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Plein Air Painting in the Dolomites in Oils and Watercolor-SOLD OUT
Howard Friedland
September 12, 2024 - September 19, 2024
$3995All photos © Lester Lefkowitz
Sorry, but this program is full. Please add your name to the waiting list and we’ll let you know as soon as something becomes available.
Just when you thought Italy couldn’t be more beautiful, welcome to the Dolomites! Nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps in the Veneto region, the Dolomites are a wonderful mix (3 in 1!) of Italy, Switzerland and Austria. These mountains are a prime destination for skiers in the winter, but in the warmer months, they provide the opportunity for Plein Air painting from unending vistas and to make modest hikes among the hills and valleys, engulfed in the exquisite scenery.
Program Description: Susan and Howard will offer 2 concurrent painting sessions throughout the program:
Susan’s sessions:
The Heart and Soul of Your Paintings or “Make ‘em Cry”
Responding Emotionally with Paint
– Watercolor and Oils –
My passion is to put my feelings into my paintings using strong values, color harmonies, clear compositions and by expressing a feeling of light in paint. I want to pass these concepts and techniques on to you, by teaching you to identify your emotional response to any subject and then teach you how to express it with your medium. You will learn to interpret each subject according to how you personally respond internally. Through plein air painting, we will explore a variety of techniques and approaches to starting a painting. Design, composition and color harmonies will be taught in order to strengthen your paintings and take them to the next level. I will be teaching watercolor painting and sketching. Whether you are new to drawing and painting or a seasoned experienced artist, I will also teach you to Sketch Your Way through the Dolomites with exercises designed to strengthen your drawing skills and fill your sketchbooks with memories of Italy. All levels are welcome. I will be painting in watercolors and sketching in pencil. Once you have reserved your spot, a complete list of suggestions for traveling with equipment and supplies will be sent to you.
Howard’s sessions:
“What to do Between Glasses of Wine”
or “Grab your gear and lets capture the Awesome Grandeur of the Dolomites”
– Painting in oils or acrylics –
In this workshop we will explore the spectacular landscape and villages of this region and it won’t be difficult to find captivating subjects to ply our craft. Whether you are an experienced painter or are opening up your first tube of oil paint, I will work with you at whatever level of experience you have. You will learn the “tried and true” techniques that have been used by the best landscape painters in history. Discovering the unique color palette of this mountainous area will be high on our agenda. I’ll teach you how to create a sense of place and time that will move the viewer. We will achieve this goal by focusing on the beauty of line, tone and color.
My personal approach tends to be more on the loose Impressionistic style of painting. No matter if you love to paint “Realism” or prefer to be more of an “Impressionist” or even an “Expressionist” there is a lot of information that will be offered to take you to the next level of proficiency. If you prefer to paint on your own without my input that’s OK too! Practical hints about the best lightweight outdoor painting equipment and materials to travel with will be sent to you before you travel. I’m looking forward to painting magical landscape with you – then let’s have a glass of the local wine to celebrate!
Combine the sights and stimulations of the Dolomites with an opportunity to broaden and hone your painting skills. For a solid week, totally immerse yourself in this adventure, with sights that are a feast to the eye, then translate those experiences into compelling paintings with Susan and Howard.
Below is a tentative schedule for activities*:
- Day #1 Verona: we’ll meet the group at our hotel in the romantic town of Verona. After an orientation, we’ll have our first dinner together. We will overnight in Verona.
- Day #2 Bolzano: we’ll spend the morning exploring the sites of Verona (don’t miss the Roman Arena or Juliet’s balcony!) then after lunch we’ll drive to Bolzano, the largest town in the Dolomites area. Check-in, first class followed by dinner, and an evening walk around town.
- Day #3 Bolzano: morning class with optional cable car and train ride into mountains to sketch or photograph scenery. Independent lunch
- Day #4 Bolzano: morning class with opportunities to explore the market, castle, church, artisanal beer and the special museum dedicated to Ötzi, the recently discovered remains of the stone age ice man! Independent dinner in town.
- Day #5 Cortina: After breakfast leave for Cortina d’Ampezzo. Stops along the way for photos and lunch. Check into hotel in Cortina. Late afternoon class.
- Day #6 Cortina: morning lass, cable car up into Dolomites (Moos, Versciaco), landscape, scenery. Picnic lunch in the mountains.
- Day #7 Cortina: full painting day in town
- Day #8 Departure from Venice: After breakfast leave Cortina for Venice airport. A 2½ hour ride with stops along the way. Your option to depart from the airport or continue your travels in Venice independently.
NOTE: there is an airport in Verona. We recommend flying into Verona and out of Venice.
* Although this trip doesn’t involve strenuous hiking, in this area there will be a fair amount of walking in towns and fields, often along uneven ground; there will be driving and excursions at altitudes of 5,000+ ft. If you have any mobility issues, please contact Il Chiostro or the instructors before registering.
Meals: we will have breakfast in our hotels each morning and 6 dinners together. That leaves 1 night in Bolzano where you can discover restaurants on your own. Since we don’t have our own chef, we’ll be eating in diverse neighborhood trattorie where we can experience a good cross-section of the local cuisine which in the Dolomites has a strong Austrian influence.
Price:
- Shared double room – $3,995* p/p; $3,695 for non-painting partners and friends
Optional single room Supplements: $550
*Spring Awakening Discount – $250 if you register by April 30, 2024
When registering, use code: PRIMAVERA
Includes:
- 1 night at hotel in Verona with ensuite bathroom, breakfast
- 3 nights at a hotel in Bolzano with ensuite bathroom, breakfast
- 3 nights at hotel in charming Cortina with ensuite bathroom, breakfast
- 6 dinners together, wine (or beer!) included
- All local transportation for excursions, including 1 cable car ride
- Workshop tuition, daily classes and individual sessions with Susan and Howard
- Fully escorted with driver/facilitator and instructor
Price does not include:
- Airfare
- Lunch
- Independent meals and sight-seeing
- Museum fees, additional cable car rides
- Workshop materials
- Gratuities – much appreciated by the staff
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 1st. 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.
On the first day of this program, we will meet in the northern Italian city of Verona. From there we'll drive by van up to the city of Bolzano in the South Tyrol province, known as the gateway to the Dolomites. We will stay at a small traditional hotel, Hotel Figl, in the central piazza of the town.
Our next stop will be the picturesque town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, nestled in the valleys, where we'll spend the next 3 nights at another historic, cozy hotel, Hotel de la Poste.
Rooms are single or double, each with its own private, modern bathroom.
Breakfast is served each morning in the dining room on the main floor. We will use one of their conference rooms as our studio.
This area is in northern Italy in the Veneto, which is very well connected by train, plane, and bus transportation. If you plan to arrive early and travel around a bit before you meet the group, you could fly into Milan, Florence, or Venice and take the train to Verona. Otherwise, we recommend flying into Verona, where there is also a small, easy-to-navigate airport. We'll meet the group at a hotel in the center of town, where we will spend the night. The next morning, we'll begin our drive up to Bolzano at the beginning of the Dolomite mountains. Specific details about where to meet will be available closer to the date of the program.
At the end of the program, we'll come back to Verona. From there, you can continue your travels or arrange an afternoon flight from the airport there.
Travel Agents & Insurance: Over the last few years, the way we travel has undergone significant changes. For that reason, we now encourage everyone to use a professional travel agent when arranging their trips. Travel agents save you time and stress by handling all the details and tailoring your itinerary to your needs. One of the most important services they offer today is helping you choose and enroll in the right travel insurance program. With COVID and the continued possibility of schedule changes or postponements, travel insurance has become essential, and selecting the right plan on your own can be overwhelming.
If you encounter any issues during your travels, your agent can provide quick support and solutions, taking the pressure off your shoulders. While booking through online sites like Expedia or Hotels.com may seem more convenient or less expensive, they offer little help if you need to modify your plans. A travel professional, on the other hand, is there to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and worry-free travel experience.
If you choose to Go It Alone, we highly recommend taking out travel insurance for the trip in the event of any unforeseen obstacles to your travel. We recommend Travelex (800) 504-7883 or Travel Guard International (877) 901-7599.
The Dolomites are a mountain range in the Veneto area of northern Italy, not far from Venice. These are technically the foothills of the Alps and approach the borders of Italy, Switzerland, and Austria.
This area has politically gone back and forth among these 3 countries for centuries until the present borders were set after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I.
It is a unique amalgam of all three cultures in language, food, wine, and beer! and traditions.
The Dolomites are a popular destination for skiers in the winter, but in the warmer months, they provide stunning pathways for hiking between the towns. Our hikes will be kind and gentle, since the focus will be on photography.
The main town in the area is Bolzano, with smaller towns and villages like Vipiteno scattered all about.
There are gondola cable car lifts open year-round all over the place, for great trips up into the mountains.
A Little History:
The South Tyrol province in Northern Italy is where German is the mother tongue of most inhabitants, and every town, river, hill, and street has a different name in both languages.
Part of Austria for centuries, South Tyrol and neighboring Trentino became part of Italy as part of the spoils of World War I, making German and Ladin (a Romance language spoken by several thousand people) speakers Italian citizens overnight without their consent.
"In the 1920s, Mussolini deputized the ardent fascist Ettore Tolomei to 'Italianize' South Tyrol,"
Every place was given an Italian name … using German in public places was forbidden, secret 'catacomb' schools were set up because the German-speaking schools had been banned, and some people were even forced to change their names to Italian ones. German speakers wouldn't be hired for most jobs."
World War II was followed by decades of continued discrimination and sporadic acts of nationalist terrorism, which cost 21 lives overall. And though the immediate problems seemingly ended in 1972, when a second comprehensive autonomy agreement gave South Tyrol powers of self-rule far greater than anywhere else in Italy, tensions still linger in the form of fascist-inspired monuments and some of the invented Italian place names.
Artist's Statement: "The challenge for me is always to see the world with fresh eyes and respond spontaneously to the beauty before me. It's possible to lose the impact of my initial vision out of doors due to the continually changing light. For this reason I strive to capture as quickly and accurately as possible the visual sensations that I have of the subject. I study the color relationships and try to note them as best as I can. Back at my studio I use these "on the spot" studies for larger paintings. I also take some photos for additional information, however I'm careful not to copy the photograph (too much information could dilute my first impression). Therefore, I also have to rely on my memory to recall the mood that I wanted to express. Some painters prefer to render a picture tightly to a literal level of finish. However I prefer to paint only enough for the viewer to get a clear vision of what the subject is and suggest the rest. When the painting is viewed close up you can see the many colorful brush strokes, as you step further away the brush strokes disappear and your eye pulls the whole painting together. That is what the magic of painting is about for me. This allows the viewer to use his or her imagination and participate in the painting".
Recent Awards and Honors:
2019
Invited to join several prominent Chinese American and American painters to paint and exhibit in China as a cultural art representative from America
2018
Master Status OPAM Honored by Oil Painters of America
2017
Awards Judge at Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
Panelist on Group Discussion at American Impressionist Society Show
2016
Second Place and Artists Choice Awards, American Impressionist Society National Show, Howard Mandville Gallery, Kirkland WA.
Demonstrator/Lecturer, Plein Air Convention – Tucson, AZ.
Honorable Mention, Oil Painters of America National Show Paint -out
2015
Honorable Mention, Oil Painters of America National Show Paint-out
Finalist - Plein Air Salon - Dec./Jan. On-line Juried Show
Best of Show Award Signature Division, Oil Painters of America Fall On-line Showcase
Demonstrator/Lecturer, Plein Air Convention, Main Stage, Monterey CA.
2014
Finalist, Raymar 6th Annual Fine Art Competition
2013
Finalist, Raymar 7th Annual Fine Art Competition - April
Best of Show Plein Air Sunset and Animal Painting Awards - Oil Painters of America Salon, Crooked Tree Art Center
2012
William J. Schultz Founder’s Award of Excellence, American Impressionist Society
Finalist, Raymar 6th Annual Fine Art Competition - November, September, August, July, June and April
2011
Finalist, Raymar 5th Annual Fine Art Competition
Best of Show Landscape, Icons of the West Show
Judges' Honorable Mention, Salon International - Greenhouse Gallery
2010, 2009
Jurors Top 50 Award, Salon International - Greenhouse Gallery
Best of Show Gold Medal National Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National Show
2007, 2005
Best of Show for Signature Member, Oil Painters of America, Central Regional Show – Southwind Gallery, Topeka, KS.
Additional Honors
Howard has also been awarded the Best Landscape medal at the "Icons of the West" show at the Dana Gallery in Missoula Montana. He and his wife and their studio in Bozeman Montana have been featured in numerous art magazine articles including the June/July 2015 issue of Plein Air Magazine, Art of the West Magazine and American Artist Studio Edition. Howard has painted, taught and exhibited extensively in numerous states in the U.S. as well as Mexico, France, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and China. Friedland's work is featured in many private and corporate collections around the world including museums in China. Howard was invited to join renowned Chinese American artist Zhiwei Tu and several prominent American and Chinese master painters to paint and exhibit large plein air paintings created in China in 2011 and 2014.
In 2019 Howard was invited again to paint in China. This time with a different group of Chinese American and American artists to paint and exhibit in China. The group consisted of 10 plein air painters including Jason Situ, Mian Situ, Calvin Liang, Scott Burdick, Ken Cadwallader, Lin Zheng, Alfred Tse, & Jay Hiangyuan.
He has a teaching DVD, “Painting the Landscape Loosely but Accurately” released this year from Bella Muse Productions. A list of awards and accolades can be provided by email: hfriedland@q.com
Website: www.howardfriedland.com
Born in Chicago, Susan Blackwood comes from at least six generations of artists. Her family history has been dated back to Rembrandt`s parents. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University and extended her watercolor studies with Irving Shapiro at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Susan has studied with nationally known artists: Morgan Weistling, Matt Smith and Carolyn Anderson.
Read Susan's blog Have Brush Will Travel.
Howard Friedland - Born in Bronx, New York. Howard has lived in Miami, Florida, Albuquerque and Taos, New Mexico, Bozeman, Montana and now resides and works in Bella Vista, Arkansas with his wife, artist Susan Blackwood.
He studied fine art and commercial art at New York’s High School of Music and Art and attended college at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science in the department of Art and Architecture in New York's Greenwich Village. From there, he became an Art Director at major advertising agencies on Madison Avenue in New York.
Howard has painted and taught extensively in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Arizona, New Jersey, Kansas, Florida, Mexico, France, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal and China.
More about Susan...
Selected Awards and Honors:
- Best of Show American Women Artists National Juried Exhibition
- Awarded Signature Membership in Oil Painters of America
- Best of Show WomanArt West
- Best of Show Tucson Art, Tucson, Arizona
- Best of Show Vail Art, Colorado
- Best of Show Boulder Art, Boulder, Colorado
- Best of Show, Castle Rock Art,
- Artist of the Year, Fort Collins, Colorado
In 2010 Somerset Fine Art selected Blackwood to be a featured artist and began publishing and marketing nationally and internationally, giclees of her oil paintings of children.
For almost 40 years, Blackwood has taught and painted watercolors and oils in colleges and workshops around the country, overseas in Pakistan, the Bahamas, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. “I love to paint and I love to teach! It is a thrill for me to help artists find their own voice in any medium”.
Blackwood and her husband, artist Howard Friedland, have both been featured in the Master Painters of the World section of the International Artist Magazine and frequently featured in many of the National Art Magazines.
Currently her paintings are in 7 galleries across the U.S., in addition to both museum and corporate collections.
Artist’s Statement: In the midst of a clambering third world market place in 1975, unable to speak the language...I became aware of the importance of the common bonds that universally unite us all. The necessity to communicate these visions, feelings and emotions became paramount. Art became my language.
I have chosen as my subject matter the simple, beautiful touching moments that are common both in nature and in the life of every person. These are the moments that often pass without notice and are the very ones that lend continuity to our lives and contribute to its richness and depth. These moments are the language I use when I paint.
As in any meaningful conversation, the structure of the message must be clear. Thus, my color, brush strokes, textures and composition are carefully chosen, like essential words, to convey to the viewer the message that I wish to impart. My studies of classical art techniques began when I was a child and will always continue as I strive for better clarity and higher achievement.
As words are carefully chosen for a poem, I, too, limit my brush strokes and detail to relay just enough to give the viewer my thoughts and involve their imagination. I purposely leave areas of my paintings in mystery for the viewer to become engaged in the story. I strive for each painting to be a poem rather than a novel. Some of my loose paintings are like haiku poems that are simple impressionistic vignettes. While some of my paintings are like sonnets, more spelled out in detail. Through the medium that I have chosen, I strive continually to develop a rich and colorful dialog in a language that will reach any heart.
Website: www.howardfriedland.com
