Wild Botanicals: Botanical Monoprinting & Plant Lore Retreat - Julia Behrens

Retreat

Wild Botanicals: Botanical Mono Printing & Plant Lore Retreat

A Creative Retreat Rooted in Nature

I am very excited to invite you to join me and Megan in Italy to where we combine wild botanical exploration, plant lore, and contemporary printmaking in the heart of the Umbrian countryside.

Printmaking & Art Retreats in Panicale, Umbria, Italy

Places are limited to 10 participants to ensure individual guidance and studio support throughout the week.

Guests will stay in one of the historic rooms of Villa LeMura, a beautifully preserved 19th-century palazzo steeped in local history.

Sunday 4th – Friday 9th October 2026

Sunday 4th - Friday 9th October 2026

This immersive five-night retreat invites you to slow down, observe the landscape, and create a personal collection of botanical mono prints inspired by the plants, colours, textures, and stories of the region.

Guided by printmaker Megan Hunter and myself Julia Behrens, a medical herbalist, participants explore the Umbrian countryside through plant identification and foraging walks, discovering the medicinal, ecological, and cultural uses of local flora. Flowers, leaves, grasses and seed heads gathered during these excursions become the foundation of both the printmaking and herbal components of the retreat.

Back in the studio, selected plants are carefully flattened and prepared for printing with Megan, while others are used with me to create simple herbal preparations and tea infusions.

Botanical monoprinting is an intuitive printmaking process that uses layered colour, texture, and natural plant forms to create unique one-off prints. Colour is applied and developed through successive layers using rollers, inks, pressed botanicals and other textural elements, creating richly detailed and atmospheric images.

Through demonstrations and guided experimentation, participants learn how to build harmonious colour palettes, develop composition, create translucent layers and understand how colour interactions shift throughout the printing process.

Plant Exploration in Umbria

During the retreat, I will guide you in exploring the Umbrian landscape through plant identification and foraging walks, offering insight into the medicinal histories, ecological, and cultural uses of local flora.

You’ll collect flowers and plants and once back in the studio the flora is separated. Some are placed under boards to flatten and dry in preparation for printing, and the rest will be used to make herbal ointments and herbal tea infusions with me.

You’ll be introduced to a range of fine art papers, exploring how different surfaces, weights and textures influence the final printed image.

Throughout the week, gathered flora from the Umbrian landscape become the basis for a growing collection of prints, studies and visual notes — part artwork, part botanical field journal.

You will leave with a personal archive of original prints that may be framed individually or later developed into an artist’s book or botanical collection.

Places are limited to 10 participants to ensure personalised guidance and individual support throughout the retreat.

Retreat Dining

Italian food is celebrated throughout the world, and no visit to Umbria would be complete without enjoying the region’s exceptional seasonal produce and culinary traditions.

Throughout the retreat, our talented in-house chefs prepare delicious meals inspired by traditional Italian cooking, complemented by contemporary flavours and creative touches. Using fresh, locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, each meal is thoughtfully crafted to showcase the abundance of the season.

Guests can look forward to leisurely breakfasts, handmade pasta dishes, vibrant salads, local cheeses, carefully prepared meat and vegetable dishes, and irresistible homemade desserts. Freshly baked Umbrian bread is delivered daily from a local artisan bakery, while excellent wines from nearby vineyards accompany many of our shared meals.

Retreat Itinerary

The itinerary below offers a guide to the rhythm of the retreat. All workshops, excursions, meals, and activities listed are included; however, timings and order may shift depending on weather, seasonal opportunities, and local arrangements.

Day 1 – Welcome to the Villa

Arrive, settle into your room, and meet your hosts and fellow participants. Gather in the studio for an overview of the week ahead before enjoying a welcome aperitivo and dinner at the villa.

Day 2 – Botanical Gathering & Studio Practice

Spend the morning exploring the gardens and surrounding countryside with Julia, gathering botanical materials for printing and enjoying a cappuccino in a nearby village.

After lunch, Megan introduces the fundamentals of botanical monoprinting, including paper selection, composition, colour relationships, and studio techniques.

Day 3 – Nature, Making & Wine

A relaxed morning exploring local plants and seasonal herbal traditions.

The afternoon is devoted to studio practice with individual guidance and support. In the evening, enjoy a private wine tasting at a local vineyard.

Day 4 – Explore Umbria

Spend the day exploring local villages, markets, and the wider Umbrian landscape before gathering for a sunset aperitivo and dinner beside Lake Trasimeno.

Day 5 – Olive Oil & Studio Practice

A morning activity shaped by the season and surrounding landscape.

After lunch, continue developing your print series in the studio before enjoying a private olive oil tasting and dinner at the villa.

Day 6 – Final Printing & Celebration

Complete your work and prepare pieces for sharing.

During aperitivo hour, participants gather for an informal exhibition of the week’s creations, followed by a celebratory farewell dinner.

Day 7 – Departure

Breakfast, farewells, and transfer to Chiusi–Chianciano Terme railway station.

Key Information

What's Included

Six nights’ accommodation at the villa
Daily botanical monoprinting workshops and studio sessions
All printmaking materials and equipment
Guided botanical walks and seasonal activities
Excursions to local villages and towns
Private wine tasting
Private olive oil tasting
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepared by on-site chefs
Wine served with villa meals
Welcome aperitivo and selected evening gatherings
Transport during scheduled excursions
Transfer to and from Chiusi–Chianciano Terme station
All taxes and service charges

Not Included

Airfare (nearest airports: Rome, Florence, and Perugia)
Travel and medical insurance (strongly recommended)
Personal expenses
Additional beverages outside included meals
Some meals and refreshments during excursion days

Accommodation and Pricing

All retreat prices include accommodation, meals, workshops, materials, excursions, tastings, and activities.

Private VIP Bedroom

Double ensuite bedroom with private salon
(One room includes a large private terrace)

€3,200 per person
Deposit: €500

Shared VIP Bedroom

Double ensuite bedroom with private salon – shared occupancy

Ideal for couples or two friends sharing a double bed.

€2,600 per person
Deposit: €500

Shared Twin or Triple Ensuite

Beautiful ensuite rooms shared by two or three participants.

€2,700 per person
Deposit: €500

Non-Participating Partner

Includes accommodation, meals, excursions, tastings, and retreat activities, excluding studio workshops.

€2,000 per person
Deposit: €500

For photographs and room descriptions, please see the Accommodation section of the website.

Booking

A €500 deposit secures your place.

Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of deposit.

Pay deposit here.

Booking info here.

About Megan Hunter

Megan Hunter is a printmaker, artist, and educator with more than 25 years of experience teaching and practising printmaking throughout Australia and Europe.

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Printmaking) from Monash University and a Master of Teaching from Deakin University. Megan has also undertaken advanced studies in mezzotint at the renowned Il Bisonte International Printmaking Studio in Florence and studied painting under David Moore at Montsalvat in Melbourne.

Her work has been exhibited across Australia and Europe, and she has worked extensively as both a studio educator and printmaking technician, including managing Melbourne’s Firestation Print Studio.

Megan’s teaching combines technical expertise with creative exploration, helping participants navigate both the practical and artistic aspects of printmaking. Her practice focuses on drawing, etching, and experimental monoprinting, with a particular interest in non-toxic and environmentally conscious printmaking methods.

Through her retreats, Megan guides participants in developing meaningful bodies of work inspired by place, observation, and material exploration.

Retreat Location

Printmaking & Art Retreats in Panicale, Umbria, Italy

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