Welcome to Southern Italy, a sensually rich land of astonishing natural beauty, cultural history, and profound art. When you get your first glimpse of the distinctively Mediterranean vistas of sea, cliff, and sky, you’ll know that you are amongst the most breathtakingly beautiful places on earth. This region’s cultural achievements are a flowering celebration of the Greek, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque societies. The local crafts are world-renowned and the Amalfi Coast lifestyle—la dolce vita—is a life of relaxed enchantment sure to positively transform the rest of your life.

Your journey begins in Sorrento, a small town rich in scenic beauty, cultural tradition, and delicious southern Italian delicacies. Traveling along the Amalfi Coast, you’ll delight at one of the most amazing coastlines in the world before visiting lush Positano and the captivating Vietri sul Mare. In the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, you’ll visit Pompeii, the Roman city ironically preserved by the same volcanic ash that had served as its cataclysmic destruction. You’ll visit romantic Campi Flegrei, mysterious Cumae, and fabled Lago D’Averno in a rolling countryside of vineyards and olive groves steeped in history and myth, before encountering the complex and culturally rich city of Naples. You’ll complete your adventure on Capri, the most beautiful island in the Mediterranean.

In this paradise on earth, we will paint in the gardens and grounds of La Flora Hotel in Sorrento. Creative exercises and collecting photographic reference will also be a thread unifying our adventures in the nearby towns.

Your workshop, Painting in Southern Italy!, is focused on teaching you how to paint quickly and confidently. You’ll explore your passion for painting and then learn three simple though very different approaches to the painting process. You’ll practice techniques from Renaissance masters, Impressionists, and contemporary plein air painters. And these skills will all be broken down into simple step-by-step processes for both beginning and active painters. By the end of the workshop, you’ll revisit your passion for painting with greater depth of knowledge and skill. You will be able to confidently apply a range of approaches to painting. And you will feel the extraordinary pleasure of having created paintings that others enjoy.

Once a part of this exclusive tour, Painting in Southern Italy!, you’ll enjoy the rare good fortune of learning the techniques of the world’s most celebrated painters while enjoying and painting one of the most beautiful places on earth.

• We meet at La Flora Hotel in Sorrento, located very near the town center and the Circumvesuviana Train Station.
• At 6:30 PM we come together in the hotel lobby, enjoy some welcoming cocktails, and have our tour orientation.
• Painting in Southern Italy workshop introduction: Your Passion to Paint!
  • Explore your passion for painting. Discover the experiences and techniques that—in this tour—link you to Italy’s greatest painters;
  • Preview highlights of southern Italian painting that you won’t want to miss on your tour; and
  • Wet your appetite with an overview of the workshop sequence.
• We will travel to a traditional restaurant for a welcoming meal consisting of delicious local delicacies and local wine.
• Overnight in Sorrento

• Breakfast anytime between 07:30–09:30 a.m.
• Workshop 1: Painting basics and rapid techniques for controlling composition and color (09:30–12:00 p.m.)

• • You’ll learn painting basics: paint, materials, setup, and breakdown;
  • Basic concepts and approaches to painting; and
  • Rapid techniques for controlling composition and color.

This magic morning will lay the foundation for all your future painting experiences!

• Lunch & Free-time 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Workshop 2: Practicing the Techniques of the Renaissance Masters (2:00–4:00 p.m.)
  • Discover the technique to take away all the pressure of painting, so that you can relax into the experience of learning and discovery.
  • Next, learn the painting secret that makes the beloved paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance masters so convincing… the grisaille approach.

With this singular day of classes under your belt, you’ll have learned the basics of painting and the preferred painting methods of the Renaissance masters. You now have a solid foundation for the rest of your painting life! And it gets even better!

• Sightseeing in Sorrento or Marina Grande:

The balance of the day is yours to celebrate! You may enjoy shopping or sightseeing in Sorrento or you might take advantage of the sights and sounds of Marina Grande’s bars, restaurants, and beach life. La dolce vita, “the sweet life” is yours!

• Overnight in Sorrento

• Breakfast (07:30–08:30 a.m.)
• Workshop 3: Practicing a Colorist Approach (08:30–10:00)
  • In the late 19^th century… everything changed. Impressionist and post-impressionist painters approached each painting according to a new way of seeing. You’ll apply their approach to your own painting process.
  • Learning color theory and the secrets of the impressionists, you’ll explore their techniques in your own paintings. Your friends will wonder at how you were able to make the surface of your paintings vibrate with color.
  • Seeing the world through an impressionist’s eyes… you’ll explore your painting process with a bold new focus on color.
• Tour of the Amalfi Coast:

This drive is one of the most beautiful in the world as mountains, towering 3,000 feet above, descend dramatically like spears into the turquoise waters below.

Small villages, including the famous Positano, hang precariously over the edge, as if tumbling down to the sea. The lush vegetation is amazing! Welcome to heaven!

• Arrive in Vietri sul Mare, one of the most famous places in Italy for ceramics and pottery!
• Evening: Optional dinner together where we share our day’s discoveries.
• Overnight in Sorrento

• Breakfast (07:30-09:00 a.m.)
• Workshop 4: Practicing a plein-air approach (0900-11:00 a.m.)
  • Although plein-air painting is most associated with the impressionists, we can see a plein-air approach in Leonardo da Vinci’s Tuscan landscapes. Thus, we learn from da Vinci by using a renaissance viewfinder to develop our compositions.
  • We break down the plein-air process into an easy sequence of mapping out and adjusting elements of composition, value, and color.
• Afterwards, we depart for Pompeii. After some free time for lunch in the shadows of Vesuvius, we will discover this ancient Roman town whose fortunes ended in A.D. 79 only to be resurrected as a major tourist destination in recent times.
• Evening and overnight back in Sorrento. Optional supper together.

• Breakfast (07:30-09:00 a.m.)
• We journey Northwest of Naples to a romantic region known as the Campi Flegrei, or “burning fields”. We will explore the ancient port of Pozzuoli, where the apostle Paul, Julius Caesar, and even Cleopatra once frequented!
• We will also visit mysterious Cumae, the oldest Greek colony in Western Europe (dated 775 B.C.), and Lago D’Averno, the magical entranceway into Hades. This area is where many of the ancient Greek legends were created and where many say, the Roman Empire actually began… it was also the area where “la dolce vita” started and you will see why as we traverse vineyards, lemon groves, mountains, and exotic bays! Afterwards we will venture through Naples discussing the cities’ history and highlights!
• Workshop 5: Pulling it all together (4:00 – 6:00 p.m.)
  • Now that we have learned three very different techniques for developing a painting, we return to the topic with which we started our journey during our first evening together, “your unique passion for painting.” We now leverage the strengths of each approach to your specific passion for painting. A wide variety of techniques are now at the command of your artistic voice.
  • We’ll discuss some tips and tricks unique to each approach, and
  • Conclude with lots of creative time where you have complete freedom to focus on whatever techniques most ignite your passion to paint.
• Overnight in Sorrento

• Breakfast (07:30-09:00 a.m.)
• Workshop 6: Practice & fun (4:00 – 6:00 p.m.)

No formal instruction in this last class. Just time for you to practice each technique, integrate what you’ve learned, and express yourself fluidly in a style most expressive of your unique approach to life.

• Now is your chance to visit the most beautiful isle in the Mediterranean. We embark a boat in the marina of Sorrento for the 45-minute ride to Capri. This island is famous for having been where the Emperor Tiberius ruled the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago; for its villas and current jet-set lifestyle; and for having panoramic views of the sea, sand, and the Italian mainland… lunch included!
• Rest of the day free on Capri
• Evening: We will enjoy a “reveal” of our individual assignments over cocktails at our back to the future party starting at 7.00 pm before partaking in an amazing and delicious meal with local wines!
• Overnight in Capri

• Your entire day is free on Capri
• Evening: We will proudly display our individual paintings and share our discoveries over cocktails at our party starting at 7.00 pm before partaking in an amazing and delicious meal with local wines!
• Overnight in Capri

• Breakfast (07:30-09:00 a.m.)
• After our last breakfast, we are free to depart for the Naples International Airport (Capodichino) or to enjoy the day locally.