Join Laura Martinez-Bianco and William Noonan in Italy as they guide this week long plein air painting and photography workshop in the beautiful Umbrian hills on the outskirts of Perugia. This duo will get you started painting or guide you to the next level. Laura’s medium is pastels and William’s is oils. Light, color, time and essential impressions of the landscape will be on the docket. Students may work in any medium they choose. Each day will offer two morning sessions which will offer formal painting lessons and individual critiquing.  In the late afternoons students may paint alongside the instructors in the field. Attendees will take a cue from our host culture and relax during the hot afternoon hours; dipping into the refreshing blue pool at our accommodation is a great way to recharge for the afternoon painting session.  Students are expected to bring their own materials for the workshop but for a nominal fee they may sample pastels or oils supplied by the instructors. Photographers should bring a laptop or tablet with editing software so that they may learn from their day’s work and build on that experience.

Five days of intensive painting sessions will be peppered with excursions to some of the famous nearby towns. The variety of sites visited also makes this a great venue for digital photographers or for painters gathering photographic reference material. The land of St. Francis is known for its intensely beautiful and spiritual landscapes. We will visit the world famous Perugina Chocolate factory for a dose of sweets’ history. Those interested will also be able to participate in a cooking lesson hosted by Francesca Taticchi of Villa Taticchi which is set in an antique guardhouse that once protected the valley to the north of Perugia. One of our dinners will be taken there at the Villa, others dinners will include an evening in a fabulous 13th century castle, a fantastic restaurant set in an old convent, a little family-style eatery down the street from our hotel and an evening in the city of Perugia.

This Plein Air Painting Adventure is limited to 8 students; this ensures an intimate experience and our ability to travel around the countryside without the cumbersome nature of a large group. Previous years have included Tuscany, the Val d’Orcia and the Maremma. We are particularly excited about this Umbrian tour because of the proximity of so many resources to meet our needs. Our workshop is for the adventurous individual who loves to make art and wants to do it immersed in the landscape and culture of Italy.