A CREATIVE COMMUNITY hosted by Sally-Anne Ashley

ARTHOUSE RETREAT STUDIO is a virtual studio space where artists and creatives come together to connect, experiment, explore, and develop their creative practice 

Imagine ARTHOUSE RETREAT STUDIO as a spacious industrial building with many floors, each buzzing with creative activity as artists work away in their studios... and one of those studios is yours - it's light, airy, and inviting.

You might arrive for a virtual cup of coffee and a quiet chat, stay to share your work and take part in thoughtful conversations, or settle in for a workshop or course. Whether you’re visiting briefly or spending longer, the doors are open.

Community sits at the heart of this space. You’re invited to take what you need and contribute what you can, in a way that feels right for you. This is a place of encouragement and shared experience, where artists can be themselves, feel supported, and grow in confidence as they develop their work and creative practice 🌿🌿

Inside, you'll find THE ARTHOUSE (membership club) and CREATIVE SHIFT, my 12 week signature course for artists looking to develop a deeper understanding of their work and creative practice.

See below for more details about THE ARTHOUSE 🏭

(CREATIVE SHIFT 2026 - details available early 2026)

If you’ve been craving a creative space that feels supportive, human, and genuinely nourishing, you’ll feel right at home here!

This is a community for artists and creatives of all kinds. Painters, printmakers, weavers, knitters, ceramicists, stitchers, mixed-media explorers, beginners, and returning makers - everyone sits side-by-side here. We welcome all levels and all mediums. What brings us together is the desire to make, to grow, and to feel connected while doing so.

Inside THE ARTHOUSE, you’ll find a gentle, monthly flow that helps you to develop and sustain a creative practice - without pressure, perfectionism, or comparison. It’s a place to work alongside others, talk honestly about your process, and enjoy the energy, encouragement, and inspiration that comes from creating within a community rather than in isolation.

 LIVE Planning Your Practice   - first Monday of every month. A gentle, practical anchor of intention-setting for your creative practice. Focusing in to give your month its shape 🧭

 LIVE Studio Sessions  - Extended practice sessions every month - usually the second and fourth Wednesdays. Two hours together: A blend of making / practical studio work, followed by a reflective hour 🖌

 LIVE Member-led sessions  - currently a monthly Book Club and Poetry Sessions each month. These are spacious, evolving, and so beautifully community-driven - with so much potential for more opportunities and a variety of sessions 📚

 The ARTHOUSE Café  - an open Zoom link on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (24hrs / GMT). A place to show up for your practice with a little accountability, meet up with fellow ARTHOUSE members to chat and create together, or simply work alongside others in a gentle, informal way. Tuesdays are our ‘silent’ café days, offering a quieter space where it’s often enough just to be in the company of others while you focus ☕️

 Monthly Studio + Colour Prompts  - Each month, members receive a thoughtfully curated studio prompt and colour prompt. These are offered as gentle starting points - invitations rather than instructions. You’re free to respond in your own way, or simply let them sit quietly in the background. The prompts open up space for reflection, journalling, conversation, mindfulness, and new ways of seeing, both in your work and in everyday life 🎨

 "Simply put, THE ARTHOUSE feels like my creative home. I feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to grow in my own way, at my own pace. There's a level of authentic connection here that I have not found anywhere else in an artist community." Anne 

"THE ARTHOUSE has given me a space to be amongst an international group of artists, who share our art, conversation, friendship and knowledge, in a safe and open way. I found meeting through Zoom a bit awkward when I first joined, but decided to just go with it and join in, it now feels totally natural and the friendships made in this group feel genuine. I value this space highly in my life and my art journey." Denise

 "THE ARTHOUSE is unlike any other art group I've experienced.  It's a nurtuing and safe place to shore your ideas, learn from  fellow artists  and create art and chat alongside others in the Zoom Art Café. Sally-Anne guides us gently through monthly prompts, studio sessions and other offerings. There are new sessions every month! I have now established a consistent art practice and it is due to being a member of THE ARTHOUSE." Diane 

"I love the sense of a safe community where kindness and compassionate support are foremost. The monthly prompts which are optional have found me making more work than I ever have in my Playbook. I'm a painter but I love that we have a Book Club and a Poetry group where I can listen or join in. You never know where new inspiration is going to come from.  Living alone I enjoy the Arthouse Cafe days when you can just pop in and find yourself making your art alongside friends from across the world or just using the time to sit and be." Julie

 "THE ARTHOUSE is really a warm, safe and friendly place where I am learning to grow as an artist and as a person in the company of other open minded and creative artists from around the world! It is really special to be able to connect face to face through Zoom and the Art café!" Jocelyne 

"I appreciate the sense of community, knowing I belong (that every member belongs), the friendships I’m making, the inspiration and guidance, the quality and thoughtfulness of the development of THE ARTHOUSE, and the safety of the space. I also love that there are members from all over the globe, working in all kinds of media, with the full range of expertise. The most experienced artists never show their egos. It truly is a level space for all." Claudia 

Alongside our LIVE gatherings, THE ARTHOUSE is first and foremost a creative community. A place to be inspired and to inspire others. Inside the space, friendships naturally form, conversations unfold, and opportunities to collaborate, share work, and talk about the wider realities of creative life are warmly welcomed. This is a place where you can share not only what you’re making, but everything that surrounds your practice - the questions, the experiments, the doubts, the breakthroughs, and the everyday moments of being an artist 🌿

Members also have access to a growing collection of guest interviews with inspiring artists and creatives, offering thoughtful insights into practice, process, and creative life. Alongside this sits an ever-evolving resource library, filled with artist-recommended books, podcasts, documentaries, courses, and creative gems - a place to dip into whenever you’re looking for nourishment, inspiration, or a new way of seeing.

THE ARTHOUSE is a space to feel supported, stimulated, and connected - a place to make your work, and to be held by a community while you do 💫