WONDER PLACE
art retreat in the cradle of EuropeWONDER PLACE
In the cradle of Europe
Art adventures IN HUNGARY
Dear wonderful Artist Friends,
The day has come that I’m so excited to invite you to spend a wonderful time in my country and let me share a segment of my art knowledge to you.
Enjoy an outstanding holiday full of art and special experience.
I am happily host YOU and personally show you the wonders of my country and my art.
All experience levels are welcome!
I can’t wait to paint with you personally in my wonderful city
AT THIS RETREAT:
• Learn Ildy’s signature art techniques
• Reconnect with your inner muse
• Connect with Nature through art
• Experiment with colours and learn how to be friend with supplies and blank canvas
• Be friend with your subject before you paint
• sketch, observations, tips and tricks
• Explore Budapest, the capital of Hungary and culture of this region
• get to know Hungary as if you live here and not as if you were a tourist
• we adapt the program to your wishes
• Taste local foods and wines
• Visiting Balaton the Hungarian sea
• Szentendre the unique small art town
• family atmosphere
• Connect artist within you
• take advantage of Ildy’s constant help and knowledge (priceless)
I’m preparing many extra surprises to expand your interest in art
and so MUCH MORE….
Accommodation:
in a 240m2 private house in the gardened part of BUDAPEST.
Private bedrooms with double bed and bathroom.
Dates to choose from: 10 nights
1, 1-11 June 2026
2, 15-25 June 2026
3, 6-16 July 2026
4, 20-30 July 2026
a different option upon request available: contact me
I’m flexible, I’m here for you
Prices:
Art retreat with double twin/couple occupancy at 1.500.000HUF (~$4,950) per person
Gather your friend and come together and have fun:
You will receive 50% off the price and other surprises
Come together minimum 6 person including YOU!
collect 5 friends
contact me for details
How do I register?
reserve your seat with 200.000.- HUF (USD 650) booking deposit
Your space is considered “reserved” once your deposit (200.000HUF – 650USD) is received.
You will be contacted by email within 24 hours to confirm your place in the retreat.
The remaining tuition balance is due latest 30 days before the retreat starts
3 installment is available
1.500.000 HUF in 3 installment (30th March, 30th April, 30th May or in cash on site)
Tuition balance is payable by bank transfers, PayPal and credit cards are welcome, but their fees will be added on to the balance due.
We advise you to register as soon as possible as registration is limited to 8 participants.
I am proud to organize art adventure trips for you as a small family.
If you don’t like adventure and if you would rather follow a guide with an ‘umbrella’, please don’t choose this small group art journey!
Respect yourself, the others and us by thinking about how much you want to gain real experiences and impressions during your art travels.
We are not a University of Fine Arts, but a small academy under the main guidence of Ildy.
Guest lecturers who are outstanding in their art field, few artist whose hearts and souls are in the transfer of knowledge and techniques art and you maybe the one who deserve more than ‘mass teaching’…
We invite you to a family trip where you can meet the beauty of my country with ancient history and culture with the easy and in an entertaining form, you will gain a lot of knowledge and experience unnoticed.
what you can learn
Drawing part
It all starts with the playful development of your skills. Every day, I help you to see differently, which will affect your further paintings that you make in the future. We develop drawing skills with different playfull tasks that build on each other.
The development of drawing skills is continuous during in our life, but it forms part of the creation of paintings. This is a part of this short training where everyone, starting from their own level, is guided by the missing elements.
In just a few words, what can await us in terms of drawing:
we develop the part you need or where you want to improve
- Pencil and charcoal
- Contour drawing
- zoom out – zoom in
- proportions,
- planes,
- still life,
- square and spherical shapes
- gesture drawings,
- perspective,
- portrait proportions,
- shortening
- light shadow
- Drafting techniques that were already used in ancient times and were also adopted by the Renaissance masters
- Self portrait . . .
Color techniques
In just a few words, what awaits us in terms of painting:
the planned program can be modified according to the wishes of the participants, so that you can return home with the most experience and results
- color theory,
- color mixing (hue value chroma)
- air perspective, sfumato
- painting materials and processes
- aquarelle
- acrylic
- oil
- Alla prima
- Indirect painting
- negative staining
- small scale realism
- different techniques,
- mark making – everything that is not a brush
- anything that isn’t paint
- we are looking for your individuality and your own style
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
✔️ Daily art and Plein Air classes, individual tuition, and demonstrations with artist Ildy Karsay
✔️ Art Materials
✔️ Private, exclusive use of house in Budapest
✔️ 10 nights of accommodation
✔️ daily continental breakfasts, daily two-course gourmet Hungarian lunches,
✔️ Unlimited tea, coffee, and water
✔️ Red, white, or rosé wine during dinner service
✔️ Studio space for art classes with exclusive use any time
✔️ bonus: daily activity for your health
✔️ Art trip to Szentendre (a Hungarian town on the Danube River)
exclusive hungarian special lunch then collecting inspirations at Skanzen
✔️ visiting a pottery studio where you can try yourself under the guidance of a professional ceramic artist and you will be richer with an object of your own
✔️ Roundtrip shuttle transfers from/to Budapest Liszt Ferenc international airport (Ferihegy)
✔️ Private transportation for trips and activities
✔️ We are at your convenience throughout the week
✔️ All local tourist taxes and fees
NOT INCLUDED:
❌ Airfare and transportation to Budapest
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Tips for the staff
❌ Extra expenses that guests may incur on their own
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If you are stuck in your art, this is your place.
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If you feel that nothing is going the way you want, this is your place.
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If you are in need of techniques and personal guidance and inspiration that will help you continue, this is the place for you.
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If you want a family vacation in a country where you are personally cared for, this is the place for you.
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If you would like to come to create, but art is far away from your partner and he does not want to participate in all art programs, I have come up with a solution for this as well. My man and son can take him to a special airsoft program.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Booking fees and all other fees paid (minus paypal and bank fees)will be refunded in the event of a workshop cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances.
For your peace of mind, I highly recommend that you get travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances that could affect your ability to attend the art retreat.
We are flexible regarding the date, the course can also be held with the participation of 4 people based on prior discussion.
Ask me for an offer if you find an irresistible cheap flight and we will adapt the program accordingly.
WITHDRAWAL & REFUND POLICY
Withdrawal must be made in writing via email.
The 200.000.- HUF booking deposit will be deducted from refunds. Payments are non-refundable 40 days prior to the retreat.
There are no refunds after the last day to cancel on 1st May, 2026 for any reason as we are committed to our expenses at that point in time.
more details read below or ask a question via messenger or e-mail
Why choose me?
- I created all my life, I liked to try everything, I worked as an advertising graphic designer for Hungarian cinema networks for 15 years
- I have been painting again since 2008 and since 2018 I have been teaching online painting courses in English, both my own courses and international annual online programs as a guest instructor for the past 6 years
- In the summer, I ran family creative camps where the creatives could try out the techniques of drawing, painting, batik, jewelry making and felting
- I have been planning for years to host YOU in my country and personally show you the wonders of my country and my art
- I have the opportunity to host you at any time of the year, in a weekly, 10-day, 2-week time interval, where I will take all your worries off your shoulders, you just have to enjoy relaxation, creation, and recharge.
- Feel free to search with individual wishes.
YOUR HOST
Ildikó Karsay
Ildy
+36309464204
Some of my additional thoughts:
I have felt and known for a long time that creative activity has a beneficial effect, it calms, relaxes, gives pleasure and happiness. I experience this every day when I create. Science proves that art, music, dance, any form of fine art is useful as therapy in any part of the Earth. It also has a positive effect on healthy people, and it achieves tremendous results in patients with a therapeutic effect.
My most important thought and creed: Every person is an artist.
For years I have been helping people connect with the artist within them (mostly in English lately).
Everyone has creativity, the ability to create, which is born with us and strives to manifest itself. A byproduct of the creation is that it can help people of all ages and problems. Tuning in to nature, it also helps maintain health and heal. Creation develops emotion, feeling and empathic skills, and self-awareness. We can hear messages from the depths of our souls.
With a consciously constructed theme, we come into contact with nature, we look at the world around us in a different way, and this releases emotions during creation.
By tuning in to the current season, month, or the given topic, their world view also expands. Possible conflicts and internal anxieties can come to the surface, they can appear in the work in a symbolic way, so that they can be processed.
With art therapy, trauma/tension/stress can be released without having to relive or talk about it.
We can meet ourselves in the creation, or in the creative process itself, paintings, drawings, (sculptures) help us find ourselves and self-knowledge.