). The Herb House spa is kitted out with everything to make you feel like a true Roman hedonist: sweat out your cocktails in the sauna, enjoy a Grounding Ritual or sit back on a hot-stone slab and enjoy the sweeping views of the forest beyond. The bedrooms are also super sumptuous, from the vast, squashy beds, to the eclectic collection of art throughout.
William explains that their courses often attract people who are looking to start new chapters and make new connections – people who have experienced grief, recently retired or are quitting city life in search of some fun. You can absolutely see why. William and Amber foster a uniquely joy-focused atmosphere that feels almost other-worldly, bringing together high culture and high jinx. And despite (actually probably because of) William's very laidback teaching style, everyone produced plenty of work over the trip, from casual charcoal sketches to vibrant oil paintings. I can't think of a person who wouldn't benefit from this life-enhancing, priority-shifting few days of Italian bliss in the New Forest.
The first painting course at Lime Wood will be hosted by Amber Guinness and William Roper-Curzon on Monday 8th July - Wednesday 10th July 2024, and is part of Lime Wood's ‘Re-Root’ program - a series of retreats, events and workshops inspired by nature. Other locations include Mani in Greece and Carcassone in the South of France.
