Di and I are very much looking forward to the summer and our first full week at Chateau Ribagnac in May. It gives our tutor, Sylvia Paul, another opportunity of capturing the character in her own inimitable style of the area in and around this charming castle not far from Limoges in central France. That's when she's not passing on to our artists the benefit of her wide experience and helping them to develop their skills.

We'll be sharing the great food and wine Colette creates in the kitchen and the companionship these houseparty-holidays for people who like to paint always generate. With economic flights between London Stansted and Limoges the chateau is easy to reach. Some prefer to drive on French motorways - a holiday in itself compared with the daily gridlock almost anywhere in the UK - which can be accomplished comfortably in eight hours from the Channel ports.

Sylvia was a popular demonstrator at the Artists and Illustrators' Exhibition in London last July, where she completed on our stand one of her trademark collages, based on one of Ribagnac's fairytale towers.We stayed there last May in response to a request from Patrick for the filming of TV's More Chaos at the Castle, the follow-up to the programme on how Patrick and Colette took their children and left their London lawyers' practices to renovate a very pretty chateau in the heart of the Lake District of France.

We pay two visits to Chateau Ribagnac this year. The first has been fully-booked for weeks so we are taking bookings now for our September week there. Our tutor then will be the celebrated Devon South West Acadamician and portraitist Ann L. Roe - also known as Ann Jones. Ann is currently busy at Longleat, painting Lord Bath.

May is a particularly busy for Sylvia Paul and our artists who admire her work will be glad she's made space in her diary to be with us, supported in style as always by her husband Geoff. Not long after a successful exhibition at a new gallery in Long Melford, Suffolk, where she was among a selection of young Scottish artists, she is exhibiting in Ely more than 30 of her paintings and mixed media collages of Venetian subjects. No other city in the world has captured the imagination of artists as this gilded mysterious city in the sea, and her show opens after a private view on Wednesday May 2nd from 7pm at the Old Fire Engine House. It continues until Sunday, June 3rd. View her work on www.sylviapaul.com

Meantime the autumn gold of the forests clothing the slopes of the French Alps above Morzine is again attracting artists to Au Coin du Feu. The cuisine in the Haute Savoie is very special to the area but Francesca who ran her own catering business in London before she and Paul settled with their young family in their tailor-made chalet-hotel, approves the wonderful dishes produced by chefs keen to create gastronomic treats.

Oh, and the painting.. It's led by Jonathan Newey, who conducted our holidays on Andalusia's Costa de Luz and Vellano in Tuscany. He too was demonstrating at the A&I in Islington last year and he'll be offering his expertise to artists of all ability and in all mediums. Marlborough College is among the organisations who benefit from his experience and skill. You can see some of his work on www.jonathannewey.com

And why not visit us? www.paintingactivities.co.uk

February brings us a month closer to the prospect of bright, warm, sunny days in beautiful surroundings with like-minded often very gifted friends old and new.

Although as Interests Abroad we have become well-known and, for an increasing number of artists the best in painting holidays - we know because they tell us so! - we've chamged our company name to Painting Activities, mainly because that is what we do. It also makes sense because it's the same as our website www.paintingactivities.co.uk

Take a look if you've not recently done so. You'll recall that we had our millisecond of fame in Channel Four TV's 'More Chaos in the Castle' a title which sold Patrick and Colette at Chateau Ribagnac very short, since the only chaos on view was that repeated from the previous show two or three years ago when this game couple were frantically - and very successfully - preparing their enchanted new property in the heart of France Profunde for business!

Our weekend workshop last summer, led by one of our best known tutors, Sylvia Paul,was very briefly filmed and given a quick flash in the programme.

Nevertheless Di and I are happy to say our May week this year at Chateau Ribagnac not far from Limoges, is complete and Patrick and Colette's dream of inviting painters to work at the chateau that 150 years ago attracted artists of the stamp of Delacroix to its lovely grounds.

We'll be returning there for another week in September when the gardens of the park begin to take on an autumn hue. But for real colour contrast it would be hard to beat the French Alps above Morzine at Au Coin du Feu where we shall be enjoyng flaming June and the golden glory of balmy October.

Meantime the ever-popular Chateau La Celle Guenand will be hosting us again, set in the gently rolling hills and waterways of the Loire Valley, and after our sell-out success at Shorland Old Farm last year we shall be paying our midsummer visit to Exmoor, our first UK location.

Artists with fond memories of Vellano will be glad to know that Rachel, warm hostess of our base at the Antica Locanda del Borgo is hoping to welcome guests to her delightful villa which, like the locanda's terrace, overlooks the green Tuscan landscape with its lush valleys and tiny hilltop towns. You'll recall that very tragically her husband, Michele, died suddenly early last year leaving Rachel and their two childen, Julia and Joe. Without his support as landlord and chef Rachel was forced to put the locanda up for sale and we awai with interest to see whether it could return to the friendly little hotel we came to love.

You can see Rachel's villa on www.vellanovilla.com.

Our locations are booking well and Di and I look forward to hearing from you, hoping you might join us.

Artists with fond memories of