October 21-25, 2026
Watercolor + Wonder:
A Women’s Retreat for Creative Renewal & Connection
with guest artist Katie White
AT BEAUTIFUL LAKE SANTEETLAH
What would it be like to nurture your creative soul in a beautiful lakefront setting -nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina- for a spacious stretch of days? This retreat will give you permission to do just that, while connecting with other curious creatives, learning the art of watercolor painting & benefitting from this painting process as a calming & centering practice.
At this lakefront sanctuary, discover how watercolor is more than a medium, it’s a practice in presence, flow, and gentle exploration. Through guided exercises, we’ll slow down, tune into our creative voice, and embrace the natural flow of making art. This retreat is an opportunity to calm the nervous system, develop a sustainable self-care practice, and find joy in the process of painting.
Watercolor artist Katie White will guide us through a weekend of creative discovery, helping us let go of expectations and explore with curiosity and ease.Whether you're new to watercolor or an experienced artist, Watercolor + Wonder offers a restorative weekend of inspiration, connection, and artistic growth with Katie and Kristen.
LATE OCTOBER AT SANTEETLAH IS PRIME LEAF SEASON!
YOUR RETREAT ARTIST
meet
“There was a time when I didn’t realize watercolors and meditation could come together to completely shift the way I felt.I still remember the moment I knew I was burned out, as if it happened yesterday.I had just dropped my son off at college. I was juggling a big volunteer role, running my creative business, and trying to hold everything else together. But on the inside? Everything felt like it was spinning out of control. My body ached, my mind was foggy, and all I wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry.
And the hardest part? I thought it was just me. I thought I was failing. But I wasn’t. I was experiencing full-on burnout and there was a way through.After a visit with my doctor and a hard look at my bloodwork (which wasn’t pretty), she gave me a simple, unexpected directive: “Go home and meditate.”
Most people think meditation means sitting still in silence, trying to clear your mind and if you can’t do that, then it “doesn’t work.”That belief is exactly what keeps so many of us stuck.
I used to think the same way. I kept trying to push through burnout with productivity hacks and sheer willpower, hoping something would finally help me feel better or give me back a sense of control. But all it did was leave me more exhausted, more anxious, and more disconnected from myself and my art.
Deep down, I was longing for a way to slow down. Here’s what I wish someone had told me sooner:
- Meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting still. You can do it while you paint.
- It’s not about perfection, it's about presence.
- You don’t need hours. You can start with 5 minutes.
Once I embraced that, everything shifted. Watercolor painting became more than just art, it became a practice that grounded me, calmed me, and helped me reconnect with joy. When I teach at workshops and retreats, it is not only to show you watercolor techniques, but to guide you into a more easeful, soulful, and confident creative practice, one that supports your well-being as much as your art.”
~ Katie
Katie’s invitation to you
“Together, we’ll explore how nature can serve as inspiration for our creative practice. Through guided watercolor exercises, we’ll draw inspiration from the textures, colors, and rhythms of lakeside, whether it's the movement of water, the intricate patterns of leaves, or the subtle shifts in light. By embracing watercolor’s fluidity as a metaphor for releasing control, we will invite ease into the creative process we call play.”
~ YOUR LAKEFRONT SETTING ~
PLUS A FEW TRACES FROM OUR RETREAT WITH KATIE LAST YEAR!
“I invite you to develop a deeper healing/balance in your life, by being imaginative and playful while creating. Unlock your creativity and untangle your mind by allowing the watercolor paint to draw you into the present moment through a guided meditation. “
~ Katie
RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS
Daily watercolor painting lessons with Katie
Individual attention and feedback from Katie
Guided meditations during some of our painting sessions to connect with your innate creativity
A chance to ask a professional artist and gallerist your art business questions
Free time for personal exploration and relaxation
Evening social gatherings to discuss art-making and share experiences
A special closing circle to share your experiences and show your creations
A collection of your intuitive watercolor explorations & paintings on beautiful high quality papers
What’s Included
Four Nights at a Lakefront Home on beautiful Lake Santeetlah
Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, and located right on the lake!. An easy 2 hours drive from vibrant downtown Asheville. Your accommodations will be at one of three lakefront homes (within walking distance to each other).
3 Days of Mixed Media Workshops with Katie White
As your guide for the weekend, artist and educator - will help you embrace watercolor as a tool for mindfulness, creativity, and self-expression. With her gentle, encouraging approach, she’ll support you in letting go of perfection, tuning into your intuition, and finding joy in the process of painting. Whether you're new to watercolor or looking to deepen your practice, Katie’s expertise will help you explore with confidence and curiosity.
Katie will lead you through the process of creating mindful watercolors as well as guiding you through exploratory exercises that encourage play, and a deeper connection to your creative flow.
All Art Supplies You will Need for the retreat
All watercolor paints, brushes and papers you will need for art-making during the retreat will be provided, and will be at your disposal throughout. If you have a favorite watercolor paint brand or set, feel free to bring it along if you would like. Teaching artist, Katie White, will also provide you with a list of recommended materials in case you prefer to bring your own and/or purchase after the retreat.
Inspiration from Nature
80% of the lake’s shoreline is undeveloped, giving us plentiful, lush beauty + tranquility, vast horizons, deep hues of blue & green and big, open sky. In this setting, you will have no shortage of natural beauty to draw ideas and inspiration from for your color palettes, forms and subjects. We invite you to allow the unspoiled natural surroundings to fuel your choices & imagination throughout the retreat.
Community and Connection
Throughout the retreat, we will enjoy creative time together, via art-making, meals, lake outings on the boat, happy hour and downtime together on the screened porches. You will also have the opportunity for your own private time as you choose, when you need a little downtime.
Soaking in the Beauty of the Lake
You’ll have time for swimming, boating or just relaxing as you watch the sunlight dapple across the lake as you sip your morning coffee. Lake cruises to enjoy Santeetlah’s beauty - weather permitting- will be offered on Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
Delicious & Nourishing Food
All of your meals, beverages and nourishing snacks are included with this retreat! On the first night, there will be a special chef-prepared spread of heavy h’ors d’oeuvres and a happy hour to welcome you! On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, you’ll enjoy fresh continental breakfasts in addition to fully catered lunches and chef-prepared dinners. On Sunday a catered breakfast will be provided for the last morning of the retreat.
You view art-making as a tool for self-nourishment, creative expression and greater joy.
You long for connection with other like-hearted souls, in a collaborative, non-judgmental atmosphere.
You find the idea of creating together, surrounded by natural beauty inspiring. Learning from and with an artist who draws her own inspiration from moments in nature feels uplifting to you.
You don’t mind- or you even relish- the idea of putting down the to-do list and dropping in to a stretch of days filled will wonder, presence, creativity and connection.
You value the creative process itself, and would enjoy being invited and inspired to tap into your own creative voice.
You are curious about the ways in which meditative watercolor painting can be a tool that helps you develop a daily practice that calms your nervous system & brings a sense of ease and flow.
FOLLOW/ LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR RETREAT ARTIST KATIE WHITE HERE
How do I know if this retreat is a good fit for me?
Welcome! I’m Kristen Edge, owner of ArtPlay Creativity Studio + Gallery and your host for each retreat.
In May of 2025, we began a beautiful new chapter of hosting women’s art retreats at Lake Santeetlah, quietly nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina. It has been a joyful experience to welcome and host women from across the country - and beyond- who feel drawn to nurturing their creative spirit while connecting with other like-hearted souls. A few times per year, we gather in a gorgeous lakefront setting, surrounded by miles of preserved national forest shoreline to remember our inborn creativity and learn from artists who are passionate about sharing their gifts..
We hosted three retreats in 2025: Playful Blooms with Cathy Nichols, Watercolor + Wonder with Katie White and ColorFlow with Kimberly Deene. Each retreat has held its own special magic that gets created anew with the unique constellation of women who gather here. I hope you’ll join us on the journey in 2026!
I am so excited to welcome Katie back this year for another magical retreat! hope you will join us!
Do I need artistic background or experience to attend this retreat? This is a common question we receive, and the answer is NO, you do not need to be an artist or be experienced with art-making to attend this retreat. Our retreats are designed to be beginner-friendly and supportive of wherever you may be on your creative journey.
What if I am an experienced artist, will I still benefit? Yes, absolutely. Our retreats are designed to be accessible to beginners however, each retreat will have materials, perspectives, creative processes and techniques that are unique to the teaching artist. These will be beneficial as new tools and “artistic lenses” that will support you wherever you are in your creative journey.
Will there be down time? Yes! Each day will have built-in flex time, between art-making sessions, for you to enjoy the lake, relaxing on the decks or screened porch, connecting with others, swimming or taking nature walks.
What is the cancellation policy? Due to the amount of preparation & expense that goes into creating each retreat we are not able to provide refunds. In the event that you are not able to attend, you may transfer your spot to someone who is interested - given advance notice- however please note that it would be your responsibility to find your replacement. As a courtesy, if we have people on a wait list we are happy to announce your available spot for you
What are the options for payment/ reservation? You may pay in full - and save an additional $100 at checkout- or reserve your spot via 3 (non-refundable) installments. Both of those options are available to you in each reservation listing.
Are food sensitivities accounted for in menu planning? Yes. Accommodations in our menu planning depend on the number of people in the group that have specific sensitivities or limitations. The most common menu accommodations thus far have been: gluten-free and vegetarian options. Happy to hear from you If you have questions in advance -or upon registering. Please reach out here with your questions.
How do I get to the retreat location? While transportation is not included, your host- Kristen Edge- is happy to work with you if you need to arrange for shuttle transport from the Asheville Airport to Lake Santeetlah. Please reach out to your host, Kristen Edge here if you have questions about arrival logistics.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? Your host, Kristen, is happy to reply to you personally or set up a time for a phone call.
FAQ’s
LAKE SANTEETLAH IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES IN THE U.S. ACCORDING TO TRAVEL & LEISURE & OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
Wednesday:
3-5 pm Arrival/ unpack, relax
5:30 pm Happy Hour+ Heavy Hor’s d’oeuvres
6:30 pm Welcome Circle - setting the intention for our time together
Thursday:
8:30 am continental breakfast + fresh croissants
9am morning meditative walks to open the day with movement
9:45am morning art workshop with Katie: Nature’s Inspiration: Creating Art from the World Around Us12:30 pm: catered lunch, followed by free time: relaxing on the lake, optional pontoon boat outing, group walk or personal down time
2:30pm: afternoon art workshop with Katie: Meditative Painting
6:00pm: chef-prepared dinner
7:00pm: gathering in circle/ oracle card drawing / group sharing of the dayFriday :
8:30 am continental breakfast + fresh baked french bread & cheeses
9am morning meditative walks to open the day with movement
9:45am morning art workshop with Katie: Painting with the Flow
12:30 pm: catered lunch, followed by free time: relaxing on the lake, optional pontoon boat outing, group walk or personal down time
2:30pm: afternoon art workshop with Katie: Meditative Painting
6:00pm: chef-prepared dinner
7:00pm: gathering in circle/ oracle card drawing / group sharing of the daySaturday :
8:30 am continental breakfast + fresh baked french bread & cheeses
9am morning meditative walks to open the day with movement
9:45am morning art workshop with Katie: Integration of Nature Inspiration & Painting with the Flow
12:30 pm: catered lunch, followed by free time: relaxing on the lake, optional pontoon boat outing, group walk or personal down time
2:30pm: afternoon art workshop with Katie: Guided Open Studio to continue your creations
6:00pm: chef-prepared dinner
7:00pm: gathering in circle/ oracle card drawing / group sharing of the daySunday :
8:30 am chef-prepared breakfast
9:30am closing circle, sharing of creations
11:00 am: farewell & departure
SAMPLE ITINERARY
WATERCOLOR & WONDER 4 DAY RETREAT ~ OCT. 21-25, 2026
BOOK NOW FOR EARLY BIRD PRICING!
$400 savings through March 15, 2026
RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW TO LOCK IN THE LOWEST PRICES
There are 11 in spots in total available for this retreat
$2350-2950
$1950 - $2550
Room types and availability for this retreat:
SINGLE OCCUPANCY MASTER SUITE/ LAKEFRONT- 1 spot (private)
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM/ LAKEVIEW - 6 spots (shared)
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM/ LAKEFRONT - 4 spots (private room/ shared bath)
Note: Both double occupancy rooms at this retreat are spacious and include an en suite bathroom that you would share with one person. People have booked the double occupancy spots independently in the past AND these rooms are also ideal for pairs (sisters, friends, mom/ daughter, etc.). The master suites also works well for pairs that do not mind sharing a king bed. Master suites can be booked independently or as a shared room between 2 participants with an additional participant fee. See listings for details.
COVE HOUSE IS WHERE ALL OF THE MEALS, RETREAT ACTIVITIES AND ART-MAKING SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE
MORNING MIST COTTAGE & HANNA HOUSE ARE BOTH LOCATED VERY NEARBY ~ WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO COVE HOUSE
KIND WORDS FROM PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS:
