Welcome to Tuscany! Arrive and settle into the villa anytime after 5:00 pm. Take some time to unpack, explore the property, and get comfortable before we gather for our first evening together.At 7:00 pm, we’ll meet for an introduction to the workshop and our materials. We’ll begin with a Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Wash, creating a base that we’ll return to for future work later in the week. We’ll also create a Color Chart using paints and markers, giving us a chance to explore color and become familiar with our materials.Afterward, we’ll gather for a relaxed welcome dinner at the villa.Dinner included.

After breakfast at the villa, we’ll begin our morning workshop at 10:00 am with Line Drawing the Landscape. Working with pencil, marker, and paint, we’ll use a viewfinder to explore how to frame a scene and create a landscape composition.Around noon, we’ll head to Bagno Vignoni, a tiny Tuscan village famous for its ancient thermal waters and beautiful central pool. You’ll have time to enjoy the thermal baths, explore the village, and have lunch on your own.Later in the afternoon, we’ll head to Pienza, with time to wander its small streets, shops, and viewpoints before gathering for dinner at 7:00 pm.Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch on your own.

After breakfast at the villa, we’ll leave for the hills surrounding Montalcino. At 10:00 am, we’ll visit Nostra Vita, where we’ll learn about the land, the winemaking traditions of the area, and, of course, taste some Brunello.Afterward, we’ll enjoy lunch in Montalcino and have some time to explore the town.We’ll return to the villa in the afternoon and gather at 5:30 pm for our creative practice, Collaging the Tuscan Hills. We’ll explore landscape composition through fields of color using prepared painted papers and collage materials. Sarit will have plenty of materials to work with, but feel free to bring along magazine pages, interesting papers, or ephemera you may have collected along the way. Scissors and glue sticks will be provided.Dinner will follow at the villa.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Puscina Flowers + MontepulcianoAfter breakfast at the villa, we’ll spend the morning at Puscina Flowers, surrounded by the farm’s gardens, flowers, and Tuscan landscape.From 10:00 am to noon, our workshop will focus on Still Life with Flowers. We’ll begin with at least six timed sketches of a floral still life, experimenting with different ways of seeing and composing the subject before developing a larger artwork.From there, we’ll continue to Montepulciano, where the afternoon is yours. Wander the historic streets, visit the shops and wine cellars, stop for lunch, or simply find a café and enjoy the town at your own pace.We’ll return to the villa and gather at 6:00 pm for aperitivo, followed by dinner together.Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch on your own.

We’ll start the day early with breakfast before heading to Siena for a special guided tour exploring the city’s history and character.After the tour, you’ll have free time to wander Siena at your own pace. Explore the small streets, visit the shops, have lunch, or spend some time in the beautiful Piazza del Campo.At 5:00 pm, we’ll gather for our creative practice, Sketching Siena. With a spectacular view of the city before us, we’ll work with pencil and viewfinders to explore different compositions, then use markers or watercolor to develop our sketches.After our class, we’ll settle in for aperitivo followed by a sunset dinner, enjoying the landscape as the day comes to an end.Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch on your own.I suggest keeping lunch light, as we’ll have aperitivo and dinner together later in the day.

After breakfast at the villa, we’ll head to San Quirico d’Orcia, one of Val d’Orcia’s loveliest villages.Our morning workshop, Perspective in the Italian Garden, will take place in the garden, where we’ll draw directly from our surroundings while learning about perspective and proportion.Afterward, we’ll have time to enjoy San Quirico and share a light lunch.In the afternoon, we’ll return home for a hands-on cooking class. Together we’ll prepare our evening meal and then sit down to enjoy everything we’ve made.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Our final full day brings together many of the ideas and techniques we’ve explored throughout the week.For Portrait of Pienza, we’ll continue working with composition, perspective, and mark-making using pencil, markers, collage, and paint. This time, we’ll introduce the human element into our composition, with Jessica as our model, placing the figure within the landscape of Pienza.Afterward, there will be time to enjoy Pienza, have lunch, shop, or take one last wander through its streets.In the evening, we’ll come back together at the villa for our farewell dinner, a relaxed night to celebrate the week, the work we’ve created, and our time together in Tuscany.Breakfast, light lunch, and dinner included.