WORKSHOP DETAILS

ASSISI-ROME 2008

The 2008 Summer Workshop in Assisi-Rome will offer mini workshops in traditional Renaissance mediums: egg tempera, watercolor, silverpoint and Medieval Italian Majolica Ceramics! This intensive painting-instruction experience includes painting on location in Assisi with lectures, demonstrations, critiques and scheduled painting time. If you desire to work in an alternate medium, we will also instruct you in the painting/drawing medium of your choice. During the Assisi segment we will offer trips to Arezzo, Deruta, Spello, Bevagna & Montefalco. Also included in the workshop will be a one-night stay in the heart of Old Rome. Our centrally located hotel will offer very easy access to a wealth of Rome's art treasures, and will facilitate our departure from Rome's Fiumicino airport. Our Assisi-Rome Workshop offers the artist and/or art-lover a unique opportunity to work in Italy's most breath taking landscape in and around Assisi. In addition, you will be able to study some of Italy's great Ancient, Renaissance, and Baroque art treasures.

 

FOR THE ARTIST

Our Assisi-Rome Workshop will be offered from June 11 to June 23, 2008. This workshop is multifaceted and is open to working artists at any level from beginning to professional. The first eleven days of this workshop will be devoted to lectures and demonstrations in watercolor, egg tempera, and silverpoint drawing. In addition, there will also be a wonderful mini-workshop in which each participant will produce a traditional Maiolica plate under the instruction of a Master Ceramist in Deruta. Jeremiah Patterson will conduct lectures & demonstrations in watercolor techniques and color-mixing. Fred Wessel will conduct lectures & demonstrations in egg tempera. Each participant will be provided with a silverpoint and prepared paper and shown the methods necessary to achieve the beauty of this delicate medium. Fred & Jeremiah will also be available for discussions of composition and personal critiques.

Our guest-house is located on the upper ridge of the city and offers spectacular views from the private garden and orchard. Jeremiah Patterson and Fred Wessel will orient you to the scenic and historic areas around this beautiful city. Included along with all museum visits is a guided tour of the great frescoes housed in the Basilica of Saint Francis, including Giotto’s Assisi masterpieces.

 

FOR THE ARTIST AND/OR ART-LOVER

Our "Art-lover" participants will also enjoy many features of the workshop itinerary, designed for our artists. "Art lovers" in the past have commented on the wonderful educational vacations they have experienced on our workshops in Italy. The eleven-day residence in Assisi will allow the artist to attend to lectures, demonstrations, etc. and allow for ample painting time in and around Assisi. Scheduled day trips from Assisi can either be painting/drawing trips or touring experiences. Since we are in residence in Assisi for an extended period of time, departure from the workshop itinerary is always possible. We can offer you our advice for arranging your own excursions from Assisi if you desire. Orvieto, Perugia, Spoleto, Foligno, Urbino and many other art-rich cities and hill towns are nearby, and travel to and from them within a day is possible. Assisi itself is a former Etruscan, Roman and Medieval city with many things to see and experience. The art, food and wine of Italy experienced during the workshop, enjoyed within the context of the history and culture of Italy will be of interest to both artists and "art lovers".

 

Our Assisi segment also offers trips to Arezzo, Deruta, Spello, Bevagna & Montefalco. An afternoon trip will take us to Arezzo, a beautiful Renaissance city that is a center of art and style. Arezzo is a charming city where much of Roberto Benigni's La Vita E Bella (Life is Beautiful) was filmed. Here we will visit one of the Renaissance's rue masterpieces of Fresco, Piero Della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross. Another afternoon trip will introduce us to Spello, a charming hill town that has beautiful Roman ruins and spectacular chapel frescoed by Pinturicchio. On this same excursion, we'll head to nearby Montefalco, known as the Balcony of Umbria due its remarkable panoramic views. The town also has a museum with wonderful Gozzoli and Perugino frescoes. This is also a great spot to sketch or paint. A full day excursion from Assisi will take us to the 'Scuola Ceramica' (Institute of Italian Ceramics) located in Deruta, the ceramic capital of Italy. While there, we will be instructed in the traditional craft used in decorating the beautiful and intricate patterns of Italian Maiolica. Each participant will produce a traditional design on a nine-inch Maiolica plate to bring home after the workshop. (See Example to the Right)

 

Our final day will be spent exploring the art-rich section of Rome known as Old Rome, home to many Ancient , Renaissance, and Baroque masterpieces. Our walking tour will take us to see Caravaggio's St Matthew Tryptich, Bernini's Fountain of th eFour Rivers, Andrea Pozzo's Ceiling at Sant' Ignazio, Michaelangelo's Sculpture of the Risen Christ, the Roman Pantheon, and much more. Our 3-star hotel is located in the heart of this section of Old Rome, just steps from the Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, the Piazza della Rotunda and Pantheon. We will send the group off with our traditional gala final dinner at one of our favorite Roman neighboorhood trattorias. Those with energy will want to walk to the Trevi Fountain to gather with the crowd and toss in a wishing coin to insure your return to this wonderful city.

 

EXPERIENCING THE WONDERFUL FOOD & WINE of ITALY!

Fred & Jeremiah will share their love of all things Italian with you. In addition to an art-rich itinerary, the workshop offers numerous events designed to highlight the delicious culinary delights for which Italy is widely known. Fred & Jeremiah will again host their 'Gala Wine Tasting' where they will share their knowledge of Italian Wines, pairing each bottle with a selection of unique regional cheeses, cold-cuts, and other delicacies. Past participants have remarked at what a fun and educational experience this evening has been. We will gather at a nearby trattoria to enjoy our bountiful lunches consisting of a pasta course, second (meat) course, and dessert. Efforts are made to offer group meals that include a variety of home-cooked favorites specific to the regions in which we stay. In addition, we will visit our favorite trattorias to enjoy regional Umbrian, Tuscan & Roman dishes. Fred & Jeremiah are excited to provide you with a full cultural-art-travel experience.