Hotel Villa di Monte Solare - luxury hotel umbria - hotel umbria - Panicale Perugia
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Art Workshops in Italy 2008
The 2008 workshop, held at a spectacular villa in Umbria, is open to and includes both painters and art/culture lovers. It is strictly limited to no more than 14 participants, including both artists and art /culture lovers, to maximize individual instruction, discussion and ease of moving around on our excursions.
Professor and contemporary realist painter, William Patterson, a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and Professor Emeritus at The University of Massachusetts has an extensive knowledge of drawing and painting with years of teaching the about the art and culture in Italy. Professor Patterson will teach Open-Air Landscape Drawing and Painting on location in the gardens and grounds of a spectacular patrician villa and on painting/cultural excursions to some of the most beautiful places in Umbria and Tuscany. He will also lead participants on wonderful excursions to Assisi and Orvieto to discuss Renaissance Painting and to seek out the hidden art and cultural treasures of Umbria and Tuscany in the hill towns of Panicale, Pienza, Montepulciano and more.
(Professor Patterson will also offer an Optional Rome Add-on which will include walking tours of Old Rome, the Vatican, Ancient Rome and More.)
Carolyn Patterson holds a BFA degree in painting from the University of Hartford. She is an accomplished painter in oils and egg tempera and her work has been exhibited extensively.
A Wonderful and Elegant Patrician Villa Our location at a beautiful and elegant villa in Umbria is ideal for our 2008 program. The owners of the villa write:
“ Here, amongst the greenery of olive trees, vineyards and the woods, the patrician villa has been standing since 1780. It is situated in a quiet and scenic location. The villa has been restored including the several outer stone buildings that now house the rooms and suites where we will stay. The Villa has kept its historic characteristics. In the pleasant Italian style garden there is a delightful private chapel and an antique orangerie. The small park area, with its hedges, separates the tranquility of the villa from the clay tennis court and one of the swimming pools. The other large pool is located amongst the outer buildings just below the main villa. The 56-hectare farmland surrounding the villa produces an extremely pure olive oil, a renowned D.O.C. wine as well as many of the genuine products used in the preparation of the meals. The traditional Umbrian cuisine served here is a delight for any gourmet, with authentic and natural flavors obtained from recipes handed down from the ages.”
Paint and draw in the serene gardens. Enjoy vistas overlooking Lake Trasimeno. Paint en-plein air. Study landscape painting with directed, focused and informative lessons. Learn from the presentations and demonstrations about many facets of drawing, composition and painting in oil or watercolor. Explore the painted sketch, whether minutely conceived or broadly brushed. Fill your journal with notes on landscape painting on our painting trips. Study Renaissance-painting methods, as Bill analyzes paintings on site in the museums and churches of Umbria and Tuscany.
We are in residence at our spectacular villa throughout. One can un- pack once and enjoy, all the amenities, educational - recreational activities and excursions mentioned above without dragging suitcases from here to there. When returning from our daily excursions participants can look forward to enjoying the villa, the pools, the tennis or Bocce court, the surroundings, the elegant and comfortable air conditioned rooms, the garden cafe and of course the incredible gourmet dinner.
Once a week a concert is offered after dinner in the chapel of Santa Lucia in the gardens of the villa. Enjoy walking tours near the villa. Taste the great wines of Umbria and Tuscany during relaxed wine tastings. Savor the unbelievable gourmet dinners at the villa, held in the elegant dinning rooms. Renew yourself at the spa. Take some time to relax playing tennis or at one of the two large swimming pools, or under the shade trees in the Italian style garden.
Genuine Umbrian Cuisine, Great Italian Wines, History and Culture, A Great Time in the Hill Towns of Umbria and Tuscany Throughout the workshop, participants will enjoy a buffet continental breakfast and incredible gourmet dinners each day at the villa. In addition, we will lunch at our friends, Trattoria in Assisi and Pienza. The cuisine throughout the workshop will be truly Umbrian. Everyone enjoys Filippo’s wine tasting where he pairs wonderful Umbrian wines with a four course dinner, and our visit with tasting to a Medieval family run wine cellar in Montepulciano. The wine cellar at the villa contains over 150 Umbrian wines. Participants will enjoy the medieval ambience of the hill towns and cities we visit. Our walking tours during excursions, and especially in Assisi and Orvieto, will include history and culture along with our focus on landscape painting.
A Great Educational Vacation for the Art and Culture Lover The 2008 open-air workshop in Italy can be fully enjoyed by both painters and art/culture lovers who come to learn more about the history, art, culture, cuisine and wines of Italy. Many features have been put into the workshop with our art lovers in mind. We welcome and encourage art/culture lovers to join the 2008 workshop in Italy.
Our excursions are meant for both painters who will have an opportunity to draw on location in the hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany and for our art lovers who will enjoy the art-cultural tours.
Many non-painters have enjoyed experiencing the wines and cuisine of Italy within the context of its’ art and culture ...
Rosi and Filippo, the proud owners of the villa, offer optional programs scenic walks and bicycle tours can be arranged. In addition, an optional cooking class can be attended at the villa. Also, there are two excellent golf courses nearby.
For The Artist: Open-Air Landscape Painting and Drawing Professor and painter William Patterson offers an intensive and unique course in landscape drawing and painting with focused and informative daily sessions, demonstrations, studio talks and one to one instruction. He will demonstrate a variety of techniques and approaches in pencil, ink wash, oil and watercolor.
This year's intensive workshop will include a routine of morning instruction through lectures and demonstrations followed by an excursion to a wonderful place in Umbria and/or Tuscany where participants can draw, paint, make studies and/or digital photographs for use later. Synonymous with the painted study, is the notion of investigation. This is the core of the open-air workshop. Drawing and painting in Umbria at the villa, and in front of select vistas, in a relaxed and searching manner, coupled with the study of Renaissance painting methods during excursions, workshop participants become immersed in visual explorations.
Renaissance Painting Methods Workshop participants have the unique opportunity to study and discuss Renaissance painting concepts and methods on site in Assisi, Panicale, Citta della Pieve, Orvieto and Rome where many of these important works were created, and where many are still located, with a painter who can thoroughly discuss Renaissance painting from a painter’s perspective.
The painting methods and materials used throughout the Renaissance will be analyzed on our trip to Assisi with the 13th and early 14th century frescoes of Cavellini, Cimabue, Giotto, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini. Bill will discuss the Sinopia, Egg tempera, Gilding and Egg/Oil methods in front of works housed in the Basilica museum. Bill’s discussion on Assisi will set the background for the Renaissance. In other excursions in Umbria we will see fine examples of the Umbrian School, Renaissance painters such as Perugino and others.
In Orvieto we will see the beautiful Gothic Cathedral and the extraordinary fresco cycle in the Chapel of San Brizio by Signorelli. From 1500 to 1504 he depicted narratives on the Anti-Christ, The End of the World, the Damned and the Chosen in expressive multi-figural compositions on the walls of the chapel. These works inspired Michelangelo’s Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel. (During the optional Rome Add-on segment.)
Bill will discuss Renaissance painting in front of some of the most important works of the Renaissance and Italian Baroque periods.(*See optional Rome Add-on.)
In a true workshop spirit, we will provide you with aesthetic and technical information we hope you can make use of when you return to your own studios back home. We encourage you to keep journals to record ongoing discussions on: Methods, Materials, Manipulations, Techniques and Strategies used in Renaissance Painting. Dates: June 28 – July 6, 2008
Workshop Fee: $2,890 Includes the following:
Tuition Includes: All formal and informal instruction, including: lectures, demonstrations, guided museum and other tours, painting and cultural excursions, and daily individual instruction.
Accomodations, at a beautiful villa in Umbria (with private bath, and air conditioning). Based on double occupancy. A limited number of singles, superior doubles and suites available for an additional fee supplement.
Meals: Traditional Umbrian meals on a half board arrangement each day, that is, continental buffet breakfast and incredible gourmet dinners at the Villa, Lunches with beverages in Pienza and Assisi are included.
Wine Tastings: Two wine tastings; wines paired with dinner at the Villa June 30th , July 2nd and a wine tasting in Montepulciano July 1st.
Museum Admissions: All museum fees that are scheduled during the workshop.
Ground Transportation: All private bus transportation during workshop excursions is included. See daily itinerary. Transfer to the center of Rome at the conclusion of the 2008 Umbrian Tuscan Workshop on July 6th is included.
Please Note:
The 2008 painting workshop for painters and art lovers is strictly limited to a total of 14 participants.
International Air Fare is not included. Early booking is advantageous for fare discounts.
Transfer from airports or other cities to the villa is not included (transfer from Villa to Rome Center July 6th is included)
Beverages are not included except the wine tastings mentioned in the itinerary.
A $300 deposit reserves one of the 14 available places on the tour. (Non-refundable)
Payment Schedule:
$300 deposit to reserve one place in the workshop. (Non-refundable) $1,295 due on February 1, 2008 $1,295 due on March 1, 2008
Phone:(214) 509-9230 for questions
Keep in mind, the 2008 workshop is designed to allow participants flexibility in joining daily excursions or not. Because we are in residence at the villa the entire time, a spectacular location with its own unique drawing/painting sites, painters may wish to spend some of their afternoons working in the villa gardens or on the grounds rather than joining the daily scheduled excursion.
Our Artists and Art/Culture Lovers may also wish to spend more time at the villa taking an optional cooking class, going to the spa, playing tennis, hiking, playing golf or simply relaxing by the pool on certain days rather than joining the daily excursion. Options abound!
June 28th Arrival - (Lesson #1) Today, the 2008 workshop begins at the Villa. After check in, (anytime after 1pm), a welcome beverage and a brief orientation, we will tour you around the villa and its’ beautiful grounds and surrounding landscape, looking at possible drawing/painting sites. The open-air landscape instructional segment begins today with session #1: Preparatory work. Bill will talk about setting up and composition studies when painting on location. After a break, to enjoy one of the pools, tennis, or to begin your composition sketches, we will meet at dinner. Dinner here is a spectacular Umbrian culinary experience, with authentic natural flavors obtained from recipes handed down through the ages.
June 29th - Open-air Landscape Begins (Lesson # 2) Drawing, Watercolor Excursion Continental breakfast is served every morning at the Villa. Session #2: open-air painting strategies by Bill Patterson in pencil, ink wash, watercolor and oil and various approaches to the painted sketch. What does he mean by “thinking with paint”? (lunch on your own).Later, you may wish to go off to a painting site you have selected on the villa grounds, or join Bill and Carolyn on an excursion to painting sites near the terrace of Castello di Montali, a few miles from the villa, with wonderful panoramic views of Lake Trasimeno and the Umbrian Countryside. We will be picked up later or we can walk back down to the villa making studies as we go. We return to allow time for you to enjoy the villa and surroundings followed by another spectacular dinner. Later, we can sip a beverage and continue our discussion about open-air painting while we enjoy the ambience of the Italian style garden terrace. Bill will talk informally about Corot and the Early Open-Air Painters of Rome and Italy, 1780-1840.
June 30th - (Lesson#3) Drawing Painting Excursion to the Hill Town of Panicale
This morning Bill presents landscape segment #3: Pictorial Composition and Picture Space as it relates to open-air landscape. Why is it essential for representational painters to think abstractly? Immediately after the lesson we will ride to Panicale one of the most quaint and authentic medieval hill towns in Umbria to work in the open-air in a place that offers wonderful vistas and interesting views in the town itself. While in Panicale, our tour guide will take us to see a spectacular fresco by Perugino and a remarkable miniature theater built during the eighteenth century. (Lunch is on our own). There are a variety of places to have either a snack or a full pranzo lunch. We return to villa in time to enjoy the pools and/ or the surroundings. We will have had a full day of instruction, painting in the open-air, absorbing the ambience of a unique medieval hill town, and seeing an exceptional example of Renaissance painting. We will meet again at dinner. After another gourmet meal we typically retire to the garden terrace for continued discussion.
July 1st - (Lesson # 4), Excursion to Pienza, Montepulciano, a Unique Wine Cellar After breakfast we begin with lesson #4: Linear perspective and light and shade as it relates to landscape space. After the presentation, our private min-bus will transfer us to Pienza, a Renaissance jewel in Tuscany. It was a village made into a small city by a Pope. Renaissance architect, Bernardo Rossellino designed it. Piazza Pio II and the façade of the Cathedral are wonderful. Some of the leading Sienese artists contributed altarpieces that have not been moved. Everything in Pienza is as it was. The main Corso is a splendid area for shopping featuring their famous cheeses. There are some wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside from the town. We will have lunch here then bus to Montepulciano to visit a unique wine cellar and taste a few choice Tuscan wines. In Montepulciano we will want to walk up to the terrace at the top to make landscape studies and digital photographs. On the way back to the villa, if time permits, we will stop by the Oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi in Citta della Pieve to see a remarkable fresco by Perugino, The Adoration of the Magi. We will return to the villa in time for another delightful dinner. After dinner Rosi and Filippo in their chapel of Santa Lucia will host the traditional weekly concert. We hope this will have been a wonderful day for you.
July 2nd - Assisi, Art/Culture and a Special Location for Artists
Today is our Assisi day. Bill’s previous discussions on Assisi; history, culture, art, and Assisi’s relevance to painting during the Italian Renaissance and its inspiration for many of his landscape paintings will have given you some background for today. We will begin with a tour of the Basilica of Saint Francis, with one of the Franciscan brothers. He will guide us through both the lower and upper basilica, discussing the history and iconography of much of the art in the basilica. The basilica has been described as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. We will spend some time looking at and discussing Giotto’s 28 frescoes about the life of St. Francis. For those painters who want to go directly to painting sites, we will guide you to several upon arrival in Assisi. Next, we will embark on a walking tour of this gorgeous medieval city. We will discuss the history and culture along the way. Most people cannot resist visiting the wonderful shops, as we explore the narrow streets and stairways of this picturesque town. We will have lunch with our friend Frederico who has the best trattoria in Assisi. Their simple Umbrian dishes and pizzas are all home made. After lunch, art/culture lovers are free to wander the streets of Assisi, explore the sites of St. Francis, or simply sit at the main piazza near the 13th century fountain and enjoy a cappuccino, glass of local Assisi wine, or a delicious ice cream dessert. The best light of the day is late afternoon. Painters can work throughout the day until our bus comes to bring us back to the villa in time for another four course culinary experience. Let’s have a glass of Umbrian Grappa on the terrace after dinner and discuss this wonderful day.
July 3rd - (Lesson #5) A Drawing/Painting Excursion to an Island in Lake Trasimeno This morning Bill will present landscape lesson #5: Aerial perspective, the other perspective, relative scale and color temperature. Right after the presentation, we will ride to Passignano the nearest port to Isola Maggiore Trasimeno’s second biggest island, with its 15th century fishing village and woman famous for their lace making. A walking path circles the island and might be appropriate for landscape studies. Lunch, on our own, could be brought as a picnic or taken at Da Sauro, a restaurant on the island. We will ferry back to Passignano and be picked up for return to the villa. Lets meet before dinner in the garden terrace before dinner to discuss art, culture, landscape and more. Another spectacular dinner is offered tonight.
July 4th - (Lesson #6), Excursion to Orvieto Bill will present landscape session #6, which deals with Relative scale and late afternoon light. Our mini-bus will transport us to Orvieto. The Etruscans settled Orvieto. It was one of the 12 cities of the Etruscan Confederation. In 280 BC it became Roman. During the Middle Ages Orvieto was a strategic stronghold of the Papal States. It was an important place frequented by many Popes, which is why the great Gothic Cathedral was built in Orvieto Duomo of Orvieto to commemorate a miracle that took place in neighboring Bolsena. The city sits high up above as if on a pedestal, high up the wall like cliffs more than 1000 ft high. The main Piazza in the city is dominated by the magnificent façade of the Cathedral, (Duomo) begun in 1290. The sculpture and mosaics of the façade are striking. We always enjoy sipping a cold glass of the famous Orvieto wine in the piazza as we gaze upon the wonderful façade of the Cathedral. Inside, the Cappella di San Brizio is completely painted with frescos by both Fra Angelico, who completed two sections in 1447 before he was called to Rome, and Luca Signorelli. Signorelli completed the vaults according to Fra Angelico’s design before he began his own unique series of paintings on the walls. Signorelli’s six wall paintings are monumental and expressive figural compositions illustrating The Last Judgment, The Preaching of the Anti-Christ and The Resurrection of the Dead. Signorelli depicts himself, Fra Angelico, Dante, Petrarch and even Christopher Columbus in the fresco cycle. Signorelli’s son died of the plaque while he was working on the paintings and he portrays him as the dead Christ. His girl friend who “dumped “ him is seen in the clutches of a blue devil. Orvieto is a wonderful place to see and shop for hand painted Umbrian pottery. Much of the ceramic work found here is very ornate and elegant. We will return to the Villa, hopefully by 4 or 5 so you can enjoy the ambience of the Villa its surroundings, its pools and more.
July 5th - (Lesson # 7) Excursion to Sanctuario di Mongiovano Near the Villa Landscape lesson #7 explores Transient Light and Claro Obscuro. We will ride to the Sanctuario di Mongiovano near the villa. When we return to the villa, take advantage of your last drawing painting day (at least until next year). Keep drawing/painting. Bill will meet with you one on one, this afternoon, to review your work and make suggestions for continuing work back home. Later, happy hour, and our finale dinner, another where Filippo pairs spectacular Umbrian wines with the four-course dinner. After dinner, we can enjoy an after dinner liquor or cappuccino in the garden terrace to celebrate a wonderful Umbrian experience.
July 6th - Bus Transfer to the Center of Rome, Begin Optional Rome Add-on Our bus will arrive at the Villa at 9 am to transfer us to Rome. Those not on the optional Rome add on will be taken to the center of Rome where there are cabs and/or the Train station. Those joining our spectacular Rome adventure will be taken to our hotel on the Piazza della Rotunda next to the Pantheon.
Professor and contemporary realist painter, William Patterson, a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and Professor Emeritus at The University of Massachusetts has an extensive knowledge of drawing and painting with years of teaching the about the art and culture in Italy. Professor Patterson will teach Open-Air Landscape Drawing and Painting on location in the gardens and grounds of a spectacular patrician villa and on painting/cultural excursions to some of the most beautiful places in Umbria and Tuscany. He will also lead participants on wonderful excursions to Assisi and Orvieto to discuss Renaissance Painting and to seek out the hidden art and cultural treasures of Umbria and Tuscany in the hill towns of Panicale, Pienza, Montepulciano and more.
(Professor Patterson will also offer an Optional Rome Add-on which will include walking tours of Old Rome, the Vatican, Ancient Rome and More.)
Carolyn Patterson holds a BFA degree in painting from the University of Hartford. She is an accomplished painter in oils and egg tempera and her work has been exhibited extensively.
A Wonderful and Elegant Patrician Villa Our location at a beautiful and elegant villa in Umbria is ideal for our 2008 program. The owners of the villa write:
“ Here, amongst the greenery of olive trees, vineyards and the woods, the patrician villa has been standing since 1780. It is situated in a quiet and scenic location. The villa has been restored including the several outer stone buildings that now house the rooms and suites where we will stay. The Villa has kept its historic characteristics. In the pleasant Italian style garden there is a delightful private chapel and an antique orangerie. The small park area, with its hedges, separates the tranquility of the villa from the clay tennis court and one of the swimming pools. The other large pool is located amongst the outer buildings just below the main villa. The 56-hectare farmland surrounding the villa produces an extremely pure olive oil, a renowned D.O.C. wine as well as many of the genuine products used in the preparation of the meals. The traditional Umbrian cuisine served here is a delight for any gourmet, with authentic and natural flavors obtained from recipes handed down from the ages.”
Paint and draw in the serene gardens. Enjoy vistas overlooking Lake Trasimeno. Paint en-plein air. Study landscape painting with directed, focused and informative lessons. Learn from the presentations and demonstrations about many facets of drawing, composition and painting in oil or watercolor. Explore the painted sketch, whether minutely conceived or broadly brushed. Fill your journal with notes on landscape painting on our painting trips. Study Renaissance-painting methods, as Bill analyzes paintings on site in the museums and churches of Umbria and Tuscany.
We are in residence at our spectacular villa throughout. One can un- pack once and enjoy, all the amenities, educational - recreational activities and excursions mentioned above without dragging suitcases from here to there. When returning from our daily excursions participants can look forward to enjoying the villa, the pools, the tennis or Bocce court, the surroundings, the elegant and comfortable air conditioned rooms, the garden cafe and of course the incredible gourmet dinner.
Once a week a concert is offered after dinner in the chapel of Santa Lucia in the gardens of the villa. Enjoy walking tours near the villa. Taste the great wines of Umbria and Tuscany during relaxed wine tastings. Savor the unbelievable gourmet dinners at the villa, held in the elegant dinning rooms. Renew yourself at the spa. Take some time to relax playing tennis or at one of the two large swimming pools, or under the shade trees in the Italian style garden.
Genuine Umbrian Cuisine, Great Italian Wines, History and Culture, A Great Time in the Hill Towns of Umbria and Tuscany Throughout the workshop, participants will enjoy a buffet continental breakfast and incredible gourmet dinners each day at the villa. In addition, we will lunch at our friends, Trattoria in Assisi and Pienza. The cuisine throughout the workshop will be truly Umbrian. Everyone enjoys Filippo’s wine tasting where he pairs wonderful Umbrian wines with a four course dinner, and our visit with tasting to a Medieval family run wine cellar in Montepulciano. The wine cellar at the villa contains over 150 Umbrian wines. Participants will enjoy the medieval ambience of the hill towns and cities we visit. Our walking tours during excursions, and especially in Assisi and Orvieto, will include history and culture along with our focus on landscape painting.
A Great Educational Vacation for the Art and Culture Lover The 2008 open-air workshop in Italy can be fully enjoyed by both painters and art/culture lovers who come to learn more about the history, art, culture, cuisine and wines of Italy. Many features have been put into the workshop with our art lovers in mind. We welcome and encourage art/culture lovers to join the 2008 workshop in Italy.
Our excursions are meant for both painters who will have an opportunity to draw on location in the hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany and for our art lovers who will enjoy the art-cultural tours.
Many non-painters have enjoyed experiencing the wines and cuisine of Italy within the context of its’ art and culture ...
Rosi and Filippo, the proud owners of the villa, offer optional programs scenic walks and bicycle tours can be arranged. In addition, an optional cooking class can be attended at the villa. Also, there are two excellent golf courses nearby.
For The Artist: Open-Air Landscape Painting and Drawing Professor and painter William Patterson offers an intensive and unique course in landscape drawing and painting with focused and informative daily sessions, demonstrations, studio talks and one to one instruction. He will demonstrate a variety of techniques and approaches in pencil, ink wash, oil and watercolor.
This year's intensive workshop will include a routine of morning instruction through lectures and demonstrations followed by an excursion to a wonderful place in Umbria and/or Tuscany where participants can draw, paint, make studies and/or digital photographs for use later. Synonymous with the painted study, is the notion of investigation. This is the core of the open-air workshop. Drawing and painting in Umbria at the villa, and in front of select vistas, in a relaxed and searching manner, coupled with the study of Renaissance painting methods during excursions, workshop participants become immersed in visual explorations.
Renaissance Painting Methods Workshop participants have the unique opportunity to study and discuss Renaissance painting concepts and methods on site in Assisi, Panicale, Citta della Pieve, Orvieto and Rome where many of these important works were created, and where many are still located, with a painter who can thoroughly discuss Renaissance painting from a painter’s perspective.
The painting methods and materials used throughout the Renaissance will be analyzed on our trip to Assisi with the 13th and early 14th century frescoes of Cavellini, Cimabue, Giotto, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini. Bill will discuss the Sinopia, Egg tempera, Gilding and Egg/Oil methods in front of works housed in the Basilica museum. Bill’s discussion on Assisi will set the background for the Renaissance. In other excursions in Umbria we will see fine examples of the Umbrian School, Renaissance painters such as Perugino and others.
In Orvieto we will see the beautiful Gothic Cathedral and the extraordinary fresco cycle in the Chapel of San Brizio by Signorelli. From 1500 to 1504 he depicted narratives on the Anti-Christ, The End of the World, the Damned and the Chosen in expressive multi-figural compositions on the walls of the chapel. These works inspired Michelangelo’s Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel. (During the optional Rome Add-on segment.)
Bill will discuss Renaissance painting in front of some of the most important works of the Renaissance and Italian Baroque periods.(*See optional Rome Add-on.)
In a true workshop spirit, we will provide you with aesthetic and technical information we hope you can make use of when you return to your own studios back home. We encourage you to keep journals to record ongoing discussions on: Methods, Materials, Manipulations, Techniques and Strategies used in Renaissance Painting. Dates: June 28 – July 6, 2008
Workshop Fee: $2,890 Includes the following:
Tuition Includes: All formal and informal instruction, including: lectures, demonstrations, guided museum and other tours, painting and cultural excursions, and daily individual instruction.
Accomodations, at a beautiful villa in Umbria (with private bath, and air conditioning). Based on double occupancy. A limited number of singles, superior doubles and suites available for an additional fee supplement.
Meals: Traditional Umbrian meals on a half board arrangement each day, that is, continental buffet breakfast and incredible gourmet dinners at the Villa, Lunches with beverages in Pienza and Assisi are included.
Wine Tastings: Two wine tastings; wines paired with dinner at the Villa June 30th , July 2nd and a wine tasting in Montepulciano July 1st.
Museum Admissions: All museum fees that are scheduled during the workshop.
Ground Transportation: All private bus transportation during workshop excursions is included. See daily itinerary. Transfer to the center of Rome at the conclusion of the 2008 Umbrian Tuscan Workshop on July 6th is included.
Please Note:
The 2008 painting workshop for painters and art lovers is strictly limited to a total of 14 participants.
International Air Fare is not included. Early booking is advantageous for fare discounts.
Transfer from airports or other cities to the villa is not included (transfer from Villa to Rome Center July 6th is included)
Beverages are not included except the wine tastings mentioned in the itinerary.
A $300 deposit reserves one of the 14 available places on the tour. (Non-refundable)
Payment Schedule:
$300 deposit to reserve one place in the workshop. (Non-refundable) $1,295 due on February 1, 2008 $1,295 due on March 1, 2008
Phone:(214) 509-9230 for questions
Keep in mind, the 2008 workshop is designed to allow participants flexibility in joining daily excursions or not. Because we are in residence at the villa the entire time, a spectacular location with its own unique drawing/painting sites, painters may wish to spend some of their afternoons working in the villa gardens or on the grounds rather than joining the daily scheduled excursion.
Our Artists and Art/Culture Lovers may also wish to spend more time at the villa taking an optional cooking class, going to the spa, playing tennis, hiking, playing golf or simply relaxing by the pool on certain days rather than joining the daily excursion. Options abound!
June 28th Arrival - (Lesson #1) Today, the 2008 workshop begins at the Villa. After check in, (anytime after 1pm), a welcome beverage and a brief orientation, we will tour you around the villa and its’ beautiful grounds and surrounding landscape, looking at possible drawing/painting sites. The open-air landscape instructional segment begins today with session #1: Preparatory work. Bill will talk about setting up and composition studies when painting on location. After a break, to enjoy one of the pools, tennis, or to begin your composition sketches, we will meet at dinner. Dinner here is a spectacular Umbrian culinary experience, with authentic natural flavors obtained from recipes handed down through the ages.
June 29th - Open-air Landscape Begins (Lesson # 2) Drawing, Watercolor Excursion Continental breakfast is served every morning at the Villa. Session #2: open-air painting strategies by Bill Patterson in pencil, ink wash, watercolor and oil and various approaches to the painted sketch. What does he mean by “thinking with paint”? (lunch on your own).Later, you may wish to go off to a painting site you have selected on the villa grounds, or join Bill and Carolyn on an excursion to painting sites near the terrace of Castello di Montali, a few miles from the villa, with wonderful panoramic views of Lake Trasimeno and the Umbrian Countryside. We will be picked up later or we can walk back down to the villa making studies as we go. We return to allow time for you to enjoy the villa and surroundings followed by another spectacular dinner. Later, we can sip a beverage and continue our discussion about open-air painting while we enjoy the ambience of the Italian style garden terrace. Bill will talk informally about Corot and the Early Open-Air Painters of Rome and Italy, 1780-1840.
June 30th - (Lesson#3) Drawing Painting Excursion to the Hill Town of Panicale
This morning Bill presents landscape segment #3: Pictorial Composition and Picture Space as it relates to open-air landscape. Why is it essential for representational painters to think abstractly? Immediately after the lesson we will ride to Panicale one of the most quaint and authentic medieval hill towns in Umbria to work in the open-air in a place that offers wonderful vistas and interesting views in the town itself. While in Panicale, our tour guide will take us to see a spectacular fresco by Perugino and a remarkable miniature theater built during the eighteenth century. (Lunch is on our own). There are a variety of places to have either a snack or a full pranzo lunch. We return to villa in time to enjoy the pools and/ or the surroundings. We will have had a full day of instruction, painting in the open-air, absorbing the ambience of a unique medieval hill town, and seeing an exceptional example of Renaissance painting. We will meet again at dinner. After another gourmet meal we typically retire to the garden terrace for continued discussion.
July 1st - (Lesson # 4), Excursion to Pienza, Montepulciano, a Unique Wine Cellar After breakfast we begin with lesson #4: Linear perspective and light and shade as it relates to landscape space. After the presentation, our private min-bus will transfer us to Pienza, a Renaissance jewel in Tuscany. It was a village made into a small city by a Pope. Renaissance architect, Bernardo Rossellino designed it. Piazza Pio II and the façade of the Cathedral are wonderful. Some of the leading Sienese artists contributed altarpieces that have not been moved. Everything in Pienza is as it was. The main Corso is a splendid area for shopping featuring their famous cheeses. There are some wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside from the town. We will have lunch here then bus to Montepulciano to visit a unique wine cellar and taste a few choice Tuscan wines. In Montepulciano we will want to walk up to the terrace at the top to make landscape studies and digital photographs. On the way back to the villa, if time permits, we will stop by the Oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi in Citta della Pieve to see a remarkable fresco by Perugino, The Adoration of the Magi. We will return to the villa in time for another delightful dinner. After dinner Rosi and Filippo in their chapel of Santa Lucia will host the traditional weekly concert. We hope this will have been a wonderful day for you.
July 2nd - Assisi, Art/Culture and a Special Location for Artists
Today is our Assisi day. Bill’s previous discussions on Assisi; history, culture, art, and Assisi’s relevance to painting during the Italian Renaissance and its inspiration for many of his landscape paintings will have given you some background for today. We will begin with a tour of the Basilica of Saint Francis, with one of the Franciscan brothers. He will guide us through both the lower and upper basilica, discussing the history and iconography of much of the art in the basilica. The basilica has been described as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. We will spend some time looking at and discussing Giotto’s 28 frescoes about the life of St. Francis. For those painters who want to go directly to painting sites, we will guide you to several upon arrival in Assisi. Next, we will embark on a walking tour of this gorgeous medieval city. We will discuss the history and culture along the way. Most people cannot resist visiting the wonderful shops, as we explore the narrow streets and stairways of this picturesque town. We will have lunch with our friend Frederico who has the best trattoria in Assisi. Their simple Umbrian dishes and pizzas are all home made. After lunch, art/culture lovers are free to wander the streets of Assisi, explore the sites of St. Francis, or simply sit at the main piazza near the 13th century fountain and enjoy a cappuccino, glass of local Assisi wine, or a delicious ice cream dessert. The best light of the day is late afternoon. Painters can work throughout the day until our bus comes to bring us back to the villa in time for another four course culinary experience. Let’s have a glass of Umbrian Grappa on the terrace after dinner and discuss this wonderful day.
July 3rd - (Lesson #5) A Drawing/Painting Excursion to an Island in Lake Trasimeno This morning Bill will present landscape lesson #5: Aerial perspective, the other perspective, relative scale and color temperature. Right after the presentation, we will ride to Passignano the nearest port to Isola Maggiore Trasimeno’s second biggest island, with its 15th century fishing village and woman famous for their lace making. A walking path circles the island and might be appropriate for landscape studies. Lunch, on our own, could be brought as a picnic or taken at Da Sauro, a restaurant on the island. We will ferry back to Passignano and be picked up for return to the villa. Lets meet before dinner in the garden terrace before dinner to discuss art, culture, landscape and more. Another spectacular dinner is offered tonight.
July 4th - (Lesson #6), Excursion to Orvieto Bill will present landscape session #6, which deals with Relative scale and late afternoon light. Our mini-bus will transport us to Orvieto. The Etruscans settled Orvieto. It was one of the 12 cities of the Etruscan Confederation. In 280 BC it became Roman. During the Middle Ages Orvieto was a strategic stronghold of the Papal States. It was an important place frequented by many Popes, which is why the great Gothic Cathedral was built in Orvieto Duomo of Orvieto to commemorate a miracle that took place in neighboring Bolsena. The city sits high up above as if on a pedestal, high up the wall like cliffs more than 1000 ft high. The main Piazza in the city is dominated by the magnificent façade of the Cathedral, (Duomo) begun in 1290. The sculpture and mosaics of the façade are striking. We always enjoy sipping a cold glass of the famous Orvieto wine in the piazza as we gaze upon the wonderful façade of the Cathedral. Inside, the Cappella di San Brizio is completely painted with frescos by both Fra Angelico, who completed two sections in 1447 before he was called to Rome, and Luca Signorelli. Signorelli completed the vaults according to Fra Angelico’s design before he began his own unique series of paintings on the walls. Signorelli’s six wall paintings are monumental and expressive figural compositions illustrating The Last Judgment, The Preaching of the Anti-Christ and The Resurrection of the Dead. Signorelli depicts himself, Fra Angelico, Dante, Petrarch and even Christopher Columbus in the fresco cycle. Signorelli’s son died of the plaque while he was working on the paintings and he portrays him as the dead Christ. His girl friend who “dumped “ him is seen in the clutches of a blue devil. Orvieto is a wonderful place to see and shop for hand painted Umbrian pottery. Much of the ceramic work found here is very ornate and elegant. We will return to the Villa, hopefully by 4 or 5 so you can enjoy the ambience of the Villa its surroundings, its pools and more.
July 5th - (Lesson # 7) Excursion to Sanctuario di Mongiovano Near the Villa Landscape lesson #7 explores Transient Light and Claro Obscuro. We will ride to the Sanctuario di Mongiovano near the villa. When we return to the villa, take advantage of your last drawing painting day (at least until next year). Keep drawing/painting. Bill will meet with you one on one, this afternoon, to review your work and make suggestions for continuing work back home. Later, happy hour, and our finale dinner, another where Filippo pairs spectacular Umbrian wines with the four-course dinner. After dinner, we can enjoy an after dinner liquor or cappuccino in the garden terrace to celebrate a wonderful Umbrian experience.
July 6th - Bus Transfer to the Center of Rome, Begin Optional Rome Add-on Our bus will arrive at the Villa at 9 am to transfer us to Rome. Those not on the optional Rome add on will be taken to the center of Rome where there are cabs and/or the Train station. Those joining our spectacular Rome adventure will be taken to our hotel on the Piazza della Rotunda next to the Pantheon.
Via Montali, 7 - 06068 Tavernelle di Panicale (Perugia) - Umbria, Italy - Tel. (0039) 075832376 - (0039) 0758355818 - Fax (0039) 0758355462 - P.IVA 02409410541