- Duration
- 7 nights
- Intensity
- Gentle
- Base
- Monferrato, Piedmont
Seven days of oils, watercolours and pastels under the guidance of a working landscape painter. Easels set up in the vines, at the pool, in the village piazza.
A working artist's week - mornings painting outdoors, afternoons in the studio barn working up plein-air studies into finished pieces, evening critiques over aperitivo.
Suitable for all levels from returning-to-painting adults through to exhibiting artists. All materials supplied; bring only your favourite brushes.
What you'll practise.
Plein-air oils
Fast alla prima studies in the vines: reading light, mixing greens, working wet-on-wet before the sun moves.
Watercolour landscape
The Piedmont light in graded washes - a technical morning on wet-on-wet skies and dry-brush foreground.
Pastel & mixed media
Underpainting in ink, layered with soft pastel for a Piemontese hilltown study.
Studio compositions
Afternoons in the barn resolving morning studies into finished pieces on gessoed panel.
"Plein-air painting workshop in the vineyards"
A week,
day by day.
A generic schedule - exact activities rotate with conditions and group ability. Rest windows and swaps are built in.
- Day 1Arrival & drawing warm-upMorning
Transfers, check-in.
AfternoonStudio warm-up: sketchbook exercises, tonal studies.
EveningWelcome dinner, tutor introduction, week overview.
- Day 2Plein-air oils - the vineyardMorning
First plein-air oil study in the villa's own vines.
AfternoonSecond study, opposite light.
EveningGroup review of the day's work over aperitivo.
- Day 3Watercolour - village dayMorning
Transfer to a nearby borgo. Watercolour architectural study.
AfternoonWorking piazza scene with figures.
EveningStudio drying and framing session.
- Day 4Pastel & mixed mediaMorning
Ink underpainting workshop in the barn.
AfternoonSoft pastel over ink - a Piemontese hilltown composition.
EveningFree evening; optional life-drawing session.
- Day 5Long plein-air dayMorning
Sunrise start in the Langhe hills - full plein-air oil.
AfternoonSecond painting from the same vantage in different light.
EveningProducer's dinner in a nearby cellar.
- Day 6Studio finishing dayMorning
Resolving plein-air studies into finished panels.
AfternoonOne-to-one tutorials with the tutor.
EveningHanging the exhibition in the barn.
- Day 7Exhibition & departureMorning
Group exhibition with a visiting gallerist; farewell brunch.
AfternoonTransfers.
Evening-
Fully hosted,
the retreat only.
A standalone retreat programme. Our team runs the entire painting experience - instructors, guides, equipment, in-country transport, plus lunches on activity days and one welcome dinner at the villa. Accommodation is a separate, optional booking, so locals and day guests are welcome.
Accommodation, breakfasts, remaining dinners and airport transfers are booked separately - see Stay With Us, or ask us to bundle a suite with your retreat.
- Six guided painting days with a professional landscape painter
- All materials: oils, watercolours, pastels, panels, paper, easels
- Studio barn access at all hours
- End-of-week exhibition and critique with a local gallerist
- In-country transport to every session
- Trail or riverside lunches on activity days
- Welcome aperitivo and opening dinner at the villa
- Use of the villa pool, sauna and gardens on programme days
Enquire about
the artist workshop week.
Tell us your dates and group size. We'll come back within two working days with available weeks and a bespoke quote. Accommodation is optional and quoted alongside.