Work Small, Learn Big!
Explore and
sketch Italy
June 6-13, 2020
Join me for seven days of immersion into the art of the travel sketchbook. You will create your own visual journal while exploring silvery olive groves, scatterings of poppies and sunflowers, vineyards and farms, ancient churches, small villages and the Renaissance city of Florence.
Open to all skill levels and geared toward individual instruction, this workshop is the perfect combination of working small and portable and learning big skills to take home with you.
ITINERARY
Open to all skill levels and geared toward individual instruction, this workshop is the perfect combination of working small and portable and learning big skills to take home with you.
Day 1: Saturday, June 6 – Arrival in Florence
4:00pm
We will pick you up at the Florence train station
and transport you to our villa at the Petrolo Winery, where you will move into your rooms and explore the house and grounds.
8:00pm
Welcome wine reception and typical Italian dinner at the villa.
Day 2: Sunday, June 7
Morning Session
Breakfast together. Review of supplies, drawing warmups and preview of the week's opportunities. Sketchbook demo and presentations on how to "move into" your sketchbook. Spend the afternoon drawing on the grounds of the villa.
Afternoon Session:
A trip into Montevarchi to the grocery store to stock up on items you would like to have for snacks for the week. This is our opportunity to be delighted and amazed at the variety of things offered at the Italian grocery store.
Evening Session:
Dinner at local restaurant Lo Schicchero in Mercatale Valdarno
Day 3: Monday,June 8 –Art History, Sketching and Wine Tasting
Morning Session: Architecture Made Simple
Spend the morning at a 13th century church on the grounds of the Petrolo Winery, drawing and painting with a discussion focused on how to easily draw architecture with attention to the correct use of interior and exterior perspective.
Lunchtime picnic on the church grounds
Afternoon Session: Art History - the Seeds of the Renaissance
More sketching and a presentation by a local art historian on the artistic history of the Valdarno area and of the church we are visiting.
Evening Session:
Wine tasting at the Petrolo Winery. Look at this link for a short history of Petrolo.
Italian dinner at the villa, sharing the day's work with good food and wine.
Day 4: Tuesday, June 9 – Trip to Florence: Art History and Sketching in the City
Morning Session:
Train to Florence. Practice "speed sketching" the Italian landscape from the train windows.
Afternoon and Evening Session:
All day - explore Florence, the seat of the Renaissance, where you can visit Michelangleo's David, climb to the top of the Duomo, shop for jewelry on the ancient Ponte Vecchio and visit the Botticellis at the Uffizi Galleries all in one very compact city.
Head to the Market at San Lorenzo to sketch the hustle and bustle or shop the stalls for leather goods, handmade papers and Italian gourmet items. Demonstration and practice drawing figures in an environment to create a sense of place.
Evening Session: Recap of the day in Florence
Meet in the city for a light snack and to review the day. Board the train for the trip home
Light dinner at the villa
Day 5: Wednesday, June 10 – A View from the Top and Shoe Factory Visit
Morning Session: Atmospheric Perspective
We will spend the morning at the top of the hill at the tower of Galatrona, overlooking sweeping vistas of olive groves and vineyards. Our opportunity to discuss atmospheric perspective and how to achieve a sense of depth in our work using of color, scale and value .
Afternoon Session: The Shoe Factory
Visit the Pratesi Shoe Factory in nearby Ambra to shop, admire the amazing variety of leather goods and/or sketch shoes, cats and interiors.
Evening Session:
Back to the villa to recap the day and have dinner together.
Day 6: Thursday, June 11 – A day at San Luciano Winery in Monte San Savino
We will join the proprietor, Stephano for a full day at San Luciano Winery to sketch the old church, the vineyards, the animals, the garden and ancient farm equipment. We’ll
spend the afternoon painting and sketching at the vineyard with a lesson on composition and focal point. Picnic lunch in the afternoon and wine and olive oil tasting at the end of a lovely day.
We will have dinner back at the villa.
Day 7: Friday, June 12 – Finishing up the week
Morning follow ups, final touches to our sketchbooks. Time to pack for the trip home in the afternoon.
Farewell dinner at Locanda Casariccio.
Day 8: June 13 - Saying Arrivederchi
Transport to the train station with your ticket back to Florence included.
Workshop Tuition
For a single person sharing a room $2200 ($1950 if 50% is paid by March 15, 2020)
For a single person with private room or non-participating guest $1200
Workshop Tuition Includes:
Pickup from train station in Florence
Accommodations (7 nights)
Individualized workshop instruction
All meals except lunch on day trips
Transportation to/from local train station
Wine tastings
Art supplies
*Maximum of 10 participates
Not Included:
Airfare
Transfers
**IMPORTANT** Please Note:
Purchasing travel/medical insurance is highly recommended.
Participants should be in good physical condition and able to walk on uneven surfaces and up and down hills while carrying supplies and equipment in a backpack. Must also be able to sit for extended periods of time on folding stools while you paint.
About Jaime
Jaime Howard is a classically trained American oil and watercolor painter, and has instructed all levels of artists from beginners to advanced college students. A faculty member of Savannah College of Art and Design, she teaches drawing, painting and design and conducts workshops in the US and Europe. She is an avid member of International Urban Sketchers and Urban Sketchers of Jacksonville, Florida.
Jaime combines her love of drawing, painting and teaching with a rich background in art history, bringing her students the stimulating presentation of a knowledgeable and inspiring teacher.
"Sketching and painting on location makes each day thrilling; sharing the adventure with my students makes life fulfilling."
Contact:Jaime Howard
jaimehowardart@gmail.com
+1(904)662-2140
jaimehowardart@gmail.com
+1(904)662-2140
