Painting the Beauty of the Cinque Terre
Pat Fiorello is an award-winning fine artist, instructor and author of the book, Bella Italia, Italy Through the Eyes of an Artist. Her work has been featured in 20 one-woman shows and been included in over 85 juried exhibitions, including the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America and NOAPS. As a finalist in the Florals and Gardens challenge, Pat’s work appeared in International Artists magazine and was also published in The Richeson International Still Life and Floral competition book in 2021. She won first prize in the “Fete de Peinture” plein air competition in Giverny, France.
Inspired to devote her life to creating and sharing beauty, Pat made a radical career shift following a 20-year career in Marketing. After attending the Harvard Business School and serving as Vice President of Marketing of The Coca-Cola Company, in 2002 she followed her calling and dedicated her life to creating art on a full-time basis.
Pat creates paintings that bring beauty to collectors the world over so they can feel energized and lifted above the stressful demands of everyday life. She also inspires others through teaching art and has led 18 international workshops in Italy, Spain, New Zealand, and France, including private workshops at Monet’s Gardens in Giverny. Streamline Publishing has produced a full-length instructional video on Pat’s floral painting methods, soon to be released worldwide.
Pat, you have a magic that speaks to me. Thank you. BK
Pat is a Signature Member and past President of the Georgia Watercolor Society and her work has been in “Splash 11- Best of Watercolor” published by North Light Books.
Feedback from past students is available at: http://www.patfiorello.com/quotes.htm. Recent article on Pat in Atlanta`s Simply Buckhead Magazine: Eat, Paint, Love
Bella Italia, Italy through the eyes of an Artist by Pat Fiorello
Pat Fiorello has been teaching painting at Il Chiostro for several years. This book contains over 80 of her paintings of Italy, including many from places which will be familiar to Il Chiostro alumni: Lake Garda, Tuscany, Florence, Siena, and Venice.
Fiorello invites readers on an irresistible visual journey to share in her most vibrant memories of Italy—its grandeur and splendid views of sparkling blue lakes, breathtaking hilltops, quaint villages and sunlit gardens. Because of her reverence for exquisite light and color, the works of art emanating from Fiorello’s easel beckon viewers to open their eyes more fully, and to breathe in all the enchanting sights—near and far—that the world has to offer.
Michelle Morton, Morton Media Arts
For more information about this book and to order copies, go to: http://patfiorello.com/bella-italia.html
Paint with Pat in the stunning Cinque Terre
Flower Wall, by Pat Fiorello
Be immersed in a week of beauty, painting and growth in this new workshop offered by instructor Pat Fiorello and Il Chiostro.
In this workshop you will learn how to:
- simplify the landscape while painting plein air
- improve your compositions through intentional design grounded in the fundamentals of art: shape, color, value, and edges
- keep your color fresh and vibrant (and avoid mud) working in an alla prima approach
- how to “simplify and suggest” rather than “render and report” every last detail so your artwork is looser, painterly, and more expressive and your experience is freer and more fun!
Pat teaching
Pat creates a supportive and encouraging environment to make this an enriching and enjoyable learning experience for you.
Comment from a recent student:
Pat, I appreciate all your expertise, talent and style. I appreciate all of your experience with art, your studies with others and your own development. You condensed all that down into a wonderful usable approach to creating paintings. It was perfect for me for you to stress the importance of value and contrast. I did not get that information in art school. I will now approach my paintings from those foundations instead of just wanting to paint a pretty picture. BN, 2023
The workshop will include demonstrations, instruction, guidance from Pat while you paint and critiques.
The terrace and garden overlooking the sea and the town will be our studio. We can settle in to paint, descending to explore the towns as we choose in our private shuttle
Our personal escort and guide will coordinate various excursions into the other towns so we get a good taste of the charm of these towns: the scenic harbor of Vernazza, cafes perched on a cliff above Manarola, or maybe cappuccino with vistas in Rio Maggiore and a private boat to explore the five towns from the water. We’ll move from town to town on trains, by boat (weather permitting) or – for the intrepid – hiking over the mountainside from one harbor to the next.
This workshop is open to artists of all painting skill levels and any medium. If you’re a painter who has not painted in Italy yet, you owe it to yourself to join us for an experience you will never forget and if you’ve been to Italy before we know you’ll want to be back for more memorable times in an all-new location.
Click here for a quick video of Pat’s most recent workshop in Tuscany.
Additional Activities: Our daily painting will be combined with other adventures such as:
- train pass to visit other towns (Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia)
- boat trip to sketch or photograph from the sea
- free shuttle service from the hotel to the main town
- pick up/return to Florence
This workshop will be limited to 10-12 painters only. Pat has taught 12 workshops with Il Chiostro over the past 14 years. Her workshops typically sell out, so please save your spot by registering early.
Still Live in oils by Pat Fiorello
The Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. “The Five Lands” comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. For more about the Cinque Terre, the Lonely Planet gives a nice description with photos: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/cinque-terre
View from our hotel, La Cabana
The Food – We will have 5 dinners organized together at local restaurants and trattorie in Monterosso-al-Mare. We’ll sample the pastas, seafood and specialties of each area. Local wine is included with all dinners. Lunches and 2 dinners will be independent for you to explore the local cuisine on your own.
Given its location on the Mediterranean, seafood is plentiful in the local cuisine. Anchovies of Monterosso are a local specialty designated with a Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union. The mountainsides of the Cinque Terre are heavily terraced and are used to cultivate grapes and olives. This area, and the region of Liguria, as a whole, is known for pesto — a sauce made from basil leaves, garlic, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and pecorino cheese. Focaccia is a particularly common locally baked bread product. Farinata is also a typical snack found in bakeries and pizzerias — essentially it is a savoury and crunchy pancake made from a base of chick-pea flour.
Our terrace/studio at La Caban
Price: $3,495* p/p based on double occupancy
Optional Supplements:
- $495 for single room
- $275 p/p for shared suite with Jacuzzi and terrace
*Register soon. This price will be honored for those who register and deposit by the end of 2022. It is subject to change after that.
Includes:
- Shared double room in Hotel La Cabana in Monterosso (singles available for a supplement)
- Daily traditional breakfast
- 5 dinners with wine
- Daily painting classes with Pat
- Train passes for exploring other towns
- One boat trip on the Mediterranean
- Transfers from and return to Florence
Does Not Include:
- Airfare
- Lunch
- Art supplies
- Independent meals and additional sight-seeing
To Register: just click on the Sign Up Now button. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop. Payment can be made on line with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email prior to the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by April 15th, 2024. Any time prior to your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.
Our small hotel La Cabana sits on a small hill that divides the historic center of Monterosso from the new part, Fegina. It is a typical Ligurian farmhouse that has belonged to one family for generations. The vines and the olive trees that they have cultivated form the backdrop to the rooms that have been recently refurbished with the utmost respect for the environment and the traditions of the Cinque Terre, but without forgetting modern comforts.
The 9 rooms are furnished with antiques, parquet floors, curtains, and finishes intended to frame the unparalleled panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea. It is an oasis of relaxation completely surrounded by greenery and silence with wonderful vistas and gardens to paint. Our group will take over the entire hotel for the week.
To get down to Monterosso you can take advantage of their free shuttle service or, if you are up for it, walking down is not difficult and takes less than ten minutes. It’s a nice walk down that offers beautiful panoramic views. On the descent, you will pass the ancient 11th century castle (today houses the cemetery of the village) and wind through olive trees until you reach the historical center of town. Coming back up, the shuttle might be a good idea!
For more information, visit their web site: http://www.lacabanacinqueterre.com/en/index.php
Breakfast room
Reception
Entrance to La Cabana
Garden overlooking the town
The terrace
View from the terrace
La Cabana shuttle
The Cinque Terre are in the section of Italy known as Liguria on the western coast. The main city of Liguria is Genova. These 5 towns were traditional fishing villages, cut off from the mainland by a steep range of mountains. For centuries they were only accessible by the sea.
For our program, we will meet the group in Florence on the first day. From there a private bus will take the group to our hotel in Monterosso-al-Mare.
To visit the town from our hotel there is a regular shuttle bus. The towns are small with narrow roads, so the shuttle will leave us off in the newer section, then we will walk through a short tunnel to the historic center of town where most of the shops and restaurants are located.
To go between towns (Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia or Rio Maggiore) there are local trains connecting all of them.
5 Terre fishing boat, photo by Andy Holtzman
The Cinque Terre – is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. “The Five Lands” comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.
For more about the Cinque Terre, the Lonely Planet gives a nice description with photos: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/cinque-terre
The Food: Given its location on the Mediterranean, seafood is plentiful in the local cuisine. Anchovies of Monterosso are a local specialty designated with a Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union. The mountainsides of the Cinque Terre are heavily terraced and are used to cultivate grapes and olives. This area, and the region of Liguria, as a whole, is known for pesto — a sauce made from basil leaves, garlic, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and pecorino cheese. Focaccia is a particularly common locally baked bread product. Farinata is also a typical snack found in bakeries and pizzerias — essentially it is a savoury and crunchy pancake made from a base of chick-pea flour. Epic porcini mushrooms are presented in a wooden box for you to chose for grilling with olive oil and garlic.
