among the sights and sounds of beautiful and romantic Lake Como: Beautiful Villasand gardens, centuries-old buildings, winding streets, water, mountains, texture and vibrant sunlight.
Feel Yourself...
in the warm ambiance of Varenna, a picturesque and colorful village on the eastern shore of Lake Como. The two sides of the village are connected by a walkway along the waterfront, almost unchanged for centuries, one of Lake Como's jewels.
Experience...
the joy of painting en plein air in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere with the camaraderie of a small group of enthusiastic painters.
Enjoy...
great Italian food, delightful wines, new friends, breath-taking vistas, history and the hospitality of the people of LakeComo.
During the week we will visit the towns and villages of Varenna, Tremezzo, Menaggio, Lenno & of course the famous Bellagio!!!. We will travel during the week by ferry as we visit the various villages along the shores of Lake Como!
And, in true Toscana Americana Workshops style, we will explore the local Lake Como culture, cuisine and wines while dining at local restaurants as well as our hotel dining room! This is bound to be a wonderful week with plenty of opportunity to paint in a relaxed and inspirational setting!
Workshop is open to painters of all levels. Ann will teach and demo in watercolor but all mediums are welcome. Whether you are a novice just learning to mix color, or a professional needing advanced problem solving, Ann's individualized instruction will address needs at your level and push you to the next step in your personal development.
All-inclusive* workshop includes: Escorted group travel Milan Malpensa airport to Varenna September 17, 2025**** Instruction on location at Lake Como Seven nights accommodations in historic Varenna (Private room & bath)** Villa Carlotta & Villa Melzi Gardens All meals*** (Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner) Daily wine tasting opportunities Day trips to Bellagio & Tremezzo
Day trips to Menaggio & Lenno
Ferry boat transfers A farewell wine tasting dinner Escorted group travel Varenna toMilan
Malpensaairport September 24, 2025****
**Included with "Hotel" private room plans only. See details. ***Included with "Group Meal Plan" only. Italian breakfast simply includes coffees, brioche, toast, milk, juices, cheese, hard boiled egg, fruit. ****Specific departure time from Milan Malpensa airport September 17, 2025 only at 12:00noon ****Specific departure time from Varenna to Milan Malpensa airport September 24, 2025 only at 8:00am *All-inclusive plans are "Hotel" only. Air travel and independent ground transportation to/from Varenna is not included and is the responsibility of each participant. Group transfers as noted above are included only at times shown.
Artist Ann Thomas is widely recognized for her fine architectural style renderings of homes, businesses and landmark buildings in pen and ink, colored pencil, and watercolor. Ann is also known for her detailed images used in children’s books, greeting cards and other print media. Ann freelances out of her home studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is currently an online instructor for Craftsy.com. She can be contacted at annsart@sbcglobal.net, web site address: www.annthomasillustration.com
Ann..."I have always loved to draw. Since 2nd grade. Really.
Trained as a Graphic artist and working in that field for several years, I changed gears to focus on my illustration skills. Proficient in colored pencil, watercolor, pastels and most recently water-based oils, my first love is pen and ink.
Years ago a friend gave me his technical pen and I immediately fell in love with the crisp, dark lines against the creamy background of the paper. Since then I’ve done countless homes and buildings in and around where I live and currently give workshops sharing this wonderful media with others.
My other passion is drawing children and illustrating for children’s books and creating my yearly Christmas card. I have an online class available through Craftsy.com devoted to this.
I’ve worked as a graphic designer, taught as an adjunct instructor at Mount Mary University for 6 years and am currently giving workshops in pen and ink and watercolor."
Bellagio
Itinerary
September 17 Wednesday - Arrival/Check-in Verenna
12:30p - departure of Group travel from Malapensa (Milano) airport Terminal 1 to Verenna 6:00p-Welcome reception 7:00p- Dinner
September 18 Thursday – Bellagio
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Afternoon Session 2
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 19 Friday-Tremezzo
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Afternoon Session 2
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 20 Saturday- Menaggio
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Afternoon Session 2
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 21 Sunday- Varenna
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Afternoon Session 2
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 22 Monday- Lenno
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Afternoon Session 2
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 23 Tuesday- Bellagio & Verenna
Morning Session 1
Lunch
Free Afternoon
6:30p-Aperitifs
7:00p- Dinner
September 24 Wednesday- Verenna to Malpensa airport
7:30a Breakfast & Morning check out/ good byes
8:30a Departure of Group travel to Malpensa/Milan airport Terminal 1 (approx. arrival at 10:30a)
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.
Note:Airfares not included
Note: Guests are responsible for all personal hotel service charges
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 square kilometres (56 sq mi), making it the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over 400 metres (1,300 feet) deep, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe, and the bottom of the lake is more than 200 metres (660 ft) below sea level.
Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times, and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. It has many villas and palaces (such as Villa Carlotta). Many famous people have or have had homes on the shores of Lake Como, such as Matthew Bellamy, Madonna, George Clooney,Gianni Versace, Ronaldinho, Sylvester Stallone, Julian Lennon, Richard Branson, Ben Spies, and Pierina Legnani. Lake Como is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe.
About Varenna...Our home away from home...
Varenna is a picturesque medieval village on the east coast of Lake Como. Many elements make it a magical place, such as the unique position in the centre of the lake, the frame of woods and vineyards on the slopes of the nearby mountains, and the sunny climate. Built in the Roman age, Varenna conserves its original forms by presenting itself as a small fishermen’s village, with its typical coloured houses, narrow stone streets and steep staircases. Called “pearl of the lake”, Varenna is also famous for its historical monuments, such as St. George church and the medieval fortress called Vezio Castle, and the ancients abodes of amazing beauty, such as villa Monastero and villa Cipressi.
Meet your host in Tuscany...Patrick Mahoney
Patrick Mahoney has called Cortona, Italy home since 2001! Patrick shares his very personal and intimate knowledge of Cortona's people, history, art, culture and food & wine to Toscana Americana Workshops experience. With his love of travel and after studying and working for many years in the Art & Entertainment industry Patrick's sensativity creates and shapes, along with a stable of wonderfully talented instructors, meaaningful, creative and memorale experiences in the Arts. A testament to the quality of the Toscana Americana Workshops experience is the large number of participants who return to enrich their lives while participating in creative programs...not only in Cortona, but also the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre, Venice, Portofino, as well as Santorini, Greece and Austria, and the American Southwest!!
Covid-19 Protocols and Safety Measures (No restrictions as of September 16, 2024) 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.
