Painting from nature outside is different from any other painting experience. When you sit in front of your subject for all of the hours it takes to complete your painting, all your senses become stimulated. You see the light, feel the breeze, hear the wind, and smell the air. It is a full-sensory experience!
I am so glad to have had the opportunity of working at our Tuscany plein air trip with such a great group of people in such a spectacular landscape. The views from the San Fedele monastery and from the nearby villages of Castellina, Radda in Chianti, and San Gimginano were stunning and memorable. I want to especially thank Frank and Suzanne for helping everyone and sharing their pearls of wisdom. To wrap up our experience, I asked our attendees to answer these two questions:
1) What were the top three favorite things you took away from the trip?
2) What advice would you give to someone going overseas for their first plein air workshop?
The following are their responses. I hope that they pique your interest in embarking on an overseas plein air adventure, and help you to prepare for such an excursion in the future!
Attendee: Robin Frank
My top-three favorite things:
1. spending a week with other artists
2. the abundance of fresh food
3. being immersed in the culture, learning from chef, etc.
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Pack light. Try to keep your everyday set-up to be as easy and efficient as possible.
Attendee: Frank Visco
My top-three favorite things:
1. the group—my fellow painters made the trip great
2. your instruction, of course
3. the venues—we painted in different towns and this made the experience unique
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Pack like you are a fugitive on the run.
Attendee: Sarah Anderson
My top-three favorite things:
1. a well-rounded itinerary
2. flexibility built into our activities—you could choose to paint longer/shorter if you’d like
3. a fantastic experience
Attendee: Michelle Blythe
My top-three favorite things:
1. excellent and patient instruction
2. technical explanations of color, perspective, and the importance of drawing—even while painting
3. a supportive group atmosphere
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Really research the optimal kit for your needs—ideally fitting in one backpack.
• Don’t be intimidated if you are less experienced, or not experienced at all.
Attendee: Eva Shaye
Some of my favorite things:
1. edges
2. edges
3. edges!
Our Tuscan trip was fantastic! Costa was dropping great words of wisdom as we were painting along. My favorite Costa quote is “Pay attention to edges” or shortened to “Edges, edges, edges!”
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Come prepared with the right stuff.
• Take it out on a trial run and figure ahead of time what does and doesn’t work.
• Make sure you can carry it and set it up all by yourself throughout a village—without getting grumpy.
• Be certain you can bring everything back—including your newly painted piece.
• Don’t bring a lot of heavy stuff, but make sure you have everything you need.
• Expect to have your understanding of landscape painting greatly expanded—even if you might not have time to create masterpieces.
Attendee: Julie Nelson
My top-three favorite things:
1. access to the instructor for a week with a low student-to-teacher ratio
2. learning in a new and interesting environment
3. building friendships with wonderful people who paint
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Have your gear prepared for the conditions of travel and weather.
• Make sure your gear is easy to transport and you’re familiar with setting it up and taking it down.
• Keep things as light and minimal as possible.
• Try a pre-travel group gear check—a great way to test your set-up while still close to home.
• Consult with other plein air artists to learn suggestions.
Attendee: Momo Evans
My top-three eight favorite things:
1. new eyes—the way I look at landscapes will never be the same
2. the joy of being in a different country to paint
3. the teaching (of course!) and
4. making new friends
5. the place we stayed
6. the food
7. the service
8. okay, I guess I loved it all!
Advice for first-time plein air adventurers:
• Be well-prepared—have everything you need or might need, but also try to pack as light as possible somehow.
• Get a wheeled backpack that’s big enough to fit everything.
• Hope for good weather.
• Be careful—it’s highly addictive!
Wrap-Up Gallery
The photos made me eager to be a member of the next trip! They capture the essence of Tuscany. They are inspirational and I hope to be joining the next trip.