Exploring Imagination with Liz Rowland
PUGLIA, ITALY
1st to 6th March 2027
The purpose of this retreat is to get back in touch with our imagination. We will be stepping away from the visual overload and noise of our day to day lives to find some tranquility at Masseria Specula and rediscover the pleasure of drawing and creating away from technology.
Through a series of creative exercises, we will regain confidence in our ability to make work without the aid of digital references and untangle ourselves from the safety net of search engines.
We will remember how to take inspiration from the world around us, relying on our memories and imagination to expand and explore our work further. Mistakes and experiments will be encouraged in a bid to let go of the fear of making perfect work and instead enjoy some creative play. By the end of the week we will be leaving with a body of work that will serve as a reminder to embrace the uneasiness that comes with working freely in this way.
ABOUT LIZ
Liz Rowland is an Illustrator and multi-disciplinary Artist based in Edinburgh. After graduating with a degree in Illustration in 2011, Liz worked in various creative roles before moving into her own practice 10 years ago. She has illustrated three picture books and countless editorials alongside a wide variety of other projects. Liz has been working with ceramics since first discovering a love for it in 2015. In more recent years Liz has introduced wood and textiles into her practice.
Liz is passionate about working by hand using traditional methods. She is keen to encourage creative work that is unselfconscious and narratively strong. She is particularly drawn to the work of children for this reason.
Selected Clients:
Vogue, The Telegraph, Thames & Hudson AU, Hachette, Faber, Gourmet Traveller, Soho House, The Ned, Flight Centre, The Culture Trip, Good Weekend Magazine, Visit Britain, Melbourne City Council, Sydney Herald, Country and Townhouse Magazine
PUGLIA, THE RETREAT LOCATION
Puglia or Apulia, is the southernmost eastern region of Italy. Its coastline, the Adriatic in the east, the Ionian south and west, is one of the most beautiful in all of Italy, with silvery olive orchards stretching all the way to the long sandy beaches touched by the one of the clearest and cleanest seas in the Mediterranean. It is an ancient land, and one which was invaded many times in its history. One can still see towers built to ward off invaders centuries ago.
MASSERIA SPECULA - THE VENUE
Carved into a gentle hill, our Masseria is surrounded by 20 hectares of exclusive private land, offering a tranquil retreat just 1km away from the enchanting shores of the Ionian Sea.
Masseria Specula is an exclusive retreat venue in Puglia, Italy, set within a beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse dating back to 1611.
Website:
Instagram:
THE ROOMS
Private bathrooms | Wi-Fi | AC & Heating | Double beds or single beds
THE FOOD
At Masseria Specula, we’re lucky to have five Apulian women cook the authentic Italian recipes that their mothers taught them. We serve vegan and vegetarian food to help minimise the impact on the environment. In line with our ecological ethos, our chefs choose the best seasonal ingredients grown in the neighbouring fields.
THE PROGRAM
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![A white building with multiple stories and small windows, illuminated by sunlight, located near a stone wall and arched in the foreground, under a clear blue sky.]()
DAY 1
Welcome drinks
Relax time
Dinner
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![A calm body of water with a few birds floating on it, bordered by green bushes and trees, with a distant hilly shoreline under a cloudy sky.]()
day 2
Breakfast
We will begin the week with some drawing exercises in our sketchbooks to get warmed up. We will be discussing ways in which we can loosen up creatively and explore how a simple starting point can be developed. Liz will be sharing examples of creative practices that may inspire us to embrace the unexpected.
Lunch
We will be developing the mornings work further, exploring materials and techniques in more detail.
Relax time / beach / hikes
Dinner
Bonfire
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![A corner of a room with a black wooden table, a small wooden chair, a basket, and a framed picture on the table. There's a bottled water and an upside-down glass on a tray on the table. The wall is white with textured stone details, and sunlight creates shadows on the floor and table.]()
day 3
Breakfast
Workshop with Liz. Building on the previous day's drawings, we will be introducing memory and imagination.
Lunch
Workshop with Liz. Drawing development, continuation of the mornings work.
Pasta making class
Dinner
Bonfire
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![Historical stone church with round clock and dome, surrounded by colorful flowers and a courtyard.]()
day 4
Breakfast
Day trip. We will be visiting Grottaglie, Puglia’s historic hill town famed for its ceramics and cultural history but often overlooked on tourist visits. Here we will be drawing on location, keeping the themes explored so far at the forefront of our minds as we make quick visual notes while we wander workshops and galleries.
Lunch out in Grottaglie
Return to Masseria Specula
Relax time / beach / hikes
Dinner
Bonfire
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![Watercolor painting of a forest scene with trees, birds, a fox, and a sitting figure, created on a sketchbook page, surrounded by art supplies on a wooden table.]()
day 5
Breakfast
Workshop with Liz. Drawing from memories of the previous day's trip and adding depth to our work.
Lunch
We will have some free drawing time to focus on an area of choice. There will be exercises for those that want some guidance and a chance to chat through your work with Liz. There will be time to walk and explore the area around Masseria Specula.
Relax time / beach / hikes
Dinner
Surprise
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![Scenic view of white cliffs with caves along a turquoise harbor, ocean with boats, and clear water revealing rocks beneath.]()
day 6
Breakfast
Departures
BOOK YOUR SPOT
Single room at the main venue: € 3000 per person (3 spots remaining)
Shared room at the main venue (shared with 1 other person): € 2600 per person (4 spots remaining)
Shared room at the main venue (shared with 2 other PEOPLE): € 2400 per person (3 spots remaining)
Reserve your spot with a €1000 deposit.
The remaining balance is due by the 31st December 2026
What’s included:
Art classes.
Art materials included.
Exclusive use of the entire property including all common areas, workshop spaces and gardens.
Accommodation at Masseria Specula.
All meals (freshly prepared breakfasts, home cooked lunches & dinners).
Complimentary water, coffee, tea.
Day trip to Grottaglie.
Pasta making class.
Self guided hikes to the beach or to a natural salt lake where flamingoes live.
Roundtrip airport transfer from/to Brindisi Airport (BDS) at one prearranged date and time with 1 minibus for the whole group.
All tourist taxes and fees.
What’s not included:
Airplane tickets.
Travel insurance.
Airport pick-up / drop-off from airports other than Brindisi Airport.
Anything not listed in the “What’s Included“ section above.
Send us a message to reserve your place: