Check in and Welcome DinnerOn the first day of the retreat, a private minibus will be arranged from Rome Fiumicino Airport. Transfer timing will be coordinated based on the majority of participant arrival times. We will be in touch ahead of the retreat to help you plan your flight accordingly.If your schedule does not align with the group transfer, we are happy to assist you in arranging alternative transportation to the villa at your own cost.You are also welcome to meet us directly at the villa on Saturday, October 24th.Check in begins at 5:00 pm.6:00 pm : Welcome and brief introduction to cyanotype including mixing chemistry and coating paper. 8:00 pm : Dinner at the villaDinner included

Breakfast at 9:00 am.We will spend half the day learning and creating with Julia. Using beautiful flora provided by Puscina Flowers, we’ll learn the basics of flower pressing and gather inspiration from the colors, shapes, and textures of the Tuscan landscape. We’ll then work with cyanotypes, using the flowers to create our own botanical prints.Light lunch at the villa.In the afternoon, we’ll head to Pienza for time to explore the village at your own pace.Dinner at a restaurant in Pienza.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We’ll start the day early with breakfast before heading to Siena for a special guided tour. In Siena, you’ll have time to wander and soak in the city’s layered history, architecture, and murals. We will gather in a special location for a guided art activity focused on observation and creative response to the surroundings, and enjoy lunch together in that setting. The day will include honing our observation through photographing and sketching in this spectacular place. Afterward, we’ll return to the villa and gather for dinner, closing the day in a relaxed way.  We will hopefully have some time before or after dinner for coating paper/fabric for anyone needing to prep cyanotype materials for the next day.Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch provided in Siena.

Breakfast at 9:30 am. Art lesson to follow.Explore cyanotypes on fabric to create textile works, including wearable pieces on items each participant brings (anything made from cotton, linen, or silk works well). Pretreated cotton material will be provided to build confidence with the technique before attempting a more complex garment.We will head to San Quirico d’Orcia for lunch and time to explore the picturesque streets and its charming historic garden.We’ll return to the villa for a cooking class followed by dinner together.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Breakfast at the villa.At 11:00 am, we’ll visit a special vineyard near Montalcino for a wine tasting.After the vineyard, we’ll head into Montalcino for lunch and some time to explore the town.In the afternoon, we’ll return to the villa and spend time learning and creating with Julia. We’ll explore how cyanotype prints can be transformed beyond their classic blue, experimenting with natural toning using coffee, tea, and wine and observing how each shifts the image in subtle and surprising ways. We’ll also explore printing with negatives, including provided photographic negatives of the beautiful sites we visited in Siena.Dinner at the villa.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After breakfast, we’ll begin with an art lesson introducing advanced techniques, including multiple exposures and multi-color cyanotypes. You’ll refine your skills by comparing different papers and fabrics, and explore collage while working back into your prints with paint, markers, ink, and colored pencils.Later in the day, we’ll take part in a seasonal harvest activity, celebrating the abundance of the Tuscan countryside. We will then head to natural thermal baths to spend a few restorative hours soaking and relaxing.In the evening, we’ll gather for a farewell dinner at the villa.Breakfast, light lunch, and dinner included.

Early breakfast.Mini Bus to Rome AirportCheck out by 11 am.