SCOTLAND
September 1-8, 2026
with DAVID HORNUNG
Join David Hornung for an 8 day / 7 night intimate retreat experience in the pastoral landscape of Scotland. Traditional stone -built farm buildings have been converted to luxurious accommodations on this 100-acre estate.
If this retreat (or your preferred accommodation) is sold out, click HERE to join the waitlist. If a spot opens up, we will contact people on the waitlist first, before our mailing list and social media. So don’t delay, get on the waitlist!
Mixed Media Improv
Mixed media is an approach to making images that can combine indirect techniques like collage and transferred mark-making with direct drawing in wet or dry media. It can be pictorial with printed photos and found imagery or completely abstract. Fundamentally an improvisational mode of working, mixed media offers constant opportunity for adjustment and surprise.
In this workshop we begin by creating a cache of painted paper (matte acrylic on newsprint) in a broad range of colors. These swatches, when cut or torn to specific shapes, provide core material for the constructed compositions we will be making throughout the retreat. Combining them with drawing, painting, or transferred marks expands the process and stimulates invention. Through trial, error, and analysis, students explore the medium to discover visual preferences that reflect personal temperament.
Our relaxed studio atmosphere promotes focus and productivity. We emphasize experimentation over competition and encourage risk taking without pressure of judgment. Students support each other’s efforts in group discussion and the instructor circulates to provide helpful one-on-one guidance throughout the sessions.
David Hornung
David Hornung is a painter and collage artist whose work has been widely exhibited in the US and UK. Across a long career as an art professor, he has served on the faculties of The Rhode Island School of Design, Indiana University, Skidmore College, Pratt Institute, and Adelphi University. He is the author of Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (Laurence King Pub Ltd.), a color theory and practice textbook that has been translated into six languages and is used in art schools and private studios around the world. His work is represented by the J.J. Murphy Gallery in NYC, Elena Zang Gallery in Woodstock New York, Pulp Gallery in Holyoke Ma., and Cynthia Winings Gallery at Blue Hill, Maine.
What others have to say about David’s teachings:
“I have been fortunate to have taken five workshops with David Hornung on color, composition, and collages. He’s one of the most extraordinary teachers I have ever had. Students in our classes were on all levels, from beginner to formally trained artists with careers in art. David fashioned exercises that stimulated and challenged all levels. He presented daily power point slide shows that even incorporated students’ work from the previous exercises, which further enhanced the exercise. All of these classes are taught with David’s wry humor. I highly encourage anyone with the opportunity to enroll in any of David’s classes to sign up fast!”
- Wendy
“David is a marvelous and inspirational art instructor. I have taken several courses from him including a design course, a course on color theory, a course on collage, and a course on abstract painting and drawing. David's exercises are easy to follow and yield very interesting results. I have always been amazed by what I have been able to produce and come out feeling energized to produce more art in my own style. In addition to excellent exercises, David shares digital lectures on artists, both living and deceased resulting in fascinating discussions regarding technique as well as why the artist's compositions are so successful. David also shares his own artwork and his process. He will show the beginning of a painting and take us through its evolution which is incredibly interesting. Finally, David is a master of quotations that he shares with the class throughout the course. He is brilliant as well as subtly humorous at finding relevant words that portray the moment! “
-Sarah
“I have had the great privilege to take several of David Hornung's workshops over the past two years and have been consistently impressed with his ability to share his expertise with a delightful mixture of humor and humility. In both the Collage and Color workshops, I came away brimming with new techniques and approaches for my own practice. I discovered new artistic influences and perspectives through David sharing examples of both contemporary and historic artists. As an art teacher myself, his Design workshop has been an invaluable source of inspiration and practical exercises that I have gratefully brought into my own classrooms. Throughout all the workshops, David guided me and the other students with honest critique, encouragement to stretch past habitual methods, clear demonstrations, and excellent presentations. He has a wealth of experience, a curious mind, and a keen eye and he shares it all with wit and warmth.”
-Joan
This stunning 100-acre luxury estate in the Scottish countryside will be your home for the week.
What you will learn
• Techniques that open possibilities for mixed media improvisation.
• How experimentation can help you get beyond habit and expand your expressive range.
• How to make the form of your work more specific and more personal.
• How intention and chance each animate the creative process.
• How mixed and constructed media developed from early Modernism to the present.
• About contemporary mixed media work that artists are making.
What’s Included
Morning and afternoon teaching sessions with David Hornung
7 nights accommodation
All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - authentic, farm to table cuisine ( wine available for purchase!)
Indoor painting studio
Transportation assistance to/from the airport
Massages available upon request for an additional fee
How it Works
At the time of booking, you pay a US$500 non-refundable deposit.
The remaining balance is split into half.
The first half is due 30 days from the date of booking.
The remaining balance is due 30 days after that (60 days from the date of booking). All retreat fees must be paid in full 90 days before the start of the retreat.
Note that images shown of rooms are for reference only and may not be the exact room you reserve.
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Single Occupancy (premium) $5,600
King or Queen Bed / Private Bath
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Single Occupancy (lodge) $5,300
King or Queen Bed / Private Bath
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Double Occupancy $4,700
Twin Beds / Shared Bath
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The retreat is located in Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire ~ ideally situated among the countryside. The retreat is about 1 hour from the Edinburgh Airport. Once you have registered, we will send you options for transportation services from the airport to the retreat center.
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This retreat accommodates 14 artists with instructor David Hornung. There are 10 single rooms and 2 double shared rooms (total 4 people). All rooms have ensuite bathrooms. Accommodations are on a first come, first basis and all reservations must be completed through this website.
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Accommodations for 7 nights, painting instruction with David Hornung (morning and afternoon sessions each day), meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
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Airfare, travel insurance (recommended), transportation to and from the venue, supplies, alcoholic beverages, tips for staff, art supplies, travel before or after the workshop and/or any personal purchases made.
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We accept all major credit cards. If you prefer an alternative payment method, please reach out to us at retreats@artfuelstudio.com. All payments are billed in US Dollars.
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Yes, to reserve your spot for the retreat, we require a US$ 500 non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit. The remaining balance will be billed as follows:
The remaining balance is split into half.
The first half is due 30 days from the date of booking.
The remaining balance is due 30 days after that (60 days from the date of booking). All retreat fees must be paid in full 90 days before the start of the retreat.
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Your US$ 500 deposit is non-refundable, non-transferable. If you need to cancel after additional payments have been made, we are happy to refund the amount paid (less your deposit), once the retreat is full and a replacement person takes your spot and has paid in full - (we’ll be keeping a waitlist).
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Our retreats can often accommodate vegetarian, gluten free and other common food sensitivities. We will send a questionnaire prior to the workshop asking for your requests at that time so the venue is prepared.
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Travel insurance is highly recommended for all workshops. Please do your research to determine if you should purchase standard travel insurance or if CFAR travel insurance (cancel for any reason) is better for you.
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Below is a short list of supplies needed, but you'll receive a full list in advance of the retreat.
Acrylic paint or acrylic gouache
Disposable palette
Newsprint Pad
X-acto knife and cutting mat
Assorted Synthetic brushes
2" Brayer
Drawing materials
Glue Sticks -
To view the ARTfuel Studio Retreats Terms & Conditions, please click HERE.