Toscana Americana

Arts, Music, Culture & Travel

Toscana Americana Homepage

TAW Workshop Calendar

TAW FAQ's & A's

Photography

Painting & Drawing

Alison Watt home

Ann T Como home

Annie Cicale Home

Treasures of Tuscany Umbr

Cortona Photo Gallery

Snowy Cortona

Chasing the Painter’s Light

to the Tuscan Landscape!

with Alyssa DeLaBruere


 May 7-14, 2025   Wed-Wed

  Cortona, Italy

Enrollment limited! Enroll now!


Cortona, Italy
Cortona, Italy

Alyssa attended the University of Vermont where she studied visual art and art history, concentrating in painting and printmaking, then continued to obtain her teaching certification in visual arts. As a teaching artist, Alyssa combines her love for art and artists with her passion to ignite and nurture the creative talents in others.


Join Alyssa for a week of immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and local color of the Tuscan landscape. Based in Beautiful Cortona, experience all the wonders Tuscany has to offer – the rolling countryside, picturesque hill towns, and breathtaking vistas through the eyes of the artist! With Alyssa’s guidance as a veteran plein-air painter and teaching artist who has spent the past two decades sharing her passion for travel and landscape painting throughout the US and Europe, this will be a week like no other! Get ready to improve your artistic knowledge, expand your creativity, build connections, and embed your experiences and memories of your Italian adventure in the beautiful artworks you create!

 

“Color is the essence of everything. For me, a world without color would be a world without emotion, without passion. If a painting is a novel, then color represents the words. Just as an author can write a story in many ways using different words and phrases, color provides the skeleton and building blocks of my artistic process.” - Alyssa


 Level: No previous experience necessary, this workshop is for everyone.

(spouse or Non-participating guests welcome)


Alyssa DeLaBruere
Alyssa
 
San Cristoforo
San Cristoforo

Picture Yourself...

among the sights and sounds of beautiful and romantic Tuscany: olive groves, vineyards, centuries-old buildings, winding streets, texture and vibrant sunlight.

Feel Yourself...

in the warm ambiance of Cortona, overlooking Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana, originally fortified by the Umbrians, claimed by the Etruscans, touched by the Renaissance, almost unchanged for centuries, one of Tuscany's jewels.

Experience...

the joy of creating mosaic art in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere with the camaraderie of a small group of enthusiastic Artists.

Enjoy...

great Italian food, delightful wines, new friends, breath-taking vistas, history and the hospitality of the people of Cortona.


 

Meet Alyssa DeLaBruere


Hailing from Northern Vermont, Alyssa spends her time “chasing the painter’s light” across the United States and Europe. For the past decade, Alyssa spent her summers teaching painting, drawing and printmaking in the South of France in the beautiful Ardéche Mountains. From 2017-2020, Alyssa used her artistic gifts to be a voice for the US National Parks in her “Postcards from the Parks” project traveling across the country to plein-air painting the most scenic vistas in America to bring awareness and appreciation to protecting public lands. In 2019, Alyssa headed to Taos, New Mexico, for a year-long artist’s sabbatical in ‘Georgia O’Keeffe country’ culminating with a solo exhibition of her work pairing the American Southwest and the rugged landscape of Southern France. In August 2020, Alyssa moved to London to join the TASIS England Visual Art Team as a teaching artist, department coordinator, and gallery director. During her three years in the UK, Alyssa continued her explorations, traveling to remote beautiful landscapes in Ireland, Cornwall, France, and Italy. This work culminated in two exhibitions in England in 2021 and 2022.

Alyssa attended the University of Vermont where she studied visual art and art history, concentrating in painting and printmaking, then continued to obtain her teaching certification in visual arts. As a teaching artist, Alyssa combines her love for art and artists with her passion to ignite and nurture the creative talents in others.


Testimonial...

"Just do it! 

This was an experience of a lifetime. We traveled to Tuscany and had a week of wonderful art and exploration. Friendships were made, food was savored and beautiful art was created. 

Alyssa meets each student at their own personal level. Her gentle guidance and advice makes painting a joy. There were 6 women in our group and Alyssa was always available to answer our questions and share our journeys. 

Our exceptional travel host (Patrick) kept every day flowing smoothly. Reservations, travel, gelato, and answering every question imaginable. He took us to a monastery, several studios, a lovely little island with an ancient olive grove. Extraordinary service!

I look forward to more travel with Alyssa in the future. She’s the best!"  Diana Poulin



Go to Enrollment page!

Tuscan Hillside
Tuscan Hillside
Montepulciano Study
Montepulciano Study

Itinerary

5/7 Wednesday – Florence to Cortona 

12:00pm Depart Florence airport (FLR) escorted group travel to Cortona

1:30pm Arrival and check-in in Cortona – free afternoon to explore

6:00pm Welcome to Cortona wine and aperitifs

7:00pm Dinner in Cortona

 

5/8 Thursday – Cortona 

9:00-12:00p Morning Workshop

Group collaborative warm-ups, teaching demos and approaches to landscape composition, quick sketches – resetting our brain and becoming acquainted with our space!

12:00 – 2:00pm Lunch and Explore

2:00-5:00p Afternoon Workshop

Outdoor sketching; learning to read the light and shadow, how to find your viewpoint for depth and dynamics for paintings, adding spot color, choosing our vantage points for tomorrow’s plein-air session

6:00pm – wine/aperitifs

7:00pm – dinner in Cortona

 

5/9 Friday - Day Trip to Lake Trasimeno & Isola Maggiore in Umbria

8:00a departure time

8:50a Boat to Isola Maggiore

9:30a – 12:00 Morning session

Demo: Painting Skies and Water. Quick exercises in simple and beautiful ways to capture atmosphere and light in watercolor in our sketchbooks.

12:00 Lite lunch 

12:30-3:00p Afternoon Workshop

3:00p Boat departure to Passignno

6:30pm – wine/aperitifs

7:00pm – dinner in Cortona

 

5/10 Saturday – Cortona
9:00-12:30p Morning Workshop

Demo and instruction: How to use our quick site sketches map out to our paintings. Working from the general to specific and color theory!  Panel prep and drawing out our compositions

12:30-2:00pm Lunch

2:00-5:00p Afternoon Workshop

First full plein-air painting session with one-on-one support and critique

6:00pm – wine/aperitifs

7:00pm – dinner in Cortona


 

5/11 Sunday - Cortona 
9:00-12:30pm Morning Workshop

Demo and instruction: Archways, doorways and creating depth – working with architecture – exercises, sketchbook work and planning for afternoon session.

12:30 – 2:00pm Lunch

2:00-5:00pm Afternoon Workshop

Full afternoon of plein-air painting session

6:00pm – wine/aperitifs

7:00pm – dinner in Cortona

 

5/12 Monday – Day Trip to Lucignano and Castiglion Fiorentino 

Early departure time TBA

9:30 – 12:00pm Morning Session

Walking sketchbook tour of this magical hill town with stopping points for a variety of sketches, watercolor/acrylic studies.

12:00 – 2:00pm free time for lunch and shopping

2:00 – 5:00pm Afternoon Workshop

Plein air monotype printmaking exploration – spontaneous painting made on plates and pressed onto paper! (potential sources of inspiration for a future painting!)

6:30pm – wine/aperitifs

7:00pm – dinner in Cortona

 

5/13 Tuesday- Cortona 
9:00-12:30pm Morning Workshop

Choose your own viewpoint and complete our final painting using one of the medium and techniques we have explored throughout the week!

12:30-2:00 Lunch

2:00-5:00pm Afternoon Workshop

Final touches on our final pieces with one-on-one critique session with me. Followed by casual group exhibition and sharing and time admire all we’ve accomplished!

 7:00pm –  Final Dinner Celebration in Cortona

 

5/14 Wednesday day – Departure

-Morning Check-out

-8:00am departure from Cortona with escorted return to Florence airport.




Note: Toscana Americana reserves the right to alter this itinerary. All times are approximate.
Note: Transfers are provided only for programmed meals and activities away from the hotel.
Note: All guests are responsible for handling their own luggage/baggage....we suggest to pack light.
Note: No refunds are given for any unused aspects of the itinerary or for any activities outside the above itinerary.

All-inclusive* workshop includes:
Escorted Group travel Florence
airport to Cortona on May 7, 2025****

Escorted Group travel Cortona to
Florence airport on May 14, 2025****
Instruction on location & in the studio

Seven nights accommodations in historic Cortona**

(Private or shared room & bath)
Local Etruscan Museum & Museo Diocesano

Day trip to Lago Trasimeno

& Isola Maggiore 

Day trip to Lucignano

& Castiglion Fiorentino 

Sketchbooks and Monotype printing supplies provided
All meals
(Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Daily wine tasting opportunities

A farewell wine tasting dinner


**Included with Hotel plans only. See details.

  ****Specific departure time from Florence airport only at 12:00 noon Saturday May 7, 2025
Specific departure time from Cortona on departure day at 8:00am Saturday May 14, 2025
  *All-inclusive plans are Hotel plans only.
*Air travel and ground transportation to/from Cortona is not included and is the responsibility of each participant.



Special Hotel Plans...
All-inclusive w/ private room/bath &
Group Meal Plan...$4,290.00 per person!
$3,990.00 per person double occupancy
w/Group Meal Plan!


Go to Enrollment page!


Toscana Americana Workshops
Proud Partner of
Hotel Luca, Cortona

 

Testimonials...

“I had the pleasure of having Alyssa as my visual art instructor in France for two weeks. Her professionalism and talent are matched only by her warm and supportive personality. I look forward to working with her again!”

 

“The adult art workshops with Alyssa DeLaBruere have been such a source of restoration, relaxation, and blossoming creativity. Even with little to no beginning knowledge, Alyssa’s support helped me to experience the joy and pride of creating beautiful pieces of art and view myself as an artist.”

 

“I had the pleasure of working with Alyssa at an artist retreat in France in 2018. Alyssa’s creativity and compassion as an educator, especially for people who were new to creating art was invaluable. Alyssa has the skill and knowledge necessary to make anyone, regardless of ability find success as an artist.”

 

“Working with Alyssa never feels like work! She sets a tone that enables her team to be inquisitive and creative along with their clients, fostering a collaborative space for curiosity and inspiration for all!”

 

“Alyssa provides simply the best art education in the region. One of the things I have always loved about her teaching is that she connects learning the ‘how to’ of art with the ‘why’ and the "who's who" of art history, which I appreciate very much both as an artist and parent of children also under her tutelage!”

 

“I recently attended Alyssa's art workshop in the mountains of Southern France and loved it so much I attended again the following year as well! Not only is Alyssa an amazing artist in her own right, she believes all of us have the potential to be great and we are each a unique artist inside. She taught us how to release the inner critic and with joy and community as our foundation, we all learned to create from the heart.  Alyssa is a delightful, professional instructor with extraordinary skills who has an uncanny ability to bring out the best in each participant. It has been one of my greatest honors to have spent precious time with Alyssa in two workshops abroad and now to call her a friend for life.“


Participant Supply List...

Plein-air easel and water pot

Portable pan watercolor set and a small selection of brushes

Variety of pencils and eraser

Acrylic Brushes

-           small, medium and large flat

-           small and medium round

5 Wood or MDF painting panels (gessoed)– size varying based on preference from 9x12” – 12x16”, square format and panorama fine too to add to the challenge!


Alyssa will suggest a color pallete!

Sketchbooks and Monotype printing supplies provided!


Abbey Mazan
Abbey Mazan
Mabel Dodge Luhan House
Mabel Dodge Luhan House
About Cortona...

Cortona is one of the true jewels of the Tuscan “hill towns.”    Cortona, which is often called the “City of Art,” has its origin as an Etruscan city that pre-dates Roman times with sections of its walls dating back some 2500 years.  As is typical of Tuscan hill-towns, Cortona is a walled city that, for purposes of defense, was built atop a prominent geographical point. The stone buildings and streets not only have the romance, style, and charm that are particular to Tuscany, but also speak of the lives and times Cortona has witnessed. An encounter with Cortona is an encounter with music & art, with history and with spirituality. Getting to know this timeless city is a real rediscovery of our past. Cortona offers testimony to its history as well as an enchanting view of the landscape enclosed by Lake Trasimeno and the Apennine mountains

Montepulciano
Montepulciano
Cortona
Cortona
Cortona from Val di Chiana
Cortona from Val di Chiana
Covid-19 Protocols and Safety Measures  (No current restrictions as of July 19, 2023)
To respect our local host communities/countries and to ensure the safety and health of our guests and participants we follow the safety measures and protocols in place by our host communities/countries at the time of any given workshop or program or tour. These measures and protocols may vary and or change from time to time as well as during the course of any given workshop or program or tour and we will adapt to and abide by official safety measures and protocols. All of our guests and participants, without exception, are expected to adapt to and abide by official safety measures and protocols during any given workshop or program or tour in which they are participating. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks are the responsibility of each guest or participant. Health documents such as proof of vaccination or inoculation or other required by a host country, such as Italy for example, are the sole responsibility of each guest or participant. We strongly suggest all such documents are carried on-person at all times during any given workshop or program or tour in which they are participating.
Persons who may be in an at-risk category or state of health are suggested to not participate.


Frequently Asked Questions and info


New requirements to travel
to Europe starting mid-2025

What is ETIAS?

Official ETIAS website


Email Toscana Americana Workshops for more info

Frequently Asked Questions and info
Back to Workshop Calendar