Painting Workshop in Italy

$3,700 Private accommodation

$3,400 Shared accommodation

$1,700 Non-painting partner

This includes:

• Seven nights accommodation in one of the villa rooms

• Three meals a day of farm-fresh Italian cuisine, including wine made on the property

• All art materials

• Full use of painting studio and all other facilities on the estate

• Painting instruction, daily demos, and critiques

• A 3-hour guided tour of Siena

• Pickup and drop off at the Florence train station

What isn’t included:

• Airfare to Italy

• Optional Italian cooking class offered at Spannocchia

Payment schedule:

• $500 nonrefundable deposit to hold your place, due no later than January 7

• 50% due 30 days after signing up (less deposit)

• Full payment due 60 days after signing up

Cancellation:

• After February 1, 50% refund

• After March 1, no refund

Travel insurance is highly recommended. I use Allianz, which is not very expensive and offers great coverage.

For remaining balance, call me at (828) 774-8431 or email dpskinner@earthlink.net

Just 20 miles south of Siena, in the heart of Tuscany, is the site of the workshop, a 12th-century, 1,100-acre tenuta (agricultural estate) called Spannocchia. This working organic farm is known for its wine, olive oil, and award-winning salumi. The farm has the quintessential feel of Tuscany with an array of rustic outbuildings dominated by a 58-foot stone tower overlooking the estate. Our studio is housed in the Museo building, a beautiful sun-filled space that holds some important Etruscan artifacts and has vaulted ceilings. From its hilltop perch, Spannocchia has views of the beautiful surrounding scenery, which you’ll enjoy on the veranda with a glass of estate-produced wine and light snacks after a full day of painting. There’s also a refreshing pool on the estate, in case you’d like to take a dip after lunch or a nice walk around the farm. Given Spannocchia’s location in the heart of Tuscany, we make at least one group trip to nearby towns like San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano, or Siena.

During our week of painting at Spannocchia, we work in a space called the Museo. It’s a wonderfully inspiring space, full of old-world charm with plenty of room for our group to spread out and make great paintings. For the most part we work from photographs I’ve taken of the area, though there is also the opportunity to take the easels outside and paint from life. I supply a full range of professional-grade acrylic paints, canvas panels, art paper, brushes, palettes, latex gloves, buckets, and easels. However, if you’d like to use another medium such as oil paints or watercolor, feel free to bring those. Even though I provide brushes for your use, if you have any favorite brushes I would suggest bringing those as well.

One of my favorite experiences during the painting workshop at Spannocchia is mealtime. Not only is the food amazing, but the fellowship that develops during the week is wonderful. Communal meals are always a great time for conversation and camaraderie.

Given that we’re staying at an organic farm, the meals prepared at Spannocchia highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients grown on the property (including their award-winning heritage pork). Dinner is an especially nice time for gathering on the terrace before our meal, with a glass of the estate-produced wine and an opportunity to talk about all the breakthroughs that are happening in the studio.

Accommodations are in one of the charming rooms reserved for our group in Spannocchia’s villa. The rooms are decorated with tile, marble floors, and rustic antique furniture, and they have lovely views.

Spannocchia is located about 1½ hours from the Florence airport. I coordinate with everyone in advance to schedule a hired driver to do a group pickup at the Florence train station parking lot. If you want some freedom to roam during the week, renting a car is a good option and allows you to drive to Spannocchia.

The first day of your arrival is for settling into rooms, resting up from long flights, and taking a stroll around the estate to get the lay of the land. Our first proper day of painting begins with breakfast, followed by a tour of Spannocchia with one of the staff, and then we set up in the studio. During the rest of the week, I give daily demos, followed by one-on-one guidance throughout the day. We break for lunch midday, and then return to the studio for more painting. If you feel like taking a break, there’s the pool and farm to explore. Also during the week, we take a trip to Siena, where our group takes a guided tour of the Duomo and a contrada, or neighborhood, museum.

I set up a What’s App group for each workshop so make sure you have that app on your phone. It’s a great way to communicate as a group.

If you want to take a break from painting and explore the world of Italian cooking, Spannocchia offers a wonderful cooking class. The class meets at 9 a.m. and begins with a tour of the garden, then on to the kitchen where you prepare a three-course meal for lunch. The class ends at 2:30 p.m., and the cost is $140. Let me know in advance if you’d like to take the class so I can reserve a space for you.

The workshop takes place during a warm time of the year in Tuscany, with an average temperature of around 75°F, which means packing light is a lot easier. As with any trip, I recommend checking the weather forecast before you leave and adding any items like raincoats or sweaters if that seems necessary.

All art supplies are provided, but feel free to bring favorite brushes and any paints you prefer; we work with acrylics and that’s all that’s offered.