RUSSELL YOULL stumbles upon a paradise for artists on a family trip to Brittany.

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OKAY, I have to hold up my hands – when it comes to the world of art, I am a bit of an ignoramus.

In fact, I’m very much from the ‘I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like’ school.

Of course, I’ve heard of a few famous names but on the whole, I have to confess, I don’t know my art from my elbow.

So it came as somewhat of a surprise to me to find myself stumbling along narrow streets on north-western France in the footsteps of greatness – and all in what was supposed to be a summer bucket and spade holiday for all the family.

A couple of overcast days in Brittany gave us the perfect opportunity to get off the beaten track and head a few kilometres inland from the Breton coast.

We pulled up in Pont Aven, only only on arrival did I find out it was made famous by post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin in the 19th century (thank you Wikipedia...)

And we had a fantastic day among the winding streets, next to a babbling stream, browsing dozens of arty little shops and galleries – not to mention picking up a couple of Breton cakes that are a speciality of this region.

In fact, we had such a good day that we were similarly inspired a few days later.

Another cloudy day (only two days out of seven without sunshine is not bad for a place with a climate similar to that of Cornwall) persuaded us to jump back in the car and head out again from our Siblu Villages base at Domaine de Kerlann in southern Brittany to nearby Concarneau.

Now Cocarneau, a major Atlantic fishing port, is not quite as arty as Pont Aven, but it certainly has its charm – not least a huge walled town to meander through and dozens of fantastic places to eat.

And it was here that the artistic urge took us – well, it took our son Jamie anyway.

Searching for a gift to take home to nan and grandad, Jamie hit on the idea of having his portrait sketched by a street artist.

I have to admit I was dubious. Not about the artist’s ability, more about my lad’s ability to sit still for more than 20 seconds without (a) becoming bored and fidgety or (b) desperately discovering he had an urgent need for the toilet.

Yet, against all the odds, he made it. And we the picture now has pride of place on nan’s living room wall.

Quimper too proved well worth a visit as did the lovely family seaside town of Benodet, both within half-an-hour of base.

And these days out show just how superb holidays like these are – especially if you have kids.

The options are endless. You can pack up the car and find new places for the day or sit back and stay by the pool. And for our daughter Emily, the holiday was all about the water. Seemingly born with gills, she would happily spend her whole holiday submerged.