Early birds alight on lavender flowers

July 2011 Booking

I wish to thank all those who responded to the my survey about Your Ideal Painting Workshop. The survey provided a number of insights which enable me to better match your needs in the 2011 plein air workshop season.Among the many suggestions I received (I will comment some in the next News & Views Letter) there is the month of July as one of the best dates to attend a workshop. Provence stands out as the very top destination in your wish-list. So I decided to stretch my usual season in Provence to July for a lavender-blooming session, reserved to early birds. Spaces are limited to 8 people and due to high season demand, this session must be booked very, very soon. The B&B we I’ve made our artists home in the past three years -- is so successful that rooms for July are expected to run out right after Christmas.

Be an early bird and sign up now!

Dates: 9 to 16 July 2010 (7 nights)
Click here to get a quote and reserve your space (limited to 8 people)

Happy painting! - Francesco

PS. View our wonderful guesthouse here: http://www.letempsdunechanson.com/
And view the surroundings here: http://www.letempsdunechanson.com/slideShow/index.html

Painting start up and a shiny day of great rewards

Shiny day today! This morning we started up with painting. I made an oil demo in the quite yard of the hotel. We painted the roof top line and the light lavender facade of the hotel -- wich is a 700's villa, now elegantly restored. The combination of ochre stone walls and the the facade, was pretty inspiring. I however focused the session on tonal underpainting structure.
Jerry -- who's an almost absolute begenner -- made a good job as well as his wife Janet, who's an advanced painter. Patricia, sculptor and oil painter, tried several watercolor sketches. Claudio rested in his room with his laptop and books.
The afternoon tour to the old town of Modica, included the visit the cathedrals of San Giorgio and San Pietro, both built in the Sicilian baroque style. At the end of the walk, how couldn't we stop and shop at the Cioccolatteria Bonajuto? They are the oldest chocolat makers in Sicily, founded in 1880.
To reward ourselves for this sacrifice, I drove the group to Pozzallo on the ocean, for a dinner based on spaghetti with fresh sea food and grilled fish. Excellent prize!

Sicily Painting Workshop countdown

Getting ready to fly to Catania, for my first workshop in Sicily -- Monday 4th to Sunday 10th, May 2009. I am excited to meet this group of Americans willing to visit and paint outdoor in the Noto valley. I've travelled in this area a few years ago and felt in love with the wildness of the territory and nonetheless the stunning richness of its Baroque heritage. So I guess I am a bit afraid I would have to find my way to the several locations I planned to show to these new friends. As an expat Sicilian (but from the western coast) -- I am confident that my people and home land won't let me down. So I hope the Gps navigator!