Our Story
Workshops in France is owned and organized by The Art Engine, a resource organization for visual artists.
Our mission is to bring artists together in breathtaking destinations to be inspired by their surroundings and the creativity that comes from working in small enrichment groups. Workshop retreats are designed to provide guests with an ideal environment for creating art while enjoying themselves to the fullest. We began in the The South of France, selected for its fantastic weather, sensational scenery, rich tapestry of historical towns and villages, not to mention the cuisine and wines of one of France’s most abundant regions.
We have added additional countries to our schedule, including Ireland, Italy and Scotland.
WIF hosts instructed workshops with exceptional, foremost painters to teach and share their wisdom in iconic settings.
Our Art Retreats offer the opportunity to maximize painting alongside other creatives, ideal for those who prefer to paint freely, without step-by-step instruction. The much-anticipated Irish Retreat is located in the fertile landscape and culture of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland. In the Tuscany region of Italy, we have an art retreat on a beautiful but intimate vigneto estate. ‘Farm to table’ accurately describes the cuisine as much of it is grown right there on the grounds. We also have two locations in Scotland. One is a manor house at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. The extensive estate is next to the Royal Family’s summer residence at Balmoral. The other is a grand estate in the Angus region of Scotland, just south of Aberdeen, an ideal location for our premier instructed workshops.
The life of the working artist can be a very solitary experience confined to a lonely studio, and Workshops in France was conceived to fill this void with a highly enriching experience that leaves you with lasting memories and lifelong friendships.
Organizing Workshops and Retreats
Workshops in France was founded by Julie Snyder, an experienced traveler who works tirelessly to make each experience exceptional for guests. She is passionate about art, exploring new places and sharing these opportunities with fellow artists.
A native of Scotland, Snyder was encouraged to pursue art by her artist-mother and a writer-father. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art.
Snyder’s artistic career has spanned both sides of the Atlantic, with several years living in Southern Spain. Her home has been in Southern California for over three decades where she forged her craft as an illustrator in advertising, publishing and the motion picture industry.
Her work hangs in collections and galleries across the U.S. and Europe. The National Art Museum of Sport honored her three times, including her paintings in exhibits and awarding her the prestigious gold medal for painting in 2013 for her painting “Daily Drill”. Her painting, “Blinn House Kitchen Chefs” hung in Contemporary Masters | Artistic Eden exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of History. She has exhibited with The Oil Painters of America at the Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara; and the Howard/Mandeville Gallery in Washington; Addison Art Gallery in Massachusetts, The Boston International Fine Arts Show, Silvana Gallery’s International Salon of Figurative Art, California Art Club and the Salmagundi Club, with Americans in Paris, Art Nouveau Show, 2024.
Snyder is a passionate advocate for the arts. She spent years working in promotion and marketing and now uses her experience to promote the arts. She is a program coordinator for The Art Engine, and frequently presents seminars on topics such as art marketing in the digital age and art collecting workshops with other guest professionals.
Learn more about her work at JulieSnyder.com