Sketchbook Art Workshop in Paris, France with Jill Badonsky
Join teaching artist Jill Badonsky for 8 days of sketching, painting, and writing on a creative art workshop in Paris, France.
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Overview
Join us for a seven-night creativity journey through Paris with teaching artist Jill Badonsky, based in the artist enclave of Montmartre. Days move by Metro and on foot, a different Paris neighborhood each morning. A treasure-filled flea market, the Musée d’Orsay’s Monets and Renoirs, gardens filled with roses and quiet corners for sketching. Loose watercolor and writing are woven through the whole day too. Evenings are often free to wander, sit with a journal, or simply let Paris settle in.
Jill teaches what she calls the Wild Abandon method: drawing with your eyes closed, keeping the pen moving, letting go of the need to get it right. A page done imperfectly has more personality than one done carefully. By the end of the week, your journal holds Paris in ink, watercolor, and your own words.
The Creative Experience
This is a creativity and sketchbook program, working with loose watercolor, sketching, and free-spirited writing, held on-location wherever the group is that day. Sessions weave in creative prompts, writing cues, and a playful “scavenger hunt” of mindful observation. By the end, you’ll leave with a journal of painted, sketched, and written souvenirs, no experience necessary.
This Vacation Includes
- Art Workshop Program: Daily art class with Jill Badonsky
- Blue Walk Program: Daily walks to discover Paris
- Hotel Accommodations: Seven nights at our 4-star hotel in Montmartre
- Daily Breakfast: Buffet style breakfast
- Welcome lunch
- Farewell Dinner: Dinner in the home of a local artist
- Transfers: Prepaid Navigo Pass for free access to Paris Metro during the tour
- Gelato!
- Guided tour Montmartre: Guided tour of Monmartre with local street artist
- Seine River Cruise: Sunsent cruise on the Seine
- Museum Admissions: Admission to Musee D'Orsay and Rodin museums
- Taxes and fees: Hotel taxes and fees included
- Food tasting: Tastes of famous patisserie and street food snacks
- Art Store visits: Discover boutique art supply stores
What's Not Included
- Airfare
- Porterage of luggage
- Tips and gratuities
- Meals not mentioned
- Airport transfer
- Travel insurance
- Art Supplies
About YourArtist-Teacher
Jill Badonsky
Jill is a creativity coaching pioneer and the founder of Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching™, a model she’s taught since 1997. She’s the author of three books, including The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) and The Awe-manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder, and a certified yoga teacher of more than thirty years, having taught everywhere from corporate offices to prisons to wellness retreats. Her background is a mix of mental health, occupational therapy, marketing, and improv comedy, useful training for a job that’s mostly about helping people get out of their own way.
“I encourage imperfect art,” she says, “because it has more personality, mystery, and energy.” She calls her method Wild Abandon: drawing with your eyes closed, keeping the pen moving, letting go of the need to get it right. She considers herself a teacher first and an artist second, so her students’ enjoyment and growth always come before her own work.
Day by DayYour Itinerary
Programs are subject to change. Actual daily schedule may differ.
Day 1 · Arrival in Paris
Gather mid-afternoon at the hotel for introductions and a program overview, followed by an orientation walk of the neighborhood and a casual warm-up class along the way.
Day 2 · Montmartre's Artists' Enclave
A walk through the artists’ enclave of Montmartre, past pâtisseries and owner-run boutiques, Sacré-Cœur, and Place du Tertre. A class follows in the quiet garden of the Musée de Montmartre.
Day 3 · Impressionists at the Musée d'Orsay
A morning among the Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay. Then a stroll and lunch in the Tuileries Garden, followed by a class inspired by the day’s discoveries.
Day 4 · Île Saint-Louis & the Art Stores of the Left Bank
A stroll across Île Saint-Louis and past Notre-Dame, with a coffee stop at Shakespeare & Company and a crawl through some of Paris’s finest art stores, Sennelier, Rogier & Plé, and Relma among them. A class follows in the Luxembourg Gardens.
Day 5 · A Picnic Beneath the Eiffel Tower
An afternoon at the market stalls of Rue Cler for picnic supplies, followed by a relaxed picnic and sketching session at the Champ de Mars, beneath the Eiffel Tower. The evening brings a sunset cruise on the Seine.
Day 6 · Belleville to Père-Lachaise
A guided street art walk through Belleville, then on to Père-Lachaise Cemetery for a class among its peaceful paths.
Day 7 · Treasures from Saint-Ouen
An early visit to the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, the oldest flea market in Paris. In the afternoon, a final class draws on the treasures found that morning. The evening brings a farewell dinner in an artist’s home studio in the Marais, cooked by our friend Karen, an American who has called France home for more than thirty years.
Day 8 · Departure
Breakfast, then depart at your leisure. No group activities are planned.
A Note on Pace
View MapWhere in the World?
The trip is based in Paris, France. Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the primary airport, with the most flights from North America; Orly (ORY) may also serve your arrival or departure.
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Traveled, Created, Loved It
“Spain was our second walking vacation with The Blue Walk, and it was delightful. Suzy and Jeannette are very organized, knowledgeable and friendly. They guided us for an overview of old Barcelona, and then onto Callela de Pallafrugel, the most beautiful fishing village. We walked along the coast and through farming areas to two medieval towns. Suzy and Jeannette are excellent tour guides, and we will join the Blue Walk again soon.”
Jackie and Mark Curley“They are INCREDIBLE!!! I’ve loved everything we’ve done together! An art journal workshop and a private tour with friends I met on the Art Walk & everything has been better and more fun than I ever dreamed! 5 Stars is only a beginning of how great they are!”
Sue Cogins“What a great way to get exercise and see the most incredible coast of the French Riviera with guides that cater to every personality and whim! My husband and I will definitely be on another walking tour in the near future. Thank you for an amazing experience!”
Chris & Julie Sochin“I love traveling with The Blue Walk. Our time is so special, and I’ve made wonderful friends. And your art teachers are the best! Thank you for the care you put into every aspect of our time. I can’t wait until my next trip.”
Norina Morris