Creative retreats, painting
vacations & art getaways

Allison Luci

August 16 - 21, 2026

Make Your Own Happy: An Animal Art Retreat

Medium: Acrylics, Oil and Watercolor

Level: All Levels

Location: Studio

Status: Open for Registration

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Rates & Enrollment

Deposit is $450

Day Student Tuition: $1144

Inn-Stay Package*: $2,664 - $3,220

*Your Inn-Stay Retreat Package includes:

Workshop Tuition, lodging, dinner 2 nights (welcome and farewell), breakfast and lunch each day, daily snack breaks, unlimited coffee, tea & seltzer.

For your independent dinners, there are many restaurants with a wide variety of cuisines and price points, within comfortable walking distance of the Inn, plus Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s.

You can choose a room to yourself (single occupancy) or double your fun, bring a friend and split a room (double occupancy).

To learn more about your options or to register, click the Register Now button.

About This Workshop

Make Your Own Happy: An Animal Art Retreat is a soulful, lighthearted journey into the art of animals — from whimsical sketchbook doodles to expressive oil paintings that capture their spirit and soul. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or haven’t held a paintbrush in years, this retreat will welcome you exactly where you are, with encouragement, laughter, and creative magic.

Each day we’ll explore a new way to bring animals to life through art. We’ll begin by making our own sketchbooks and filling them with pencil and pen studies of furry, feathered, and wild friends. From there, we’ll move into watercolor — learning to layer soft, dreamy washes and create charming animal illustrations that radiate personality. Finally, we’ll dive into oils, discovering how to paint with depth and vibrancy — building layers, not mud — and capturing the soulful spark in every creature.

You’ll learn how to infuse each piece with your own story and imagination — adding whimsical touches like jeweled crowns, flower halos, or even a playful bathtub cameo! Along the way, I’ll share my favorite techniques, tips, and intuitive approaches for painting fur, feathers, and feelings.

We’ll learn so much, create freely, and most importantly, make our own happy — through art, laughter, and new friendships.

You’ll leave with:

A handmade sketchbook filled with animal sketches and ideas
A series of watercolor and oil paintings that capture the heart and soul of your favorite creatures
Playful techniques for layering color and texture with confidence
A renewed sense of joy and connection through art
And a community of kindred spirits who share your love for animals and creativity

Come join me in August 2026 for a magical, joy-filled retreat — where art, animals, and heart come together in the most soulful way.

About Allison Luci

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Allison Luci (aka Allie for the Soul)

Happy art. Happy artist.

My motto, “Make your own happy,” is both a philosophy and a practice — a reminder to seek out what brings you joy and do more of it (preferably with a paintbrush in hand).

Over the past three decades, I’ve left my “happy mark” on canvases, walls, windows, and sidewalks — from businesses in Queens and lively Times Square bars to peaceful animal sanctuaries and even as far as Hawaii. My work has also inspired others to discover their own creativity — from kids just starting to seniors who thought they’d missed their chance.

Spoiler: it’s never too early and never too late to create.

My recipe for happy art is simple: color, kindness, and whimsy. With those three ingredients, I’ve been able to merge my love of animals and art — helping to raise nearly $100,000 (and counting!) for animal rescues and sanctuaries across the country.

As a two-time breast cancer survivor, I’m proud to serve as an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, even having the surreal honors of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and most recently ringing in the opening bell!

Other “Make your own happy” highlights include being an honorary New York Mets Bat Girl, painting a pig barn at Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary, contributing to the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail, and most recently, creating a life-sized painted pig for a public art project, Oink, in Stamford, CT.

A proud New Yorker based in Queens, I share life with my husband, our cat, and a community of rescued animal friends who remind me daily why I do what I do.