PAINTING HOLIDAYS & ART WORKSHOPS IN TUSCANY

  • “The Tuscan Workshop fosters rich friendships among like-minded artists.”


    Art Workshops in Tuscany

  • Painting Holidays & Art Workshops in Tuscany

    Art WorkshopThe Day at our Workshops starts with breakfast in the medieval dining hall. Immediately following will be a demonstration and lesson in watercolor, oil painting or clay sculpture. Subject matter includes vineyards, olive groves, the sculptural Chianti valley, 15th century buildings and the lush gardens of the villa where we will be staying in Tuscany. Painting classes will be taught en plein air, but some lectures may be given indoors. There will be a critique in the late afternoon. Dinner is at 8PM. In the evening there will be a slide lecture, social time, and an evening stroll. When we are not painting, cooking or sculpting we will be taking day trips in Tuscany to Siena, the medieval jewel, and Florence, the cradle of Renaissance art.

    2012 Workshop Dates:
    Watercolor, Oil Painting and Pilates - June 23-30, 2012
    Watercolor, Oil Painting and Clay Sculpture - July 14-21, 2012

    The Trip Coordinator, Carol Marano has spent many years living, studying and working in Tuscany. She is fluent in Italian and is there to assist you in every way to make your learning vacation as comfortable and memorable as possible.
    Carol is an artist and a teacher from Huntington, Long Island. She holds a masters degree in Art Education from Columbia University in New York and has done advanced graduate work in Renaissance art history. She has been painting in watercolor and oils for over twenty years and has exhibited her work in New York and abroad. She has led many successful trips throughout Italy over the past ten years. She attended L'Università degli Studi, Siena, Italy in 1978 where she became fluent in Italian language.

    Tuscan Cooking School with world-renowned Tuscan chefs are held in English in the villa's kitchen where the freshest organic ingredients are used to create typical regional cuisine. Cooking class participants work hands-on in the creation and preparation of authentic Tuscan specialties, including antipasti, home-made pastas and accompanying sauces, open-fire grilled meat specialties, rustic salads, and dessert favorites such as tiramisù and cantucci (almond biscotti). All cooking lessons include lunch and wine. For more information, see a description of our cooking classes and wine tastings.

    Tuscan Landscape Painting - instructor TBA
    Tuscan Landscape Painting Our staple course, this motivating study of the varied and romantic Tuscan landscape offers the artist innumerable inspirations and an opportunity to achieve artistic breakthrough through a newly acquired vision. Taught in watercolor and oil, the course will address the needs of every level of student with attentive individualized instruction. It will focus on maximizing the medium through the guided expertise of the instructor. Composition, color theory, perspective and design will be discussed and demonstrated at length while each artist will be encouraged to produce a series of finished paitnings that reflect the new vision.

    Pottery Classes - instructor TBA
    The Ceramics Workshop will introduce the ancient art of Maiolica (Majolica) painting which flourished in Italy in the 12-15th centuries in places such as Faenza, Deruta and Montelupo. We will work at the Scuola di Ceramica di Montelupo, a professional artisan's studio, where we will paint with transparent, brilliant glazes upon bisqueware which has been pre-dipped in white maiolica. In the space of that time students are able to create as many painted pieces as they like (as many as 12) and take them home with them or arrange to have them shipped. The instructors are professional Italian ceramists. (Translator will be available). We will stay at a nearby villa with pool and all transportation will be provided. The week includes a visit to Florence, Siena and the Museo della Ceramica di Montelupo.
    Scuola di Ceramica
    Ceramics Workshop

    Fresco Painting - Carol Marano, Instructor
    The ancient art of fresco painting dates back to Roman times and was brought to perfection during the Italian Renaissance. This luminous, clear, earthy technique is an artist's victory which surpasses the limitations of more conventional mediums and challenges the artist with its spontaneity and transparency.
    Fresco Painting We will have the option of working on lighter weight, portable panels constructed with stretcher strips and a support, or working directly on terracotta tiles, also portable but somewhat heavier.
    We will prepare our own supports, mix lime plaster and work with pure ground pigments (diluted) in the same way as Michelangelo and Tiepolo. During our excursion days, we will visit in situ several 14th century frescoes in Siena and Florence.

    Pilates in Paradise
    Melissa The Tuscan Workshops are proud to offer a special program "Pilates in Paradise" June 23-29, 2102 with a licensed Pilates trainer, in addiition to the regularly shceduled art classes. The workshop has been designed to allow all guests to participate in both without losing any painting time. Morning Pilates workout, mid-day Pilates aquatics in the pool, as well as two full day excursions to Siena and Florence with art history guide, full Tuscan immersion, optional cooking classes and Italian language classes.
    Melissa Bierstock's Biography