Inspire Your Creativity

Where Creativity Meets Tranquility

About Studio Préniac image
Set in a stunning and tranquil part of the Lot region in South West France, Studio Préniac hosts tutor-led creative textile and painting holidays.

We offer a range of courses created and led by experienced and well-known tutors, each of whom uses their individual styles and expertise to guide students through a week of ideation, experimentation and creativity, using the Préniac landscape and the local area as a source of inspiration. Courses are fully-catered, making the most of the wonderful local and regional produce, with all students and tutors staying on-site.

Préniac, originally an ancient hamlet, is a collection of traditional white stone buildings in the Quercynoise style. It is built around a delightful courtyard of a lovely 18th Century farmhouse, and is perfectly situated on the brow of a hill, providing stunning 360-degree views across the beautiful rolling countryside of the southern Lot. The buildings have been sympathetically converted into charming and tasteful holiday accommodation (mostly private en-suite rooms) as well as a large, well-equipped studio workshop.

Préniac is set within a large area of tranquil countryside, which includes a small lake as well as a 12 x 6 metre swimming pool with enchanting views across the valley from the sun terraces.

The immediate surrounding area is a haven for walkers and cyclists, with stunning views in all directions. It is also renowned for a large variety of flora and fauna, including an abundance of wild orchids, carpenter bees, tree frogs, wild boar and the beautiful hoopoe bird.

Close-by are many medieval/bastide towns and villages, such as Montcuq, Lauzerte and St Cirq-Lapopie. Cahors, the Prefecture of the Lot region, famous for its deep red wine, elaborate municipal gardens, the Pont Valentré (a medieval bridge with 3 towers) and the imposing Cathédrale St-Étienne, is a 20-minute drive away.

About Us image
Hello!  We are Chris and Nicki Boswell, and we have been the owners of Studio Préniac since October 2019.

Moving to France from the UK has been a 16-year dream for us. We fell in love with Préniac from the first moment we saw it, and we haven’t looked back since we made the move. We live here with our 6-year-old daughter Millie (who attends the local primary school and is already bilingual), Chris’ mum Cynthia (a member of various local cake, gardening and lunch clubs), our 8-year-old cat Winnie (a petite black softie), our two new kittens Pip and Bramble, and six rescue hens (providing us with fresh eggs on a daily basis).

Our sole focus is to provide you with a wonderful holiday where you can develop your skills and confidence, have fun, relax, unwind, and enjoy a week of creativity, good food and good company.

Prior to making the move, Chris worked in the Real Estate Industry for 15 years, and Nicki worked in Media and Marketing for 20 years. We are both passionate about travel, local culture/history, nature and food. We have been lucky enough to visit many extraordinary places across the globe, meet many wonderful people, see many endangered animals in the wild and eat delicious local produce. We are both qualified Advanced Scuba Divers and love the magical world under the water. Chris is also a passionate cook and loves to create dishes from across the world.

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Creative Textile Holidays

Our week-long fully-catered creative textile holidays offer a range of courses designed to develop your skills, confidence and expertise.

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Painting Holidays

Our week-long fully-catered painting holidays offer a range of drawing and painting activities designed to develop your skills, confidence and expertise.

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  •  08/05/2025 18:00 - 15/05/2025 12:00

A Summer Sampler

  •  05/06/2025 18:00 - 12/06/2025 12:00

In and Out of the Sketchbook: On Location

  •  19/06/2025 18:00 - 26/06/2025 12:00

Joyous Monoprinting

  •  10/07/2025 18:00 - 17/07/2025 12:00

Exploring Watercolour: Contrasts Between the Past and Present

  •  11/09/2025 18:00 - 18/09/2025 12:00

Weaving the Land

  •  07/05/2026 18:00 - 14/05/2026 12:00

Stitched Stories, Drawings and Marks

  •  19/09/2024 12:00 - 26/09/2024 12:00

Fragments of the Landscape

  •  18/07/2024 12:00 - 25/07/2024 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  04/07/2024 12:00 - 11/07/2024 12:00

Exploring Metal as Textile

  •  23/05/2024 12:00 - 30/05/2024 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  08/05/2024 12:00 - 15/05/2024 12:00

Textile Collage

  •  28/09/2023 12:00 - 05/10/2023 12:00

Marks from the Land

  •  07/09/2023 12:00 - 14/09/2023 12:00

Faces, Figures, Facts & Fictions

  •  13/07/2023 12:00 - 20/07/2023 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  29/06/2023 12:00 - 06/07/2023 12:00

Exploring Colour Further with Ruth Issett

  •  01/06/2023 12:00 - 08/06/2023 12:00

A Summer Sketchbook Inspired by Préniac

  •  18/05/2023 12:00 - 25/05/2023 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  04/05/2023 12:00 - 11/05/2023 12:00

Fragments of the Landscape

  •  03/09/2022 12:00 - 10/09/2022 12:00

Textile Collage

  •  17/07/2022 12:00 - 24/07/2022 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  02/07/2022 12:00 - 09/07/2022 12:00

Chasing the Unknown and Unexpected: Exploring Dyed and Printed Colour, Surface and Stitch

  •  18/06/2022 12:00 - 25/06/2022 12:00

Préniac - A Textile Diary with Jan & Jean

  •  04/06/2022 12:00 - 11/06/2022 12:00

Colour and Pattern: Close Focus on Flowering Plants

  •  21/05/2022 12:00 - 28/05/2022 12:00

Stitch-Sketch-Books: Textile Books

  •  07/05/2022 12:00 - 14/05/2022 12:00

Landscape Unfolds; Exploring Place Through Inspiration: Observation: Imagination

  •  18/09/2021 12:00 - 25/09/2021 12:00

Crossing Borders - Stitch Invasions

  •  04/09/2021 12:00 - 11/09/2021 12:00

Exploring the Possibilities of Colour, Print & Paper Surfaces

  •  10/07/2021 12:00 - 17/07/2021 12:00

More Inspiring Watercolours with Liz Rogers in South West France

  •  19/06/2021 12:00 - 26/06/2021 12:00

Explore Colourful Surface Mark & Stitch

  •  05/06/2021 12:00 - 12/06/2021 12:00

Landscape Unfolds; Exploring Place Through Inspiration: Observation: Imagination

  •  22/05/2021 12:00 - 29/05/2021 12:00

Print Glorious Print; Fabric and Paper

  •  08/05/2021 12:00 - 15/05/2021 12:00

Dancing Light and Layered Shadow

  •  24/04/2021 12:00 - 01/05/2021 12:00

Préniac - A Textile Diary with Jan & Jean

Lavande Gîte

Lavande Gîte

Private one-bedroomed gîte with its own terrace overlooking the countryside and swimming pool.

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Pavot Gîte

Pavot Gîte

Private one-bedroomed gîte with twin/double bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living space.

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The Garden Room

The Garden Room

King-size plus single en-suite bedroom with private terrace.

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The Green Room

The Green Room

Private en-suite bedroom with king size bed.

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Hay Loft

Hay Loft

Private en-suite double bedroom.

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The Blue Room

The Blue Room

Private double/triple en-suite bedroom.

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The Old Laundry Room

The Old Laundry Room

Private double en-suite bedroom with outdoor seating area.

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Tournesol 1

Tournesol 1

Private double bedroom with brand new en-suite bathroom.

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Tournesol 2

Tournesol 2

Private en-suite bedroom with two double beds

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Tournesol 3

Tournesol 3

Private en-suite double bedroom.

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Tournesol 4

Tournesol 4

Private en-suite twin/double bedroom.

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The cost of our creativity holidays is inclusive of the following:

  • Course fees and basic materials
    (except for any course specific materials that the tutor requests you bring with you)
  • Airport collection and drop-off
    (allotted airports and times only)
  • Accommodation
    (price varies by type of accommodation selected - we assume single occupancy by default unless you specifically request to share with a friend/partner)
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    (one meal taken at a local restaurant - to be paid by guests at the time)
  • Tea and coffee throughout your stay 
  • Aperitif and wine/beer with evening meal
  • Transport to and from any excursions
  • Bed linen and towels
  • Access to all amenities throughout your stay
  • Local tourist taxes


PRICING 2024


Prices per person for 2024 are as follows:

Private en-suite bedroom (excluding Garden Room)
Single occupancy€1,800
Double occupancy€1,540
Garden Room
Single occupancy€1,910
Double occupancy€1,645
Lavande / Pavot gîte
Single occupancy€2,015
Double occupancy€1,700
Day student (no accommodation)
Day student€690
Non-participating partner
Non-participating partner (sharing a bedroom with a course participant)
€1,060



PRICING 2025


***EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT***

Any booking made before June 30th 2024 will receive a 10% discount.  

  • A 25% deposit must be paid on the full non-discounted course amount by the date shown above and this will be subject to the usual cancellation terms.
  • The discount will then be applied to the final balance which will be due approximately 3 months before the start date of the course.


Prices per person for 2025 are as follows:

Private en-suite bedroom (excluding Garden Room)
Single occupancy€1,865
Double occupancy€1,595
Garden Room
Single occupancy€1,975
Double occupancy€1,700
Lavande / Pavot gîte
Single occupancy€2,085
Double occupancy€1,760
Day student (no accommodation)
Day student€700
Non-participating partner
Non-participating partner (sharing a bedroom with a course participant)
€1,100


  • Airport collection and drop-off (allotted airports and times only)
  • Accommodation
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner (one meal taken at a local restaurant - to be paid by guests at the time)
  • Tea and coffee throughout your stay 
  • Wine/beer with evening meal
  • Transport to and from any excursions
  • Bed linen and towels
  • Access to all amenities throughout your stay
  • Local tourist taxes
We supply a range of basic art and textile media which includes paints, dyes, fabrics, and paper as well as non-consumables such as scissors, needles, pins etc. We also provide additional resources specific to each course.

In addition, we supply a range of threads, both hand and machine, but recommend that guests bring a small collection of threads for personal use as required. We also recommend that guests bring their own sketchbooks and small brushes.

Prior to your departure, the tutor will also provide you with a list of necessary materials.

NOTE: There may be a requirement for a supplementary fee where specific materials are required for a particular course.
Cost of Flights. 
Note that we do provide a free pickup and return from Toulouse Airport (preferred airport) or Bergerac Airport (as needed).

Medical treatment/costs
This is in the event of illness or accident

Travel insurance. 
It is strongly recommended you and your party arrange comprehensive travel insurance, which includes cancellation, repatriation, medical and personal cover and also full cover for the party's personal belongings.

Transfers outside of allowed hours
This is only applicable if your travel times are not aligned with our pick-up airports and times.

One evening or lunchtime meal 
This is taken at a local restaurant or auberge and is payable locally (approximately 20-25 euros).
Great food is, in our view, a vital part of every holiday and at Studio Préniac we aim to provide both imaginative and delicious cuisine set in a warm and homely environment.

All meals are handmade and prepared in our farmhouse kitchen, with an emphasis on French local and regional produce, but also utilising the wonderful local produce to enhance dishes from all over the world. Evening meals start with an aperitif followed by a selection good quality wines (or beer if this is your preference), making the most of those from the beautiful Lot region.

We are also happy to cater for vegetarians/vegan/gluten free on request.

All of our fully catered holidays include:
  • Continental breakfast
  • 3-course lunch
  • 3-course evening meal with good quality local wine followed by tea or coffee
With advance notice we are more than happy to cater for any food allergies or preferences such as vegeterian, vegan or gluten free.

Please ensure you notify us of any requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you are well catered for.
We collect our guests from either Toulouse or Bergerac airports on day one of the workshop and you should book a flight that allows for a mid to late afternoon collection. We will only undertake one pick up from each airport, so it would be better to arrive earlier and wait at the airport for collection, rather than arrange a flight that arrives later in the day and potentially missing the collection time. If you have any questions at all then please do not hesitate to contact us.

We will make one transfer from Studio Preniac to the airport(s) on the day of departure, arriving at the airport(s) around lunchtime. The exact time we leave Studio Preniac will be based on the the time of the first departure from the airport, however for any early flight departures (before 11am) it may be necessary for you to pay for an independent transfer in consideration of the rest of the groups departure time. You should allow for the airport transfer to take approximately 90 minutes in addition to the airline requiring you to be at the airport at least 2 hours in advance.

We are aware that the pandemic has caused a lot of movement in flight schedules and may continue to do so. As a result last minute alterations to collection times may be necessary in the event of flight changes. We will of course only make changes if absolutely necessary.

Those travelling by train should go to Cahors station. Please contact us with your proposed arrival time so that we can arrange collection.

Guests who come to us by car can arrive anytime from 3pm on day one of the workshop. Please ensure you call us early on this day to advise of your likely arrival time. Parking is available on site.
Guests can make use of the following amenities during their stay with us at Studio Préniac:

  1. Heated swimming pool
    We have a 12x6m chlorine heated swimming pool with a handrail for easy access and enchanting views across the valley from the sun terraces.

  2. Gym
    We have a small amount of gym equipment (mainly weights) which can be used by guests.

  3. Orchard
    We are lucky enough to have a plethora of fruit trees on our land. Please feel free to help yourselves to any ripe fruit during your stay!
We have a high speed Internet connection which is available for guests to use in the main Barn as well as some of the bedrooms. The property also has both a good 3G and 4G mobile phone signal for staying connected.
We have some bedrooms with step-free access and the art studio also has step-free access,.

Please note, however, that the property is built on the side of a hill so there are steps in places to allow you to fully access all parts of the property. The pool does have ramp access as well as a handrail which has been installed for ease of access.

If you have any worries about your level of mobility and being able to stay here then please do contact us as we are happy to discuss any questions or concerns you have in advance.  
Being located in South West France means we are very lucky to have four very pronounced seasons. It does also mean that we can experience some extreme weather events - it can get very hot in the summer months and every room has a fan (more on request) to help keep you cool.

Equally for those courses in Spring and Autumn it is possible to have cold and wet weather as much as it is possible to have hot weather. All rooms have electric radiators and both the Barn and the art studio have large wood burning stoves to ensure you are kept warm if the weather is less warm.

We would suggest packing some warmer clothing in the unlikely event we do have a period of colder weather.

Again if you have any questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to contact us.


Please note that we have two cats that live here with us at Studio Préniac and whilst every effort is made to keep them away from guest areas, they will want to come and say hello if they think there is a tickled chin at the end of it.

If you have any severe pet allergies then please let us know. However, please rest assured that they have no access to guest bedrooms (unless encouraged in!) or the art studio.

Being located in such a beautiful and rural part of the world means that we are extremely lucky to be surrounded by an abundance of wildlife. It does also mean that at times this wildlife does occasionally like to visit a bit closer than some might like. Should you have any concerns at any point during your stay then please notify us immediately and we will do our best to rectify the situation if possible. 
Please complete this booking form for your chosen course and preferred accommodation options.  

Please note that this is not a live booking form and does not guarantee your booking. We will contact you via email to either confirm your booking or to let you know the latest situation in terms of course and accommodation availability.
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To secure your holiday, we require a 25% deposit per person, with final payment due 12 weeks before the course start date. Payment can be made by electronic bank transfer using the details provided via email after receipt of this form. Please put your name as the reference. 

As soon as we receive your booking form and deposit, we will write and confirm your place on the course. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions relating to your booking. 

NB: Please contact us before booking flights as we only pick up from designated airports at certain times. 

PRIVACY POLICY

Studio Préniac is committed to respecting your privacy. The information provided by you to us is used by us in the following ways: 

1) To provide you with information and updates related to Studio Préniac, either via email or via our newsletter

2) To book or discuss holiday arrangements

3) To contact you in relation to a specific course

4) To ensure we have all information related to health conditions or food allergies for your stay with us

5) To ensure we have contact information for someone should an emergency arise during your stay with us

We do not sell or disclose to third parties any of the information you provide to us. If at any point you wish to find out what information we hold about you, or to have your name and information removed from our database, please contact us via email at info@studiopreniac.com

Studio Préniac may wish to use any likeness or image of you secured or taken on any of our holidays without charge in media for promotional or marketing purposes, including, without limitation, promotional materials of any kind, such as brochures, slides and the internet. 

 
 

If at any point you wish to update your preferences, please contact us via email at info@studiopreniac.com

MAILING LIST

We periodically send out newsletters by email to provide updates and announcements. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list moving forward.

 
 
 

OTHER

Lastly, please let us know how you heard about Studio Preniac.