Day 1 - Arrival Day

Arrive and check into your room any time after 2pm (earlier arrivals are possible but rooms won’t usually be ready to check-in to until after 2pm) - Once you’ve settled in, you may wish to relax at the house or take a trip to town to explore before starting your painting lessons the next morning - In the evening relax with the group, Caroline and her husband Andrea to discuss the plan for the week over a glass of wine before your evening meal at the house

Day 2 – Form and Line

After breakfast you will focus on Form and Line with Caroline - She will teach you about contour drawings, as well as fast and furious gesture drawings without looking at the paper whilst drawing stretching you to focus on looking at the subject rather than your drawing - Lunch will be served after your first painting lesson -In the afternoon you are free to paint at your leisure - experienced artists can jump straight in, whilst beginners are encouraged to learn how to frame, compose and simplify with a series of quick thumbnail pictures using frames, which Caroline will be on hand to help with - Dinner will be served in the evening accompanied by delicious local wines

Day 3 – Perspective and Measuring

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast with the rest of the group -Today’s lesson is entitled ‘Perspective and Measuring’ and Caroline will cover the basics of perspective as well as the perspectives of contrast and colour -Learn how to measure and calculate the placement of the line for your drawings - After lunch, enjoy an excursion to the Ducal Palace in Camerino where you will put your newfound perspective skills to the test - Reward yourself with another home cooked dinner this evening, served al fresco in the warm summer sunshine

Day 4 – Tone

After breakfast, your lesson is centred on tone and making the fundamental step from drawing to painting - Caroline will teach you a number of exercises designed to help you to calibrate the tone of your work - You will cover still live to landscape in this lesson and have to opportunity to incorporate these skills into practice - After a delicious lunch, you will execute a tonal painting in oil using ‘wipe-out’ to create a monochromatic picture of your own - Relax and unwind in the evening with another lovely dinner and toast your newfound creativity with a glass of wine

Day 5 – Colour

Once you’ve started the day with a leisurely breakfast, it’s time to focus on colour - Explore basic mixing, harmonies, temperature, the power of a limited palatte and much more - After lunch, you will return to your monochromatic painting from the day before, and add colour glazes to the picture - Dinner will be served in the evening with your fellow guests

Day 6 – Composition and Abstraction

Start the day with a healthy breakfast to set you up for the fun day ahead - Today you will experiment with the fundamentals of composition and take the first steps towards abstraction if you wish - The tutorial is also focused on mood and atmosphere and is a great opportunity to develop the talents you have already built upon this week - Unwind this evening over a lovely dinner cooked by Andrea at the farmhouse

Day 7 – Final Painting Day

After breakfast, it’s time to focus on your painting and finish creating a masterpiece! - Today can be spent at your leisure, pulling together the different skills you have learnt during the week and applying them to your painting - Lunch will be served in the afternoon and then you can carry on creating your final piece with the guidance of Caroline - Reward your hard work with a final dinner, and relax at this beautiful location with your new friends and host as you reflect on your week at the retreat

Day 8 - Departure Day

After breakfast, it’s time to check-out of your room ready for departure with your fellow guests, full of good memories and new skills that will last you a lifetime

Painting Holiday Accommodation

Your hosts Caroline and Andrea brought the two farmhouses and outbuildings a few years ago and renovated it whilst retaining as many of the original features as possible - The guest farmhouse is set in its own sunken gardens surrounded by fruit trees and provides inspiring views over the valley and river - There are three twin/double bedrooms, two bathrooms (two bedrooms share a bathroom, one has en-suite) a sitting room and beautiful terrace shaded by a pergola - Rooms have hand painted shutters to create a theme for each of the rooms, the ‘olive’ and the ‘poppy’ rooms face towards the village of Camerino and the ‘sunflower’ room faces to the west and the setting sun - Prices are based on 2 sharing a room - Single travellers can choose to either share a room with another guest of the same sex (subject to availability) for no extra charge or can pay a single supplement for a private room