Painting & Sketching in Venice

Paint the Light and Excitement of Venice

The Rialto at Sunset, photo by Cindy Bartosek

Immerse yourself in painting the light, architecture and canals of Venice – the most iconic city in the world.  Sketch from a cafe, capture the reflections in a quiet canal, paint the sun shimmering on the windows along the Grand Canal.  All media and levels are welcome in this plein air workshop where, regardless of where you are in your artistic journey, you will improve your ability to draw and paint what you see. I work in pastel and will conduct daily demonstrations in the pastel medium, but the concepts I teach are universal to all mediums.

• We will work on how to locate compelling compositions, and how to use your drawing skills to make your paintings better.
• Working in the iconic Venetian setting offers a perfect opportunity to work on architectural, water and reflections, and aerial perspective techniques.
• We’ll discuss plein air techniques and share travel and portability tips.
• Plenty of one-on-one instruction at your easel, and interesting painting tips and techniques.
• Sketchbooking will be an important part of this workshop. We will travel light with sketchbook in hand to capture Venice in it’s essence from bridges, cafes, and pathways. 

This exciting workshop will be a well-rounded immersive experience with a three-part focus; sketching, painting, and art appreciation. In addition to creating our own art, we will take advantage of the world class museums in Venice and view historical and contemporary artworks.   I promise a unique artistic opportunity that only Venice can provide.  Once you register I will send a detailed materials list and will be available online to answer your questions.

NOTE:  there will be a maximum of 10 students in Liz’s class.

Painting the Grand Canal

What Liz’s Students are saying:

I want to take a moment to share that besides being a fabulous artist, Liz is a fabulous instructor. Liz shared concepts and techniques throughout her demos. She provided highly informative handouts.  She generously shared her experience and tips. She took time to truly know the students. Liz joined us for meals and for the evening receptions. In addition, she was in constant motion coaching each student as we did our own work.    – Dr. Rita Smith

I enjoyed your workshop more than any I had taken in the past. You are a great instructor, organized and caring about your students. I learned a lot every day both about painting in pastel and the practical tips that make the set up so much easier. Thank you, also for talking about getting organized, setting goals, keeping records. These are all things no one had talked about in previous workshops. It was very valuable & new information for me. Lastly, I loved your sketchbook. It reminded me of sketchbooks I had seen displayed in museums with shows of great artists. I think you should publish it as a book. Thank you so much for everything.   – Sawsan Alhaddad

The cloister at our convent

Accommodations: The week will be spent in the a brightly renovated ex-convent on the Zattere in the Dorsoduro sector. When you register you can choose either a single or double room with ensuite bathroom in the complex where our studio is.  Rooms are clean and comfortable, but simply furnished.  If you would prefer to find your own accommodations in a nearby hotel or AirBnB, no problem.  Just click that option on the registration page.
We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine at local restaurants or prepared by our personal chef. It will be an ideal place to improve your painting skills.

General Activities: Our first activity will be an orientation at 6pm on the first day followed by dinner with the group.  After that, most activities for the week, like museum visits with Liz and an intimate walking tour of the back canals of this ancient city, will be organized around the workshop. It’s easy to be independent in this entirely walkable city, but all participants will come together for meals and excursions. Then, at the end of the week we’ll stage an exhibit of the work to share our personal impressions of enigmatic Venice.

Dinners: During the week we will have 5 dinners together. To experience a good cross-section of typical Venetian cuisine we will sample diverse neighborhood trattorie and Michael and Linda will host our group for two home-cooked meals with ingredients we find at the outdoor market. Two nights of the week you will be on your own to follow your nose to restaurants or concerts or the opera or whatever else might pique your curiosity. There is plenty of time for independent exploration.

Price: $3,150 p/p
Non-painter partners/friends are always welcome for a reduced fee of $2,850

Options:

• Single room supplement, add $475 (limited number available)
• Find your own accommodations, reduce fee by $800.  (Click the “Accommodations” tab above for some of our nearby suggestions.)

Capturing Burano

Includes:

• 7 nights at refurbished convent – double or single (with supplement) room with ensuite bathroom and shower (Note: departure is after breakfast on the final Saturday.  The last class activity will be Friday evening.)
• Daily buffet breakfast and 5 dinners at local restaurants, including wine
• Workshop tuition, daily classes
• Selected other museum entrance fees with Liz
• Guided art history tour of Venice with local art historian
• Selected excursions with class

   

Price does not include:

• Airfare
• Lunch
• Independent meals and sight-seeing
• Workshop materials
• Local transportation: vaporettos, water taxis

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 August 15th. 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.

Picture yourself here!