Beatrice Hurst comes to stay and tells us about her visit to The Hide Artist Retreat in words and pictures - July 2022
“I stayed for a week at The Hide Artist Retreat. The artist and director Alice Sheppard Fidler creates a calm, restorative space that is functional and private for you while being within the comforting surrounds of their family home. The generous living space with windows on three sides is ideal to relax in and feel on retreat while allowing you to discover new ways to make and progress your own work.
The suite is within the family home, a large thick curtain separates you from the families living space and your private rooms. You can hear family life which I found rather soothing, but I was left to myself unless I decided to come out from behind the curtain.
Having access to my own utility room to make tea and coffee, my own fridge and sink and microwave and being able to assemble food was a bonus. I had my own private bathroom and bedroom with space to unpack and then the magnificent living space which is like being in a garden while indoors.
I did invite the host and dogs into my living space on some of the evenings but that was my choice and this is not a normal occurrence.
The views from the suite’s living space feels exclusively for you, which nurtures the spirit, and this allowed me to have less distractions and truly rest within nature. When it rained, I felt as if I was cocooned within the garden, snug and cosy on the sofa due to the panorama. This meant choosing to stay indoors didn’t make me feel like I was missing out on the surroundings I had travelled to see.
However, the weather was glorious during most of my stay, so I also was able to fully enjoy the terrace and loungers at the back of the house, and breakfast in the morning sun at the front of the house.
I enjoyed walks on the common daily, wondering amongst the local grazing cows to explore the landscape. The common is a two-minute walk from the Suite with breath taking views, as well as a launching pad to wonder to various pubs for food and drink. It’s advisable to book a table for food, walk-ins were not possible during my visit.
You can easily get to Nailsworth on foot, taking a beautiful woodland path to town where you can smooch the artistic shops, have a bite to eat as well as do a supermarket shop, buy bread and coffee from the local bakery, visit charity shops and even book in for a massage. I had a delicious fish soup lunch at Williams, a fish restaurant & deli.
I really enjoyed that I didn’t have to use my car to keep my independence when wanting to venture out.
“The Hide’s founder is Alice Sheppard Fidler, who is a full-time artist and has her working studio on site, www.alicesheppardfidler.com
Alice recently had a residency and solo show in Italy and will be on residency in Portugal next year.
I had pre-arranged to have an artist critique about my own practice and was lucky to be invited to partake in an art project that was happening within the space during my stay.
I also paid for time to work in the studio on a creative project, it was magical to be within a creative space surrounded by nature. Alice runs workshops from her studio throughout the year yet as a guest you do not have access to the studio automatically. It is in constant use for Alice’s practice and a private space from guests as standard.
However requests can be made for custom retreats that include Alice’s time, artistic critiques and a timetable to work within Alice’s working studio as I experienced and paid for.”
I have been friends with Alice for many years, so I was open to being less private on my stay which she welcomed due to our friendship. It was a bonus to be able to enjoy each other’s company at points, while also being respected when wanting to be on my own within my suite.
We occasionally cooked together, made art, took walks in the surrounding area, played badminton in the garden, and had brilliant creative discussions. I got to make connections with local artists and view their studios and practices. Alice took me on a spectacular wild swimming trip where we had the whole lake to ourselves, as well as to the local weekend food market in Stroud which was vast and vibrant. We visited a local canal side brewery and did a little tour of the walkable pubs to taste-test pork scratchings and watch the sky change colour.
I left rejuvenated having been able to rest more than I have in a long time. I was able to be submerged in the artistic and natural environment and create my own work. It was a place for me to be part of a collective while also have my own solitude and space, time to read, which felt a luxury, and wonder on foot on my own without needing to make plans.
I look forward to rebooking a visit in Winter to enjoy the landscape in a different season, being cosying indoors with the log burner and continue writing”.
Highlights of my stay:
Wild swimming in a beauty spot to ourselves. Spectacular and a must.
Walking on the Common daily with Alice’s dogs and views of the town.
Exploring Nailsworth on foot while eating the most scrumptious warm sausage roll from Hobbs Bakery.
Visiting other local artists & studios.
Making art while on Retreat.
Cooking together with Alice.
Being able to be closed off without being isolated, a true Retreat experience.
Beatrice Hurst is a UK based Art Director & Consultant as well as the co founder & creative director of The Manifesto magazine
