Slow down. Look closely. Respond to what you find.
This week-long creative residency in southern Italy is designed for artists who want time, space, and inspiration in a setting that invites fresh ways of seeing. Set in a small group of like-minded creatives, it offers the chance to make work in a place you may never have visited before, with thoughtful guidance from an artist who knows how to help you notice more.
Join Australian mixed media artist Tara Axford at Masseria Specula in February 2027 for a residency that is not an art class and not a step-by-step workshop. Instead, it is a week devoted to looking, gathering, making, and conversation, led by one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary mixed media practice.
Based in a beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse on the Puglian coast, the experience moves between landscape walks, collecting visual impressions, studio time, group discussion, and visits to local makers and historic towns. As you respond to the textures, colours, and rhythms of southern Italy, you’ll build a body of work and return home with new ideas, possibilities, and creative momentum.
No advanced experience is required, and there is no need to arrive with a friend. All you need is curiosity, openness, and the wish to spend a week immersed in something that is entirely your own.
Places are limited to 8 to 10 artists. All meals, accommodation, excursions, and on-site experiences are included. Your journey to Puglia is the only thing you need to arrange.
Tara Axford is a mixed media artist working with print, collage, fibre, and photography. Her practice is shaped by the places around her and by an ongoing interest in creative living. She is drawn to the forgotten, the weathered, and the discarded, and often begins by zooming in on an environment, observing it closely, and abstracting its essence into something new. In doing so, she invites viewers to notice what may have previously gone overlooked.
Her current work explores the meeting point of 2D and 3D forms, bringing together traces of human life and nature while considering contrasts such as busy and calm, messy and ordered, disruption and serenity. A deep respect for handmade processes, reuse, and the time involved in creating something unique continues to shape her artistic practice.
The week follows a clear rhythm of looking, gathering, making, and talking. Some moments are structured, while others are left open for reflection and personal exploration. Studio sessions are balanced with walks, excursions, shared meals, and quieter pauses to sit with what you have noticed.
Before arrival, Tara will set a preparation task so you can come ready to create. Once the residency begins, she provides the creative framework, guides each day, and offers practical ways to engage with an unfamiliar place and respond to it through your own work. Drawing on the tools she uses in her practice, she gives direction, feedback, and advice as you move between exploration and making.
This is not about following instructions step by step. It is about learning how to arrive somewhere new, observe deeply, and turn your experience into something original.
Puglia is the southernmost eastern region of Italy, with coastlines along the Adriatic, Ionian south, and Ionian west. Its landscape is known for silvery olive orchards, long sandy beaches, and some of the clearest, cleanest waters in the Mediterranean. It is also an ancient land with a long history of invasion, and towers built to defend against attackers can still be seen today.
Set into a gentle hill and surrounded by 20 hectares of private land, Masseria Specula offers a peaceful retreat just 1km from the shores of the Ionian Sea. This exclusive retreat venue in Puglia is housed in a beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse dating back to 1611.
Private bathrooms | Wi-Fi | AC & Heating | Double beds or single beds
The kitchen team is made up of grandmas from Puglia who prepare authentic local recipes passed down from their mothers. Seasonal ingredients are grown in the neighbouring fields.
Feb 7-14, 2027
8 day event
Daily Schedule:
Designed for comfort and ease, this private room at the main venue offers a restful space for your stay. Guests can enjoy the convenience of a private bathroom, along with Wi-Fi to stay connected throughout the retreat.
The room is equipped with both air conditioning and heating, helping create a pleasant atmosphere in every season. Depending on availability, the room can be arranged with either a double bed or single beds, making it a flexible option for solo travelers or those sharing.
Simple, practical, and welcoming, this accommodation supports a peaceful retreat experience with the essentials you need for rest and relaxation.
This shared room offers a comfortable and practical stay at the main venue, with space for one other guest. It is an ideal choice for travelers who appreciate a simple, well-equipped setting while still enjoying a sense of privacy and ease.
Guests can expect a restful environment with private bathrooms, reliable Wi-Fi, and climate control for year-round comfort, including both AC and heating. The room is furnished with either a double bed or single beds, providing flexibility depending on your preference and travel style.
Designed to support a relaxed and convenient experience throughout your stay, this accommodation keeps everything close at hand so you can settle in and focus on enjoying the retreat atmosphere.
Tara Axford is a mixed media artist working across print, collage, fibre and photography. Inspired by her surroundings and by what it means to live creatively, she is drawn to the forgotten, weathered and discarded. Through close observation, she “zooms in” on an environment, studies it, and then abstracts its essence to create something new, inviting viewers to see familiar...
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