The Good News Is...

Art holidays... content by negotiation to suit your wishes and your dreams.

* individual or small group guided tours to out of the way places,
* art appreciation excursions to Rome and Naples,
* classes in watercolour, acrylic, and oil.


The good news is that, in view of the "economic crisis" and general pessimism about travel, I am holding my prices so they will be the same in 2012 as they were in 2009 (dates updated on the earlier post). Priced to suit your budget, from B&B accommodation to picturesque hotel, rustic or elegant, you choose the level of accommodation and the restaurants from the wide range available.

The bad news is that, due to other projects I am involved in, I am reducing the number of time slots offered for painting classes.

Contact me for early June, early August, or September, October and November dates (dates are always by negotiation to suit your travel arrangements). Pick-up at the airport (Rome FCO, Rome Ciampino or Naples) can be arranged.

There will be no residential classes before June this year.

Happy New Year, and happy painting!

*****


Prices 2009 - 2012
Two nights, one day intensive tuition 170 euros per person.

Four nights, combined tuition and exploring the local area, minimum of 12 hours tuition in studio, tutor available to be with you as you explore or paint the rest of the time. 400 euros per person.

Six nights may include day excursions to Rome, Pompeii, Abbeys or Cassino Battlefield tours. Plan your own programme in consultation with the artist. Price of 6 nights is from 240 euros per person, with tuition and “time out” times as negotiated prior to the first day of the visit. For six nights accommodation and five days of ongoing tuition - both in and out of the studio - prices begin at 450 euros per painter.

Non painters are welcome to come and enjoy the village and the wider experience.

Bed, breakfast and lunch are included in the price, evening meal extra. A range of options for evening meals is available. Varied and tasty vegetarian options available; catering for some allergies may include a surcharge.

Update

How time flies! I have been working hard, with several exhibitions, painting and restoring frescoes, guiding, enjoying visitors and teaching in this wonderful spot. I have also dedicated a lot of my time to the Legato Exhibition which I set up last year (2010)  as a peace initiative, starting with commemorations of the Battle of Cassino.

Here is my 2012 watercolour for Legato:


Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions not covered in the older posts here.

Happy painting

Kay

My watercolours in Legato: They Were Only Boys: 1944-2010

Unexploded bombs lie in the hills around Cassino. It is time to demand that someone do something about it. I hope that my paintings highlight the problem and bring some action to clear away the dangers.

Italian civilians looking for safe refuge.


Below are some of the acrylics and oils that have led me off the watercolour path for a while... painting on canvas is sometimes necessary in this land of stone buildings that can be too damp for watercolour works in the winter.

This view is "just around the corner" from my studio.
The village from down in the valley.
Another view of the ruins from afar.
Commissioned for over a fireplace.

And this one was just for fun!

Painting in the village

This turned out to be a three-day work, with more reflective and 'tweaking' time, checking tonal values and touching up details. It is 22"x17.5" on Fabriano Artistico hot press (heavy, I think 480gms) unstretched paper.



It came together much faster than I expected, but I didn't let myself get tied up in the details on the buildings. As it is I think it has a slight fairy-tale quality to it.

Dates and bookings 2012

All dates within the given weeks are negotiable. Prices are for 2, 4 and 6 night stays, plus tuition, within any given week. Please email me on paintinitaly@gmail.com for bookings or to check availability if you need more flexible dates crossing over these weekly divisions.


Mid-November – March 2013 by arrangement only.

Prices 2012
Two nights, one day intensive tuition 170 euros per person.

Four nights, combined tuition and exploring the local area, minimum of 12 hours tuition in studio, tutor available to be with you as you explore or paint the rest of the time. 400 euros per person.

Six nights may include day excursions to Rome, Pompeii, Abbeys or Cassino Battlefield tours. Plan your own programme in consultation with the artist. Price of 6 nights is from 240 euros per person, with tuition and “time out” times as negotiated prior to the first day of the visit. For six nights accommodation and five days of ongoing tuition - both in and out of the studio - prices begin at 450 euros per painter.

Bed, breakfast and lunch are included in the price, evening meal extra. A range of options for evening meals is available. Varied and tasty vegetarian options available; catering for some allergies may include a surcharge.

Some painters will be accommodated in this tiny village but this is where most class participants will stay, at the beautiful Felicetta, although there are other options available in all price ranges. Transport is not needed, we can run a shuttle service to get you from the train and to the class. Felicetta has the advantage of a beautiful swimming pool and outdoor eating area.

Getting started

Watercolour (and other) painting in Italy. More than a dream!

This blog is my temporary web page - it could be a while before the full website is up...painting and house reconstruction are taking priority for now.

Why? Because I am about to begin teaching my watercolour art classes, and can't wait to share my ideas. For now though, I must spend more time getting rooms ready, purchasing supplies, and less time at the computer.

Here is my concept:

I offer friendly small art classes in a wonderful environment. This is "real Italy", away from the tourists of Tuscany. Classes will always stay small, because I don't want to be responsible for flooding the town with tourists.... I do enough of that already as friends and family fall in love with my adopted home!

I live in a tiny historic village, overlooking the wonderful Liri valley, halfway between Rome and Naples. I have always enjoyed sharing the things I love with others, and to do this in another country I am taking the leap and "going it alone".

Over the next few days I will add more details, refining this a little. But bookings have started coming in already, so there are some things you need to know if you are booking air tickets. Economy flights fly in to both Ciampino Airport (just south of Rome) and Naples. Check them both before you book.

My aim is to provide flexible options to see that each visitor gets the painting holiday they desire. All classes will be designed around individual needs and preferences.

Why am I so flexible? When I was a young mother living and painting in New Zealand I dreamed of taking an art holiday.
I drooled longingly over the offers, but they were always packaged just out of my reach. The time was too long to be away from children, the price too high, the accommodation too luxurious for someone on a budget. Now that I live and paint in Italy I have the chance to offer what I could never find for myself. You could call it making my dreams come true “in reverse" ! PS: I also provide a Battlefield Tour service for English speaking travellers wanting to visit the sites of the four Battles of Cassino, WWII.

Recent watercolours: