En Plein Air Painting in Venice

Paint the bridges, squares and canals of Venice – La Serenissima!

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Learn to paint ‘en plein air’ in the most stunning of all cities – Venice! We will use this unique floating city with its bridges, squares and network of canals to find wonderful motifs for our canvases. Discovering the unique color palette here will in itself be an inspiration, on top of the mystique of the city that has inspired painters for centuries.

Ms. McChristian will offer a brief demonstration each day and advice on a one-on-one basis in the field.  Additionally, there will be class discussions and critiques of work so that participants will learn from individual instruction as well as each other.

The aim of this workshop is to instruct and guide students to interpret the landscape in terms of paint, using light and color to create form. Color relationships, design/composition, simplifying, and the benefits of painting outdoors will be discussed, as well as how to design and build a painting that carries an emotional impact. We will focus on values, shapes, edges and color as well as paint handling and materials.

Accommodations: The week will be spent in the a brightly renovated ex-convent on the Zattere in the Dorsoduro sector. When you register you can choose either a single or double room with ensuite bathroom in the complex where our studio is.  Rooms are clean and comfortable, but simply furnished.  If you would prefer to find your own accommodations in a nearby hotel or AirBnB, no problem.  Just click that option on the registration page.
We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine at local restaurants or prepared by our personal chef. It will be an ideal place to improve your painting skills.

General Activities: Our first activity will be an orientation at 6pm on the first day followed by dinner with the group.  After that, most activities for the week, like museum visits and an intimate walking tour of the back canals of this ancient city, will be organized around the workshop. It’s easy to be independent in this entirely walkable city, but all participants will come together for meals and excursions. Then, at the end of the week we’ll stage an exhibit of the work to share our personal impressions of enigmatic Venice.

Dinners: During the week we will have 5 dinners together. To experience a good cross-section of typical Venetian cuisine we will sample diverse neighborhood trattorie and Michael and Linda will host our group for two home-cooked meals with ingredients we find at the outdoor market. Two nights of the week you will be on your own to follow your nose to restaurants or concerts or the opera or whatever else might pique your curiosity. There is plenty of time for independent exploration.

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Price: $3,395 p/p
Non-painter partners/friends are always welcome for a reduced fee of $3,095

Options:

• Single room supplement, add $475 (limited number available)
• Find your own accommodations, reduce fee by $800.  (Click the “Accommodations” tab above for some of our nearby suggestions.)

Includes:

• 7 nights at refurbished convent – double or single (with supplement) room with ensuite bathroom and shower (Note: departure is after breakfast on the final Saturday.  The last class activity will be Friday evening.)
• Daily buffet breakfast and 5 dinners at local restaurants, including wine
• Workshop tuition, daily classes and critiques with Jennifer
• Guided art history tour of Venice with local art historian
• Selected excursions and gallery visits with class

  

Price does not include:

• Airfare
• Lunch
• Independent meals and sight-seeing
• Workshop materials
• Local transportation: vaporettos, water taxis

To Register:  just click on the Sign Up Now button.  A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop.  Payment can be made on line with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email prior to the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by August 15th. Any time prior to your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Cancellation policy:  

$500 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:

• 60 days prior to workshop, full refund due less non-refundable deposit.
• 30-60 days prior to workshop, 50% refund of balance paid allowed, less non-refundable deposit.

Less than 30 days prior to workshop, no refund due.
Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.

Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.