it's time
to download that Italian language app, renew your passport, pack your paintbrush and save your spot in the Art of Life Creativity Retreat in Le Marche, Italy! (It's pronounced MARkay).
inspiring,
RELAXING &
NOURISHING
This is your invitation to a 7-night creativity retreat in Le Marche, Italy, May 15-22, 2027
We have an extraordinary week planned at this absolute gem of a location on the Adriatic Coast that you do not want to miss.
Are you drooling, yet, just thinking about slowing down and spending this kind of relaxing, inspiring, nourishing week in Italy with us?
Sign me up!
creative, funny, warm
& WELCOMING HOSTS
If you've been craving a getaway with creative, funny, warm & welcoming hosts and a lovely group of fun-loving people... in Italy, then put down that biscotto and save your spot before they all book up (because our retreats fill up faster than a Ferrari).
a week of
SLOWING DOWN IN ITALY
with watercolor meditations , daily restorative yoga, a soundbath, wine tasting, farm-to-table food, and lots of laughter on this beautiful stretch of Adriatic coastline in Le Marche, Italy.
picture yourself
WAKING UP HERE...
for a relaxing, fulfilling and soul nourishing week.
If our other retreats in Italy are any indication, you'll never want to leave this dreamy setting or this lovely group of people.
Meditative
WATERCOLOR WORKSHOPS
During the retreat week, mindful watercolor artist Katie White will guide you through a daily art practice that blends breathing with brushstrokes.
Think of it as playing with paint -- not wrestling with your inner critic. You don't need any experience to enjoy these workshops.
This is the digital detox you’ve been craving, the creative pause that takes up little time, but has a big impact on your wellbeing.
It’s the kind of simple and soulful hobby you’ll want to bring home with you.
Whether you’re a seasoned watercolorist or a total beginner, this retreat is for you to remember what wonder feels like, to settle into the present moment, and to remind yourself of the simple pleasure of making something purely for the joy of the process.
artsy
TRAVEL JOURNALING
You can also travel through the paintbox of Italy with travel art journaling where every view practically begs for its own hue.
All of our retreats include our signature art kit and our gorgeous workbook with guidance for capturing and elevating the meaningful moments in your travels in a creative way.
No experience needed. Start wherever you are. This is an artful reminder just for you of how good (and easy) it is to play in the paintbox.
mindful
PHOTOGRAPHY
In our mindful and creative iPhone photography workshops, you'll learn how to be more curious, present, joyful and in awe more often, all life skills that you will definitely want to use long after you return home. And who doesn't want to know how to work all those camera buttons and features on an iphone?
This is the art of capturing everyday moments in the most creative and accessible way. Get ready to see your everyday life through a new lens. No experience needed (and every workshop is optional).
perfectionism
CAN TAKE THE WEEK OFF
We’re not here to make you feel like you’re back in art class — fumbling with charcoal or fifteen confusing camera buttons.
There’s no judgment here, and you’re not allowed to judge yourself either (perfectionists and inner critics, consider this your week off).
Let loose, rediscover your creative spark, and dig out that playful, joyful part of you that gets buried under to-do lists.
It’s creativity on your terms — zero judgment, plenty of inspiration, and (fingers crossed) your phone on do not disturb mode.
the art of slowing
DOWN AND SAVORING...
You'll be fluent in the art of slowing down and savoring by the end of this retreat with plenty of downtime for il dolce far niente (translation: the sweetness of doing absolutely nothing!). Because who wouldn't want to spend plenty of downtimein this setting?
While the relaxation of most vacations rubs off at the airport returning home, at this retreat, you'll learn the creative wellbeing tips to thrive long after you're back to the busyness of daily life.
sail along
THE SCENIC ISLAND OF SARDINIA
along with daily yoga, an Italian cooking class, wine tasting & more.
Beautiful experiences will be brought right to our door with a flavorful cooking class at the villa with our private chef, wine tasting, daily gentle yoga classes and maybe a few saucy Italian vocabulary lessons just for fun (all included).
While it's tempting to never leave our gorgeous villa, we will enjoy a beautiful boat ride along the rocky cliffs and calm seas of gorgeous Sardinia. The water is bluer than you've ever seen! And, of course, the boat practically comes right to our door too as it picks us up right at the beach where our villa is located.
There is also an optional add on horseback ride overlooking the beach that will be arranged during the week.
There's plenty of time for beach walking, swimming, paddle boarding, hiking or shopping in the nearby swanky beach town. Or skip the extras and just enjoy our favorite Italian activity: il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing) as you lounge by the water.
Daily Gentle Yoga
IS INCLUDED
Everything is optional, the only requirement is to ENJOY YOURSELF!
Do a little or a lot, enjoy the workshops and activities or let yourself get some rest and relaxation, master that art of doing nothing or don't miss out on a thing.
This retreat is your own masterpiece.
Nothing is mandatory, everything is optional and the only requirement is that you nourish and enjoy yourself (which shouldn't be very difficult in this gorgeous setting).
You'll be surrounded by even more people who will make this experience even better...
Alongside your retreat hosts, you’ll have a whole cast of incredible humans making this week feel deeply relaxing from start to finish with options for creativity, daily yoga and spa treatments, you'll feel so taken care of you won't even remember what stress feels like.
Our chefs will be in the kitchen working their culinary wonders daily -- fresh, flavorful, lovingly prepared meals that may have you calculating whether you can sneak them all home in your carry-on.
It’s relaxation, nourishment, and genuine hospitality — the kind that lets you finally take a real breath and settle in.
"Thank you for one of the most magical weeks of my LIFE! Truly. I have had more inspiration and moments of joy than I have had in as long as I can remember. This is what my soul was screaming for. Here is to the next chapter of Art of Life retreats. I will be there." - Hadley
flexible, nourishing
& INSPIRING
This is meant to be a flexible, nourishing, inspiring and creative retreat, not a rigid schedule. You'll have plenty of ways to truly relax and enjoy the Le Marche culture, savor incredible cuisine, learn from Katie and Lizzie and sink into the creative camaraderie of our group.
"Wow. You did an amazing job making a very creative and festive retreat. We all had a wonderful time! We ate, laughed, danced, sang, wrote, drew, painted, photographed, cooked, shared and just plain LIVED. Thank you for putting together this retreat. It was such a gift!" -Pam
"Thank you, again, for organizing this wonderful adventure. It was a GREAT experience even for someone not too artsy! I really benefitted from letting my guard down, even when it was uncomfortable. I loved that there was some structure to the day and also freedom to do our own thing. I hope you guys never stop helping others help themselves in this way."
-Kim
a private chef,
an Italian wine tasting evening, a delicious wood-fired pizza party on the patio and the most decadent and delicious breakfast, lunch and dinners prepared daily.
Because what would a week in Italy be without the most delicious local flavors?
Your meals at our villa are all included in the retreat along with nightly wines and aperitivi.
buon appetito!
Lunch and dinner are beautifully prepared by our private chef at Oliveto Estate.
Yes, we can accommodate various food accommodations. We love our carbs, but if you need gluten free options, vegetarian options or have other food sensitivities, our chef will take care of you.
Dining will be al fresco overlooking the Mediterranean or at the outdoor pizza forno patio. We'll enjoy favorite Italian recipes with our private chef, delicious local wines and nightly aperitivo.
camaraderie, creativity & cooking
on a gorgeous estate with a wonderful Art of Life Creativity group for a soul-nourishing week, seriously, what could be better?
Pictured below our Sardinian retreat group in 2025
Book Now!
Our Retreat Villa
about
Le Marche, Italy
Italy's
BEST KEPT SECRET
Le Marche just might be Italy’s best-kept secret. Tucked between the dramatic peaks of the Apennine Mountains and the sparkling Adriatic Sea, this wildly beautiful region somehow remains blissfully under the radar.
The landscape rolls from vineyard- and olive-covered hills to medieval villages perched high above the countryside, then tumbles all the way to the sea.
It's just as gorgeous as Italian counterparts like the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany, but WITHOUT the crowds. Crazy, but true! It's a gem that hasn't been overtaken by the rest of the world even though it's been recently ranked as the top place to visit in Italy.
mountains
AND SEA
Along the coast, you’ll find long stretches of sand alongside the wilder Conero Riviera, where cliffs plunge into impossibly clear blue water and secluded coves hide below villages like Sirolo and Numana.
Head inland and the scenery changes again, rising toward the rugged Sibillini Mountains, with soaring peaks, hiking trails, forests and tiny stone villages seemingly suspended in another century.
It’s dramatic and gorgeous, but remarkably quiet, giving you that increasingly elusive feeling that you’ve discovered a corner of Italy before the rest of the world gets there.
how to get there
It's right off the coast of Italy and there are direct flights from major European cities such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Rome to the airport in Cagliari, Sardinia.
From the Cagliari airport, it's an easy jaunt to our villa. We even take care of the transportation from Cagliaria airport to the villa (at select times on arrival day) to make it even easier.
about your hosts:
KATIE & LIZZIE
Katie
WHITE
Meditative Watercolor Artist, Creative Guide
Katie White is a fine art watercolor artist whose work has a habit of making people exhale. Before becoming a full-time artist, she spent years as an elementary school art teacher, where some of her wisest mentors were roughly five-10 years old. They reminded her daily to enjoy the process, worry less about the outcome, and celebrate a paint experiment like it’s a major life event. Those tiny humans nudged her back to her own creative instincts long after her art degree had gone dormant opening her up to this mindful process that has taken her down the path of the extraordinary artist she is today.
Katie’s artwork is carried by Pottery Barn, Serena and Lily, Ballard Designs, and the Palm Beach Artist Collective. When she’s not teaching or traveling for retreats, you can find her painting in her sunny Florida studio or showing work in galleries, boutiques and luxury interiors throughout the area. She also teaches meditative watercolor workshops online, in her home studio and to her 100,000 + Instagram community.
Her teaching style is calm-meets-play: gentle, spacious, welcoming. She creates environments where your perfectionism gets escorted out the door and your nervous system finally gets a chance to unclench.
Whether you’re a seasoned painter or someone who hasn’t picked up a brush since your own elementary school days, Katie helps you return to creativity and freshen up your practice in a way that feels grounding, enjoyable, and wonderfully pressure-free.
Through her paintings and her presence, Katie’s mission is simple: to help people notice the quiet beauty in front of them, reconnect with that creative part of themselves they thought they lost, and let art become a small daily act of self-expression and creative self-care.
Lizzie
LAROCK
Lizzie Larock is a writer, photographer, and positive psychology–based coach who helps people snap out of autopilot and start living like they mean it. She’s worked with everyone from CEOs and lawyers to wild adolescents and skeptical accountants—proving that creativity isn’t just for “artsy” types. (Yes, even you with the spreadsheet.)
Her fine-art photography has been featured in galleries — she shoots almost everything on her iPhone, which is either wildly impressive or mildly infuriating to anyone hauling around a big fancy camera (don’t worry, she has those too). Through her signature Life Feast mashup of curiosity, awe, mindfulness, and photography, Lizzie helps people see the world—and their own lives—through a whole new lens.
On this retreat, you’ll probably catch her photographing doorways, shadows and all kinds of unexpected subjects reminding you that the tiny details of life are often the most extraordinary. Long live the #CeilingSelfie!
As co-founder of Art of Life Creativity Retreats, she’s led over 200 travelers on creative adventures around the globe. This will be her 3rd retreat in Sardinia.
Lizzie adores Italy, and considers herself a lifelong pizzatarian with a love of homemade pasta being a very close second in her well-fed heart!
Oliveto Estate
IN LE MARCHE, ITALY
Perched on a hilltop overlooking the rolling countryside and Adriatic Sea, Oliveto Estate is the kind of place that may make it very difficult to convince you to leave. We'll be staying on this private nine-acre retreat site in two beautifully designed villas surrounded by manicured gardens and a grove of 400 olive trees. There are endless spaces to gather, create, eat, swim or disappear with a book for an hour.
The estate has 11 luxurious ensuite bedrooms, two spectacular swimming pools (including a heatable infinity pool), multiple indoor and alfresco lounges and dining areas, pool bars, a fire pit for our nightly aperitivo, an outdoor kitchen, BBQ and wood-fired pizza oven.
And because this is Italy, some of our favorite “amenities” are simply the views: olive-covered hills, the medieval village of Civitanova Alta and the blue Adriatic stretching out in the distance.
this is a haven
(AND PURE HEAVEN!) FOR REJUVENTATION
And then there’s the spa, wellness and creative side of Oliveto, which takes the idea of an Art of Life retreat to the next level. We have a private spa with a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room; two fully equipped gyms; a tennis court tucked among the olive trees; and walking paths winding through the grove. You can add on spa treatments galore for true pampering and relaxation.
There’s also a gorgeous yoga studio with floor-to-ceiling natural light, a 45-square-meter outdoor deck and sweeping views across the olive grove to the sea.
The studio is fully equipped for yoga, meditation, barre and movement (we'll have daily yoga classes).
Add poolside lounging, sunset aperitivos around the fire pit and plenty of quiet corners scattered across nine acres, and we have an entire little Italian world to ourselves for the week.
it's the perfect villa
for our Art of Life Creativity Retreat!
"What an adventure! I've enjoyed this so much. It's like an adult summer camp. All I can say is WOW. You could not have curated this better." - Farley
tutto è bene (all is good!)
AT THIS RETREAT!
Not only will you be immersed in all things creativity, cuisine, culture, camaraderie, and connection, there will also be time and space for il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing).
This retreat is not about how artistic or creative you are (not at all), or how many activities you can squeeze into a week (probably a lot) or how delicious the food is (it's amazing) ... this retreat is actually about seeing, savoring, and slowing down long enough to soak up the sweetest parts of life.
We'd love to have you join us! Space is limited, so save your spot, today.
Arrivederci!
Katie & Lizzie
have questions?
Do I have to paint, write or do photography?
Where is Oliveto Estate
What is included in the retreat price?
What's not included in the price?
What is the full retreat price and bedroom options?
What are the Payment & Cancellation Details?
Can you recap the retreat one more time?
What if I have additional questions?
"5 stars! Would highly recommend!
I have had so much fun, laughed so hard, and I learned so much about Italy and myself. I made new friends, learned how to tap back into my creative self that's been long dormant and was welcomed with such warmth.
I can now paint in gouache, curse in Italian and now know how to look for 3 good things. And I can't wait for your next retreat." - Sue (Tuscany 2023)
you had me at Italy!
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Your non-refundable deposit will save your spot at the retreat. Your total retreat price depends on which type of accommodations you choose.
Price includes EVERYTHING: 7 nights of accommodations, all meals, all wine and cocktails at the villa, wine tasting evening, cooking class, creativity workshops with Katie and Lizzie. Early bird discount for $500 discounted rates is availble through November 15, 2026. Four part payment plan is available.
Bring your bestie, ask us to pair you up with a roommate or come by yourself and meet wonderful new people!
The per person retreat price includes all of the meals, creativity workshops, daily yoga, wine and food. Availability is limited and our retreats have sold out very quickly in the past, so don't delay. Reserve your spot, today. Our Art of Life Creativity retreats are an experience you do not want to miss. We can't wait to have you join us.
Double Superior Room : $6450/person for a shared room with ensuite bathroom in separate beds.
SOLD OUT - DOUBLE OCCUPANCY SUPERIORSingle Superior Room at the main villa: $7750 Early bird pricing: $7450 for a private room with ensuite bathroom.
Have a question? Email: [email protected] and Lizzie or Megan will get right back to you.
About
ART OF LIFE CREATIVITY RETREATS
Art of Life Creativity Retreats was co-founded by artists and entrepreneurs Lizzie Larock and Weatherly Stroh, two very old friends who believe great travel, creativity, and excellent food should all exist in the same sentence - preferably in another country.
Since 2023, we’ve curated creativity retreats for more than 200 people in places like Tuscany, Sardinia, Morocco, Croatia, Provence, and Portugal. We don’t do cookie-cutter itineraries. We do retreats with personality, teachers with heart and humor, long meals, inspiring activities, and experiences that feel unexpectedly perfect.
Our groups tend to laugh a lot, eat well, shop enthusiastically, and rediscover creative hobbies they actually want to bring home. We’re also known for surprise-and-delight moments that are best left unspoiled.
We proudly refer to it as the best travel cult (not the scary kind!). Many of our guests travel with us again and again and again. A lot are on their 3rd or 4th retreat. A few are even on their seventh retreat! Once you’re in, it’s hard to go back to ordinary vacations.
Welcome to the Art of Life. We think you're going to love it here!
Can't come on our Oliveto retreat? Sign up for our VIP newsletter to find out where else we are headed before anyone else. Or email lizzie to set up a phone or a zoom chat about any of our retreats: [email protected]
