Join artist and illustrator Tijana Lukovic and natural dye and pigment artist Mariah Palmer for a creative retreat devoted to visual storytelling and wild pigment making. Guided by folklore and personal symbolism, this immersive experience invites you to explore enchanted forests, magical beings, symbolic objects, and inner journeys through art.
Inspired by the folk tale Vasilisa the Beautiful, the retreat blends imagination with a deep connection to nature and the Italian landscape. You will learn the art of wildcrafting for color and discover how to make your own natural pigments, including pastels, watercolours, and ink. By paying close attention to the plants, rocks, and minerals of the region, you will build a more intimate relationship with the surrounding environment and return home with wild pigments created during your stay.
Working with gouache, watercolour, pastels, coloured pencils, and handmade pigments, the focus remains on expression, mood, and intuition rather than perfection. This is a space to connect with your imagination, your emotions, your relationship with the natural world, and your own mythic voice.
Tijana’s paintings and illustrations are shaped by magical and sometimes metaphysical realms, with influences from folklore, fairy tales, mythology, and a love of nature woven into daily life. Her work often brings together themes of nature and motherhood in a single captured moment.
She is inspired by the changing seasons and by the desire to stay in tune with nature and the wheel of the year.
For Tijana, painting is both a profession and a form of healing, a way to explore the inner mind and bring hidden thoughts into the light. Through her work, she faces fears, illuminates the unconscious, and moves through the forest of childhood memories.
She holds an MFA in both drawing and painting.
Mariah is a textile artist and designer based in the mountains near Bozeman, Montana, USA.
She creates one-of-a-kind clothing using wildcrafted and homegrown natural dyes gathered from her garden and local surroundings, infusing each piece with living color. Through hands-on workshops, she brings people together through creativity and a strong sense of place. Since earning her BA in Clothing, Textiles, and Design in 2005, she has spent two decades exploring metalsmithing, ceramics, and textiles. More recently, her focus has turned to the alchemy of natural dyes and their chemistry and creative potential. Her work is deeply rooted in the land around her, drawing from the plants, rocks, and minerals that shape the story of home.
She lives with her husband, daughter, and animals — both domestic and wild.
DAY 1
Welcome drinks and a tour of the venue
Dinner with the group, Tijana and Mariah
DAY 2
Breakfast with the group
Workshop with Mariah: Introduction to natural pigments, including a brief history and the science behind natural dyes, earth pigments, and lake pigments. Begin with a foraging excursion around the studio, followed by ink making and creating lake pigments that can later be used for pastels and watercolours
Lunch with the group
Workshop with Tijana: Introduction to Visual Storytelling, Telling a Story Without Words, setting the Place, Atmosphere and Mood — with Vasilisa the Beautiful as the narrative foundation
Dinner with the group
DAY 3
Breakfast with the group
Workshop with Mariah: Create pastels using lake pigments
Lunch with the group
Workshop with Tijana: Magical Beings and Archetypes — Character building
Dinner with the group
DAY 4
Breakfast with the group
Departure for a day trip to Lecce. Known as the “Florence of the South,” Lecce is a beautiful Baroque city in Puglia celebrated for its ornate architecture, vibrant culture, and rich history.
Lunch out
Return to Masseria Specula
Dinner with the group
DAY 5
Breakfast with the group
Workshop with Mariah: Foraging excursion to the beach to look for earth pigments to use in making watercolours
Lunch with the group
Workshop with Tijana: Objects with Power — Visual Symbolism
Dinner with the group
DAY 6
Breakfast with the group
Workshop with Mariah: Finish lake pigments from plants collected during the retreat and store them for future use. Bring everything together by mixing media with inks, watercolours, and pastels
Lunch with the group
Workshop with Tijana: Bringing the Story Together — making an accordion book
Surprise workshop for the group
Dinner with the group
DAY 7
Breakfast with the group
Goodbyes and departures
Mar 7-13, 2027
7 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.
Tijana Lukovic
Mariah Palmer
