An art workshop or an art retreat?

Getting ready for our painting workshop in Italy

I am now at the Frankfurt airport and have a few minutes to write this post. In a few days, we will be a group of 10 artists from both hemispheres, painting the landscape in the middle of Tuscany.

I thought that for the next 10 days I would have repeated the following:

• Be holistic; from the very first moment you start to paint, think of the final shapes of the painting (a suggestion by Corot… art history is indeed important).
• Make peace with what you see in front of you.
• Do not “gnin-gnin” (my term, meaning “futzing around”); impose on yourself the discipline of not going back to what you’ve already done.
• Be audacious!

But no. I have a very strong group, the strongest I have ever had. Most of them are accomplished painters, have their own Web site, sell, and all, well-educated… For the last few months, we have been in constant contact and because of that, I know, now, how to approach our painting workshop… not as a mere “How to” art workshop, but a retreat, a philosophical art retreat…

WOW Time to board already!