This week-long Tuscany-based workshop will be in a relaxed and informal environment and is open to artists and non alike. Artists are welcome to work in the media of their choice in painting and/or drawing. We will meet for 1 session each day to work en plein air around Barga. Each session will include a demonstration or talk on addressing that day’s particular location.
Each artist will get 1-on-1 feedback daily plus several group feedback sessions to facilitate a positive and constructive learning environment.
The overarching theme of the week will be composition, arguably the most important aspect of making artwork en plein air and applicable to all media.

Artists have the freedom to draw and paint in the media of their choosing, which provides a week rich with the opportunity to explore the possibilities and limitations within each media. Kelly has extensive experience working in oils, watercolors, ink, and charcoal, and has been teaching sketching for over a decade.

The intimate size of the group allows the opportunity for each person to choose what they would like their focus to be for the week, allowing Kelly to help them concentrate and dive deeper into developing any particular skill or technique they would like to focus on.

Composition as a Theme:

The overarching theme for the week will be composition: how to compose an image to create and communicate effectively. This will include an early in-depth discussion of better understanding the classical elements of different kinds of compositions and analyzing our work to make it more powerful and effective as an image.

Location:

The medieval walled hill town of Barga in northwest Tuscany offers beautiful gardens, winding small streets to explore, historic architecture, cafes, and an active arts community. You can visit the 9th-century Romanesque Duomo, smaller churches, galleries, shops, and many overlooks to admire views. We will be staying in a small private villa that has been renovated into a family-run hotel. Their villa has a number of terraces to be enjoyed along with a pool on the property. You can enjoy a glass of wine, a coffee, and pastry or gelato at one of the welcoming bar cafes. Those wishing to visit Lucca or nearby villages on their own can travel by train, bus, or rental car.

Friends not wanting to paint are welcome to join the group and can enjoy the friendly village, its breathtaking location, the arts community, cafes, and an art museum, along with frequent music on the street this time of year.

Note: Barga is a hilltown and therefore participants must be able to walk up and down hills and carry all of their equipment since the historical center is off limits to cars.

Price:

The workshop cost is $2995 and includes daily classes for artists plus discussions and critiques; shared accommodations for nine nights (some private rooms available for an extra fee); ground transportation to and from the Pisa airport; delicious full Tuscan breakfast daily; and group dinners for four nights.

Application form and deposit of $1000 are due by February 20. The full balance is due March 20. There is a $200 discount for friends not taking the class.

Contact:

For more information or to register, please contact Donna Magnani of Workshops Italia at donnamagnani@gmail.com

or find out more details on the Workshops Italia Website.

You can also contact me for further questions about what we will cover in our daily sketching and painting sessions.