Tuscany Workshop 2010
Paint with Sally Bookman in the beautiful hills of Tuscany
13 Days in the golden heart of Italy
May 14-27, 2010
Sally invites you for 13 days of painting, exploring, photographing, and enjoying romantic Tuscany.
Painter and non-painters welcome!
The Verrocchio Arts Centre
The Verrocchio Arts Centre is located in the village of Casole d’Elsa and is run by an English couple. Nigel Konstam is the resident director and is a sculptor who teaches sculpture classes at the center. He and his partner Maureen Ruck have run the center for twenty five years. The Center itself attracts students from all over the world who come to take classes in sculpture, art history, oil painting, watercolors, and sketching. It is a wonderful place to meet new people with shared interests, explore the Italian culture, sample the food and wine and to gain inspiration from the lovely surroundings. Evening entertainment is bountiful with dancing on the terrace, DVD’s and the bars and cafes in the village. And of course, the company! There is an underground pool (think Roman Grotto!) on the premises if it gets too warm.
Casole d'Elsa
Casole d'Elsa, Tuscany, is close to all those “must see” spots such as Siena, Volterra, San Gemignano, Pongibonsi and other charming wine country hilltop towns. You may also find the village listed in travel books as Colle di Val d'Elsa.
Casole d’Elsa is the medieval birthplace of master Gothic architect Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed Florence's Palazzo Vecchio and Duomo. The cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo contains one of the nails supposedly used to crucify Christ. The town also has a small archaeology museum with a collection of Etruscan artifacts and some 14th and 15th century frescoes.
Casole d’Elsa is an utterly charming medieval hilltop town situated in wonderful countryside just 35km from Siena and 70km from Florence. As a place to live and work, Casole is very close to the ideal. Near enough to the bright lights of Siena and Florence but basking in a rural peacefulness and contentment, it seems to belong to another age.
Casole d’Elsa is a very friendly village with plenty of facilities: three bars (one with internet), restaurant, pizzeria, two food shops, two banks, a pharmacy, and two hairdressers. It may be a village, but civilization is really within easy walking distance.
Accomodations
The Centro at the Center is a medieval building and the rooms are ‘rustic’ with old wooden beams and old terracotta tiled floors. It has:
- 1 double room (double bed + single bed), private shower room
- 1 double room (over size single bed + single bed), private shower room
- 1 double room (2 single beds)
- 5 single rooms (one of which is on the ground floor and has a large bed - though not double. All except one of these single rooms has a basin, though with only cold water.
There are 3 communal bathrooms on this level and there is a pleasant upstairs kitchen for the students’ use.
The rest of the bedrooms are in the ‘Annex’ which is an apartment with slightly more ‘modern’ accommodation:
- 1 double room (2 beds)
- 4 single rooms
There are 3 communal shower rooms and a kitchenette area for use of students. The rooms are all clean, simply appointed, comfortable with no frills. Some of the rooms have views onto the landscape, and some onto our small street or the piazzetta at the front. Daily breakfast and dinner are included in the price of the workshop.
Studios
On the first level in the Centro there is an art library/dining room/sitting area with WiFi connection, and the painting studios. The studio facilities are perhaps the most well equipped in the country. Just this year they added extra lighting. There are tables, easels and everything we artists might need IF we want to paint inside. I think the allure of the Italian countryside and quaint hill top towns will lead us to paint and sketch outside most of the time.
The Centro also contains a large room which we use for lectures, slide shows, DVDs etc. There is an outdoor terrace with a panoramic view. On the lower floor there are the sculpture studios and the plunge pool.
Casole is a hill top town, so inevitably there are frequent stairs and slopes. The Centro is not suitable for people with disabilities. Anyone using a downstairs bedroom in the Centro still has to go upstairs to a shower room. We can arrange other accommodations in various apartments in the village if anyone requires more independent accommodation. There is a hotel 2 minutes from the Centro with more luxurious rooms.
Workshop Goals
The most important objective of our 13 days together is to have, not just a good time, but a GREAT time! We will have opportunities to sample local foods, soak up the antiquity of the region, relax in the pastoral settings of vastly beautiful vineyards, cypress trees and aged stone buildings with tile roof tops. We can pick up a few words in Italian, dance to the beat of local music and generally become the Italian that lives within all of us!
Oh yes, we will learn to sketch our experiences in a book, and/or paint them, and no doubt shoot lots and lots of photos. Depending on the wishes of the group, classes will be inside or outside, at the Center or on location. Sally will do demo paintings, give individual attention to each and every student and we will have fun critique sessions while sharing a beverage, or two!
Painting on Location
The Center, and the area around the village of Casole, offer unlimited opportunities for painting and relaxing. In order to keep the workshop affordable, we have made trips outside of the village an optional extra. As an example, if there are six of us who want to go to Siena for the day, the cost would be approximately $44 per person round trip; to San Gemignano $25, to Volterra $34. Lunch would be on our own at some wonderful spot surrounded with the aromas and smells of those ancient towns.
In any historic city we visit, such as Siena or Florence, there will be ample time to explore, photograph, shop, and tour. Participants will be free to paint or simply soak up the culture. Students may locate their own sites to explore and paint. For those who are interested, there will be a designated spot and time to gather for a demo and painting. After the demo, Sally will spend time with those individuals who would like assistance and who are painting in the general area. At all times participants will be free to explore as they desire but must meet the scheduled bus departure time.
Non-painters, may of course accompany us on these outings. Also, from Casole, there are wonderful walking/hiking opportunities all around. Local buses travel out of the area but they leave early, at around 7:30 am and you have to plan to be back by 7:00 pm or else you get stranded! Alternatively, a non-painter might prefer to rent a car and explore the countryside independently. There is a great panorama of architectural and art history everywhere in the region. Failing that, there is always the good book, a chair, a latte and forever views out over Tuscan countryside.
Cost and Reservations
The Workshop Fee of $2650.00* includes:
- 13 nights accommodations at the Center
- Daily breakfast and dinner (see below)
- Personal instruction by Sally Bookman
The cost for non-participants is $2250.00*
*Note: If, after full payment is made, a substantial difference in the conversion rate between the US dollar and the Euro develops, the student will be notified and charged accordingly. The difference will be calculated between the rate as of June 2010 and the rate in September 2009.
Meals: Continental breakfast is a buffet affair with juice, yogurt, fruit, bread, jam as well as tea and coffee. Dinner consists of 3 courses, with red or white wine included. Dinners are simple, well-balanced and hearty with emphasis on Tuscan recipes and Italian products. Dinner will typically include soup, risotto or pasta as a first course, then the main course, followed by dessert.
Not Included: There is an extra charge for some room situations. The surcharge for a double room with private bathroom is $200 per room. Also not included are all art supplies, gratuities to drivers, tour guides, and housekeeping personnel, travel insurance, and airfare from California to Pisa, Italy, the closest airport. We kindly request that workshop participants who wish to take advantage of the bus from the airport to the Center organize their flights to arrive by 2:00 pm on July 16 at Pisa’s airport. If this is not possible we recommend you arrive a day early and enjoy an overnight in Pisa! Shuttle from the Pisa airport arranged by the Center should cost about $30 per person one way.
Cancellation Policy
If a cancellation is received before December 15, 2009, participants will receive a full refund of the amount paid. Between December 15, 2009 and February 1, 2010, there will be a cancellation fee of $300.00. If a cancellation is made after February 1, 2010, no monies will be refunded unless the canceling participant’s place is filled by another paying participant. Even if replaced, an administrative fee of $300.00 will still be charged the participant who cancels. There will be no refund of monies under any other circumstances, except as noted below. Travel insurance covering the total cost of the workshop and airfare is strongly recommended Sally Bookman reserves the right to cancel the workshop on her initiative for any reason and under any circumstance. If she cancels it, all monies, payments and deposits will be fully refunded to the participants within 30 days.
Information
For information, contact Sally Bookman directly: 831-688-2917 or e-mail to: sally@sallybookman.com
For more information on the Verrocchio Center see: www.verrocchio.co.uk