Everyone! Our “art workshops” or “art retreats” are open to artists of all levels, from very beginners who wish to discover the medium of painting, intermediate artists looking for new visions and challenges, and professionals searching for a new environment to move on with their work without supervision.

Of course! As the pyramid on the left shows, beginners compose the majority of our participants.

Gregg the partner toasting with Françoise, an artist from Metz (France).

Australian husbands making sure that Tuscan wines are not better than Barossa Valley wines (SA).

Please, yes! We want to convert them to “art”! Many accompanying partners have already joined our art retreats in Italy, France, and South America. And they loved it! When art instruction is given at our lodge, accompanying partners can go for a walk, enjoy the swimming pool, read, write, etc. Also, they take part in all our daily trips to nearby villages, so while everyone paints, they can explore on their own, have a coffee and later join the group for drinks. Moreover, Yves has taught them perspective drawing while everyone else was painting…. and they did very well!

Furthermore, accompanying partners can attend Yves’s art history/art theory lectures which are interesting for both artists and non-artists. Finally, like everyone, they enjoy very much our evenings around gourmet meals and very good wine and pousse-café.

As for the price, since we have limited space in our house and our vehicle, and since the partners participate in all our activities without the need to rent a car, the cost for both artists and non-artists is the same.

A little evaluation at the end of the day.

Unlike other art workshops in Europe and South America, we offer are a unique blend of plein air painting, stimulating art history and art theory lectures, touring, and gourmet cuisine. Also, we encourage participants to search for genuineness and provide them with appropriate tools to tackle the landscape in an imaginative way. This helps to boost their creativity to depict the soul of the landscape with great confidence. Since we limit the size of our groups to eight participants, we can certainly offer personalized instruction for all levels and an intimate environment that fosters creativity and fun.

At Walk the Arts we use the terms “workshops” and ” retreats” as interchangeable. However, some people use the word retreat for workshops that take place in the countryside and that include accommodations and meals. Other people use the word retreat in the sense of a lapse of time devoted to creative renewal.

The answer is simple: the medium of your choice. You may be wondering how come all mediums are accepted. The reason is simple; we have experience teaching all media. We have been teaching drawing, painting, color theory, and perspective for more than 30 years in an art school in Ottawa, Canada, and mostly to beginners and intermediate. Therefore, we know our stuff! In addition, since our groups comprise eight participants only, we can offer personalized instruction.

But if you ask which medium we recommend. It depends. We suggest oils for beginners as they are easier to manipulate. Oils have plenty of time to dry under the Tuscan or Provençal sun. A cobalt dryer is also helpful to speed up the drying process. But, if you are an acrylic painter, acrylic is the answer; and do not forget your medium retarder. As for watercolors, since they are the most challenging medium, we strongly recommend that you buy very good pigments, Arche paper, and very good paintbrushes.

As for our university graduates (BFA  and MFA), they say, “Eh! we never learned that at the university.” As for our established worldwide renowned artists (such as Vicky) and our university graduates (Kim), respectively very well internationally and locally known, they saw our art workshops as a “retreat”, a time to reflect upon their new series while conversing with every one of us.

So, therefore we write “all levels”, “all media” and “art retreat”. And let us not forget that Mount Fuji was painted thousands of times, but what makes “your” Mount Fuji unique and authentic, is simply “you”.

You will find a registration link and all the details regarding the cost of our art retreats in Italy, France, and South America as well as our bus tour from Ottawa to NYC at the following links:

Studio Italia https://www.walkthearts.com/art-workshops-tours/art-workshops-italy-painting-vacation/

Atelier Provence and Barcelona Art Tour  https://www.walkthearts.com/art-workshops-tours/painting-workshops-provence-france/

Studio Colombia Art & Eat https://www.walkthearts.com/watercolor-workshop-south-america/

New York Art Trip https://www.walkthearts.com/art-workshops-tours/new-york-bus-tour/

Since everyone can use the medium of their choice, we do not provide the art material. But we do provide easels for everyone, odorless solvents, and a cobalt dryer for oil painters. However, for an extra cost, we can take care of the basic art material list.  In this case, you would only need to bring a canvas pad and a paper palette.

During our art holidays in Italy, we live in a 200-year old house near Lucignano and Cortona, in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. The house is part of a domain that has its own castle and church. The house has been renovated, it is comfortable and all rooms have a private bathroom. The kitchen is fantastic for Mónica our chef, the dining table is huge for great art discussions. Also, it has a private swimming pool lost in an olive grove.

During our seven-night art workshop in France, we stay in a domain near Banon, a charming medieval village surrounded by lavender fields in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Our house has several bedrooms with interior washrooms, a kitchen, a terrace, and a dining room. We also have a swimming pool, a sauna, a jacuzzi, a tennis court, and a boulodrome. After our workshop, we head to Avignon and we take a train to Barcelona where we stay at a very comfortable and centrally located hotel.

As written on our website, the cost of our art workshops in Italy, France, and South America is based on double accommodation. However, we do have limited single rooms for a supplement.

No! No! No! And we do not want this, and besides Italian cuisine is much more than pizza and spaghetti. As written on our website, we offer gourmet meals and excellent regional wines. In fact, we wrote a cooking book that was launched at the Mercato Centrale in Florence.

Around the end of each Studio Italia workshop, the same comment would creep back in at the table: “We ate so well! Why don’t you write down your recipes and publish them as a booklet to be sold as a souvenir? We smiled politely, thinking that everyone was able to cook as well as we did. But one year, a participant in the publishing business suggested that these recipes “be” published, and she was dead serious. So, perhaps all our former participants were right. We finally came to accept the fact. Please visit our recipe book site https://theartistswayofcooking.com

Our favourite cheese shop in Pienza, Tuscany. Here the Pecorini di Pienza.

Everything! for a full nine-day of gastronomy. We serve a variety of meats from the land or the sea; a selection of pasta, cheeses, and deserts; and of course, excellent regional wines as well as Italian brandy and grappa. Our various menus reflect Tuscan and Umbrian cuisine with a personal touch based on our cooking method.

During breakfast, eggs, yogurt, cereals, fruits, etc. are always on the table.  Lunch, mostly light, is served around beautiful salads, pasta, and fruits. Dinner is usually composed of 4 to 5 services including all the wine.

In brief, we provide fresh, healthy, and delicious meals prepared with local ingredients. Since sharing good food and wine is also a great way to learn about art, our gourmet meals are an important part of the learning process and the conviviality of our workshops.

We accommodate most dietary requirements including vegetarian, non-dairy and gluten-free.

Traveling to Florence for my painting workshop >  Amerigo Vespucci Airport > Code FLO .

• You fly to Florence; the airport is very small, the reason we love it.
• You will mostly arrive from Paris, Frankfurt, Rome or London.
• From there you take a shuttle bus or a taxi to Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station, here on the left.
• Then you take a train that will stop at Arezzo a city halfway between Florence and Rome. “Binario” means “platform” in Italian.
• The train ride from Florence to Arezzo is around one-hour plus.
• You will see us at the entrance of the Stazione (train station)

Traveling to Rome for my art class > Leonardo da Vinci Airport > Code FCO (because of Fiumicino, the city next to the airport)

• You fly to Rome; nice size airport but nothing compared to huge American airports.
• From there, go to the airport train station, just across the Terminal, and take the Leonardo Express train to Termini train station (Rome’s main train station, here on the left).
• Time to change train. Take a train that will stop at Arezzo a city halfway between Rome and Florence. “Binari” means “platforms” (plural) in Italian.
• The train ride from Rome to Arezzo varies on the type of train you will take (milk run or speed train).
• You will see us, with a big smile, at the entrance of the Arezzo Stazione (train station)

Traveling to Marseille for my art workshop > Marseille Provence Airport in Marignane > Code MRS

•  You fly to Marseille, Provence  > medium-small-size airport > https://ontheworldmap.com/france/city/marseille/marseille-airport-map.html
• From there go to the “Gare routière” (next to taxi on the map), buy a ticket, and you simply take a bus to the very small Manosque train station (“la gare de Manosque”).
• You will see us smiling outside.

Traveling to Barranquilla for my art workshop in South America>  Ernesto Cortissoz Airport > Code BAQ

•  You fly to Barranquilla (most probably via Panama, Miami, or Bogotá) located on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.
• You will see us or a chauffeur waiting for you. He or she will hold a small sign with your name.
• The chauffeur will drive you directly to Hotel Pradomar in Puerto Colombia (a 55-minute drive)
• We will receive you with a big smile and a welcome drink.

What happens on the morning of the last day?

VERY EASY!

… last day in Italy?

On the last day, we take everyone back to the Arezzo train station. From there you can take a train back to Florence or Rome or the destination of their choice.

… last day in Provence?

Do not forget that your last day in Provence is in fact in Barcelona. We will leave at the hotel and us (Walk the Arts) we have to take a train back to Avignon from the Barcelona Sants train station for logistic purposes.

… last day in Colombia?

You will be then in Cartagena. You will have the choice to stay longer in the city or fly back home or carry your trip from Rafael Núñez Airport (code CTG) to another city in South America.