This workshop will be about travel sketchbooks, focused mainly on rapid sketching on place. The goal of the workshop is for each student to make their own travel sketchbook of their experience in Toscana that week, following the instructions of the teacher for their realization.
When
21st to 28th October 2022
The team in charge
Meet Karolina and David, a very nice couple who live in La Toscana in an old renovated house in the countryside: https://followtuscany.com/about
Where
In Villa Selva, a wonderful village in La Toscana, just 20 minutes from the medieval town of Lucca.
https://followtuscany.com/villa-selva
With 7 renovated bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Pool, gardens and an incredible landscape around.
Here is a video of the villa:
Number of participants
The villa has a limited capacity, the group would be of 10 people maximum (including companions).
The minimum for group formation is 6 persons.
Topics of the workshop
Introduction to the travel notebook, typography, stuck objects. Very basic perspective.
Design of the pages of a notebook using several elements.
Basic perspective applied to an urban environment.
Urban scenes that include streets, squares, buildings, trees, very basic people, cars …
Landscape and vegetation
The sea, ships, ports
People on the street, Terrazas
More complicated urban drawing. Churches, Towers, Castles
Schedule day by day
Oct 21: The day of arrival! The group will be collected from the Pisa airport or the Lucca train station. Arrival, unpack, settle in Villa Selva, time to rest. Around 17:30, welcome meeting with Joaquín and Karolina, including the daily program and the workshop plan, goals and challenges. Dinner: Toscanas favorite delights of the house.
Oct 22: morning recovery … Breakfast 9.00 time to relax and enjoy the environment: first instruction session with the teacher. Lunch at 13:00 under the pergola prepared by our chef. After lunch, it’s time to explore Lucca! First session of sketches in Piazza San Frediano. Then a time to explore, go shopping. Return home at 6:00 p.m. Dinner 19.00
Oct 23: Breakfast at 8:30 am, 10.00 Departure to Viaregio, the main city of the northern zone of the Riviera Toscana de Versilia. Viaggio began as a medieval fishermen’s town, then won renown for its naval construction and is now a popular resorts city. Arrival: drawing session and then time to take a walk and buy on your own. 13.00 Meeting on the Paseo Marítimo to have a picnic on the beach with Prosecco. 14.00 Departure to the medieval city of Pietrasanta, known as the «city of artists», which has deep roots in the legacy of art and sculpture of Italy. We will continue drawing, enjoying a coffee or ice cream. Return home 17.30. Dinner prepared by our chef.
Oct 24: 8: 30 am breakfast, 10.00 Tuscan kitchen class with chef Karolina. After lunch, I return to Lucca to explore more, drawing session in the afternoon at the beautiful Piazza Amfiteatro. 18.45 Meeting for the Puccini concert. Then, dinner at the favorite restaurant in Karolina.
Oct 25: Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. M., excursion from 8:30 to San Gimignano with a drawing lesson. 1h stop in Pisa to draw the inclined tower. San Gimignano is a small walled medieval city in the province of Siena. Known as the city of the Fine Torres. After the arrival, it is time to explore on your own with a map in your hand. Lunch box provided by Karolina. Return home at 5:00 p.m. for the Pizza Festival in the Villa.
Oct 26: It’s time to explore Liguria! A one -day trip to Portovenere, the most beautiful coastal city with spectacular views. There will be a drawing session upon arrival and then time to buy, explore and relax on our own. We will also enjoy a 1h boat ride. Return home at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Oct 27: The day will begin with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. M. The group will finish their drawings, give color … after lunch at 13.00 p. M., there will be time to check, relax and rest. In the afternoon, we will create a gallery with all your work. You will enjoy this with an informal spuntini spleece. At 7:00 p.m. there will be a glamorous gala dinner that will offer the best Tuscan kitchen. You will have a five -plates meal prepared by our chef along with homemade verbencello.
Oct 28: Departure day. Breakfast and transfer to Lucca train station or Pisa airport.
Samples of sketches done during the 2021 workshop
Here you can see some samples of the sketches done by the 2021 participants. The next time it coud be yours!
May I go with a no-sketching partner?
Yes, you can go with companions, which during the workshop sessions in the different locations can make an alternative tourism plan, purchases, beach … They will participate in all activities except in the drawing workshop. It is a unique opportunity to know the Tuscan countryside. Naturally, companions will have a special price that does not include the drawing workshop.
The teacher
Joaquín is an experienced traveler and author of more than 34 travel sketchbooks published. You can read more about him in THIS PAGE
What is included?
Daily drawing workshop (except companion)
Wine tasting in the area
Basic local cooking course
Homemade food the days that is eaten/cene in the town
Visits to surrounding villages for the realization of the travel notebook. With private vehicle.
Puccini concert in Lucca with dinner in the town
Transfers from / to arrival airport with private vehicles
What is NOT included?
Plane to the nearest airport (Pisa or Florence)
1 meal in Portovenere
Personal or medical insurance (they must be processed by each participant)
Health measures and security
Participants will be required the EU digital covid certificate or a negative PCR test.
Price
The price for student for the all-inclusive week is 2799€ per person.
For companions the price is 2299€.
The rooms are double rooms. The individual occupation supplement is 750€ pp
Flights
The best way to reach Lucca is to fly to Pisa or Florence. The pack includes a free pickup and delivery to both airports.
If you prefer, you can fly a few days before or after and take advantage of other areas of Tuscany on your own.
How to reserve
To start, you must write an email to Karolina (followyoursensintuscany@gmail.com) to get interested in the course. Then you must fill in a form and make a reservation of € 500 (which would be returned in the improbable case that the workshop will not be carried out due to unexpected reasons).
The 2021 workshop
Here is a video of the workshop experience in 2021 (spanish with english subtitles):