Online Virtual Art Classes… in their fourth year!

Undoubtedly, these historical times in which we are currently living (world pandemic & geopolitical tension) made us aware that there are many ways to accomplish our mission. This is why, since June 2020 we have been offering live online art classes via zoom.

What we were not expecting in connection with this course, is that an intimate international community now seems to be developing, with 75% of our participants being returnees. We strongly urge you to register very soon.

Art Workshops and Painting Retreats

Since 1997 we have been offering top quality art courses and painting retreats in Italy, France, Canada, and South America. Our art workshop in Italy is offered every June and October near Cortona, just in the middle of the beautiful regions of the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia. Our painting retreat in France is offered every early July in the Alpes de Haute Provence near Manosque (north of Aix-en-Provence). As for our art workshop in South America, it takes place every March on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, mainly in Cartagena, UNESCO’s world heritage site.

Who attends our art holidays? Artists of all levels including the beginners who wish to explore painting and the creative process; the intermediate in search of new visions and challenges; and the professional looking for a new stimulating environment to carry on with their projects. Everyone can use the medium of their choice: oils, acrylics, watercolors, or pastels. Our workshops are also open to writers and photographers seeking an inspirational setting to pursue their ventures and to accompanying partners who wish to enjoy the landscape, the tours, the regional cuisine, and wines. Our participants come from all over the world, but especially from Australia, Canada, and the United States.

What makes our art workshops unique? Our mix of plein air painting instruction, studio exercises, art history, and art theory lectures, personalized instruction, group discussions, gourmet meals within beautiful settings, and a stimulating environment that fosters creativity.

We offer unique art tours and cultural trips in the US, Italy, Turkey and Spain. New York Art Trip our bus art tour from Ottawa to NYC takes place every March. We stay in a hotel in Midtown Manhattan and spend three full days visiting the MoMa, the Met, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Brooklyn and the Chelsea galleries.

Istanbul and the Venice Art Biennale offered in October every two or four years is a great opportunity to visit two of the most beautiful cities in the world, as well as the Venice Art Biennale, the most prestigious exhibition on the international contemporary visual arts scene, presenting more than 150 artists from around 38 countries. We also visit the Istanbul Biennial founded in 1987 and playing an important role in the promotion of contemporary artists not only from Turkey but also from a number of different countries in the international arena.

Our art tours are led by a professional art historian and are a great combination of discovery walks, museums visits, art exhibitions, culture and local life. We stay in centrally located hotels, walk a lot, take the subway, the ferryboat and the vaporetto. We provide quality time and a flexible schedule. The limited size of our groups allows us to visit at a relaxed pace and to move easily in and out of museums and sites.