Name: Chasing Light in partnership with Leica Camera
Start: 2026-11-04
End: 2026-11-08
Location: Domaine de Cazenac

Tomas van Houtryve is a visual artist who is based in France for 20 years. He uses a wide range of contemporary and early photographic and film techniques, continually questioning and reinventing his approach to image-making. Drawing on his background in philosophy and investigative journalism, his multidisciplinary projects challenge our notions of memory, identity, and power. Van Houtryve was selected to document the rebuilding of the Notre-Dame cathedral of Paris from 2020 to 2024. He is a National Geographic Explorer and the author of three photography books: 36 Vies of Notre Dame (Radius Books, 2024), Lines and Lineage (Radius Books, 2019) and Behind the Curtains (Editions Intervalles, 2012).

Hosted in a stunning 14th-century château with modern facilities, this intensive workshop will focus on improving your use of light in photography. Practical sessions will cover natural and artificial lighting techniques for portraiture, architecture and reportage photography. Technical and creative approaches will be covered, including using flash, continuous light, daylight, infra-red and UV light. Each participant will also create a print during the workshop to take home.

Duration: Wednesday, 4 November to Sunday, 8 November, 2026.

Included accommodation: château de Cazanac, prestigious rooms

Activities: studio and outdoor photography, lectures, printing

Services: gourmet meals, access to sauna, pool and tennis

Bordeaux St-Jean - Le buisson de Cadouin: 2 hours by train (TER) then 15 minutes by road to the Domaine.

Guests can arrange taxi bookings in advance for their journey to the Domaine.

Paris Montparnasse - Bordeaux St-Jean: 2 hours by TGV-LGV

Paris Orly to Brive la Gaillarde: 1 hour flight + 1h30 drive to the Domaine.

Paris CDG to Bordeaux Merignac: 1h15 flight + 2h15 drive to the Domaine.

From Bordeaux

From Paris

After training as a graphic designer under pierre dardel, françoise caillette-deneubourg worked in advertising for ten years before devoting herself to painting.

Since 1996, she has been travelling the world on foot, sketching moments of life, faces and landscapes as she goes.

Her sketchbooks capture the ephemeral and allow her to share the emotions of her encounters.

The quality of her portraits is always moving, making her one of the most impressive portraitists among travelling painters.

She lives in antony, in the suburbs of paris.

Discover her biography: https://www.caillette-deneubourg.com

A dream week in a castle with a unique atmosphere. A place of peace and serenity conducive to stimulating creative energies. A week in a cocoon of gentleness where you will be surrounded by the kindness of all the people who will ensure your well-being. The days will be filled according to your desires.

The presence of a nude model for one day will ensure progress in the perception of the human body. Portraiture will also be studied.

This enchanting château from another era, offering all the comforts of our time, overlooks the Dordogne valley, its morning mists and delicate sunsets. A chef will provide comforting, inventive and refined culinary delights for your meals.

We will cover pencil and felt-tip pen drawing, perspective, sketching and portraiture, watercolour and still life.

6-night course with accommodation on the estate 

access to the sauna, swimming pool and tennis court

Arrival: Friday, 9 October 2026, from 3 p.m.

Departure: Thursday, 15 October 2026, after breakfast.

During this course, which focuses primarily on drawing, we will cover:

- composition, lines of force, balance and proportions

Workshops will be held in the morning from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and in the afternoon from 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This course is suitable for both beginners and experienced artists.

The price is €2,050 per guest for accommodation in the château and €1,750 for accommodation in the annex, full board from friday afternoon to thursday morning.

After studying fine arts in Annecy, I have continued to work and explore materials and pictorial expressions. I first experimented with oil painting in Adek Zylberberg's studio in Paris, then discovered the magic of watercolour and finally its richness and expressive power. Since then, I have become convinced that watercolour, which has become my medium of choice, plays a facilitating role in expressing what cannot be touched with the finger, the true internal tides that are our emotions, the reminiscences of the memories of experiences that shape us, all the ebb and flow of the energies of life that surround us, the passages between the tangible and the intangible.

Theme: ‘Sculpting light, using watercolour as a medium’

In the heart of Périgord, we will explore and attune ourselves - with our paintbrushes - to the region's many surrounding beauties.

Green valleys, gentle hills, listed heritage sites and sweeping views of the peaceful Dordogne river.

The estate's garden and its permaculture vegetable garden, truffle field and walnut grove will provide us with plenty of inspiration.

The estate's garden, with its permaculture vegetable garden, truffle field and walnut grove, will provide us with plenty of inspiration.

At this time of year, we will work from photos of the estate or other landscapes, in keeping with the season and the

Watercolour and its wet-on-wet technique will allow us to explore and strengthen our ability to synthesise

Accommodation on the estate in prestigious rooms

Continental breakfast, lunch and dinner on site

Access to the park, tennis court, sauna and swimming pools

The watercolour workshop takes place at the following times: 

Tuesday: 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm

Wednesday: 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

€1,750 for accommodation in the château

€1,500 for accommodation in the outbuildings

Full board from Monday afternoon to Saturday morning

Watercolour as a dialogue between technique, light and creative freedom. 

Joëlle Krupa is originally from Alsace. A graduate of the Mulhouse School of Fine Arts, she is a member of the French Watercolour Society (SFA).

For more than 35 years, she has tirelessly explored the many facets of watercolour, developing a unique approach that combines technical mastery and artistic sensitivity.

A passionate artist, she is not content to simply colour her own vision of the world; she also helps others discover and express their talent. Her work, rich in nuance and depth, reflects a rich artistic sensibility and an approach marked by patience and observation.

Water, fluidity, movement and emotion are at the heart of her approach, as she constantly explores the mysteries of watercolour. Her artistic expression is both diverse and subtle: body movements, flowers, landscapes, plays of light and material effects intermingle in a quest for the elusive.

Through her works, Joëlle Krupa invites us to contemplate the world with gentleness and poetry.

Improve your watercolour skills with clear, accessible techniques and personalised guidance to boost your confidence and independence.

My watercolour courses provide participants with technical and creative tools that enable them to progress independently and develop real expertise.

We explore transparency, light and depth through mastery of wet-on-wet techniques, lifting, layering and values. But beyond technique, we also cultivate creativity, intuition and letting go, in order to reveal the full expressive richness and unique spontaneity of watercolour.

The workshops are based on a variety of themes — landscapes, skies, waterfalls, flowers, vineyards, etc. — chosen with the participants in order to meet their needs and encourage progress.

Each course combines technical rigour and personal expression: participants leave with solid knowledge, new skills and the motivation to continue their practice.

In a friendly and supportive atmosphere, I provide personalised guidance, allowing everyone to enjoy a rich, formative and inspiring artistic experience.

Sending a list of recommendations three months in advance

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

€1,700 for accommodation in the château

€1,450 for accommodation in the outbuildings

Jean-Christophe Béchet is a French photographer born in 1964 in Marseille. His work focuses on street photography and urban landscapes, capturing moments of everyday life with sensitivity. He is the author of more than thirty books and has participated in over 70 exhibitions. He shares his approach to photography in various workshops. A specialist in editing (the art of selecting photographs), he also has extensive experience in photo printing on paper, both analogue and digital. This immersion at the Domaine de Cazenac is an opportunity to benefit from his experience in all these areas in a setting conducive to creativity. The course will allow participants to explore all stages of the creative process, from shooting to the final exhibition print (produced on site on the last day of the course), including all the intermediate stages (selecting the ‘best’ photos, making contact sheets, an introduction to book or catalogue editing, etc.).

At the Domaine de Cazenac, a place steeped in history, a photographic immersion will take place under the direction of Jean-Christophe Béchet. From Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 November 2026, this workshop offers a stay in the heart of the Périgord Noir, where participants will explore photography in an inspiring setting. The 14th-century château offers modern facilities, including digital and film laboratories, allowing participants to develop and print their work directly on site.

Duration: Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 November 2026 (4 nights)

Accommodation: Château de Cazenac, prestigious rooms

Activities: Photography at the château and its surroundings, digital and film lab, editing, black and white prints

Services: Gourmet meals, access to the sauna, swimming pool (unheated), and tennis court

Leica cameras will be available on site for those who wish to try them out (2-3 models)

€1,500 per participant, accommodation and meals included

The Spirit of the Place: A Photographic Immersion

 Jean-Marie Laclavetine was born in Bordeaux in 1954. A novelist and short story writer, he has been a member of the reading committee at Éditions Gallimard since 1989. In this capacity, he has helped to promote many French-language writers (Jean-Christophe Ruﬁn, Carole Martinez, Jean-Baptiste Del Amo, Muriel Barbery, Boualem Sansal, Dai Sijie, David Foenkinos, Tristan Garcia, Leïla Slimani, Joﬀrine Donnadieu, etc.). He has won numerous literary awards, including the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens in 1999 for Première ligne and the Grand Prix de la nouvelle de l'Académie française for Le Rouge et le Blanc, a collection of short stories devoted to the world of wine. He is also a translator from Italian.

His last two books, Une amie de la famille (A Friend of the Family, winner of the Marguerite Duras Prize) and La vie des morts (The Life of the Dead), were published by Gallimard in 2019 and 2021. Since 2012, he has been running writing workshops at Gallimard.

Jean-Marie Laclavetine, one of France's leading contemporary novelists, invites you to take part in his writing workshop from Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 04, 2026. This eagerly awaited course offers you a unique immersion into the craft of storytelling.

Over five days, in a calm and inspiring setting, Jean-Marie Laclavetine will guide you through practical exercises and group workshops to explore the mechanisms of narration, narrative construction, and the art of writing. Whether you are a beginner or more experienced, this workshop will allow you to develop your own voice and perfect your style under the watchful eye of a renowned author.

This course is an opportunity to create, exchange ideas, and progress alongside a passionate and experienced writer.

This workshop is an opportunity to create, exchange ideas, and progress alongside a passionate and experienced writer.

This immersive workshop offers participants personalized guidance in the practice of literary writing. It is not about providing a foolproof recipe for writing a novel, but rather enabling each participant to advance their personal thinking and forge their own tools for constructing a novel, a story, or a short story. The work will be based on texts produced on site or on excerpts from ongoing literary projects. Learning to write is above all a personal journey. It is about becoming aware of the unique powers of writing, a tool for exploration, for understanding the world, a source of anxiety but also an instrument of pleasure, surprise, and laughter.

The exercises offered will provide a basis for reflection applicable to any literary writing practice: choosing the right word, striving for conciseness, precision, effective metaphor, etc. We will focus on more specific issues related to novel writing: the opening lines, the different phases of narrative development, the ending, the choice of title, the use of tenses, intermediate scenes, the question of narrative point of view, and more.

The exercises will be adapted to the personalities present and the evolution of the group. The aim is to enable each participant to take a step forward in a current literary project, or to start a new project in light of the reflections that the workshop will have inspired.

Accommodation on the estate, in prestigious rooms

Continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner on site

Access to the park, tennis court, sauna, and swimming pools

The price is €1,500 per guest for accommodation in the château and €1,300 for accommodation in the annex, full board from Monday afternoon to Friday morning.

Born in 1972, Laurence Bost currently lives and works in Paris. But she never stays there very long, as her paintbrushes are always on the move... 2022 began in the incomparable light of the banks of the Nile.

Laurence Bost is self-taught (she only spent one season at the Etampes workshop) and created her first paintings barely 15 years ago. Since 2012, she has exhibited her work every year at Galerie 26, Place des Vosges in Paris.

Laurence's oil paintings on canvas are distinguished by their incomparable light. As if captured in the canvas, the light is reflected in rays of sunshine, reflections and backlighting, giving her paintings the impression of a moment captured on the spot, with fresh colours and realistic attitudes. 

She loves painting outdoors, but she also sets up her easel in a library or a holiday garden. There, she captures the first ray of sunshine on the carpet in the hallway, children playing in the grass, a quarter of an hour of reading in the cool shade of a lime tree. Laurence transcends everyday life and brings it to life.

Come and enjoy a unique artistic experience in the heart of the Dordogne valley, from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 March 2027. 

The Domaine de Cazenac and Laurence Bost invite you to take part in the third edition of this oil painting course, designed for artists of all levels.

The course takes place in the enchanting setting of the estate, where you will enjoy bright and comfortable spaces, ideal for stimulating creativity. A workshop dedicated to artists is at your disposal, a true haven of inspiration, conducive to exploration and artistic production.

Under the guidance of Laurence Bost, you will have the opportunity to deepen your oil painting techniques or simply give free rein to your imagination. A special opportunity to learn, experiment and create in an exceptional setting.

The workshop is open to both beginners and experienced artists. 

Brushes of various sizes (special oil painting brushes)

Rembrandt brand tubes: Mixed white - Yellow ochre - Dark cadmium yellow  - Madder lake - Vermilion red - Olive green - Bladder green - Medium cinnabar green  - Raw umber - Van Dyke brown - Dark ultramarine blue - And other colours you like...  

Departure: Saturday 20 March 2027 after breakfast.

The workshop will begin with a half-day or full day devoted to reviewing and/or learning the main rules of classical painting. The topics covered will be different each day and will focus on a central theme ranging from still life to portraiture, based on the suggestions of the artist, who will work with each student individually and pedagogically to achieve a successful painting. 

The workshops will be held in the morning from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and in the afternoon from 2.30 p.p. to 5.30 p.m.

Chasing Light

in partnership with Leica Camera

By Tomas Van Houtryve

The Workshop

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About Tomas Van Houtryve

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The Spirit of the Place: A Photographic Immersion

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The Art of Storytelling

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Between Shadows and Lights

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