Enrollment open until September 6, 2010.... so join us! Last-minute enrollment accepted!
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Cortona "Island in the Sky"
Meet Lori Putnam
Painting the Tuscan Sun painting en Plein Air with artist/instructor Lori Putnam Cortona, Italy September 11-18, 2010
Plein air, a French word, literally translates as 'open air', and is defined as painting or drawing done outside, in the open air. An equivalent term in Italian would be al fresco.
Follow master painter and workshop instructor Lori Putnam off the beaten path to the hill town of Cortona, and the surrounding Tuscan landscape. Add strength to your composition, excitement to your brushwork, and learn to see and mix fresh color in the breathtaking light of the Tuscan sun.
Lori’s workshops emphasize simplifying subject matter, identifying planes and values, massing dominant and subordinate shapes, and knowing when and how to push color. Lori will meet each painter’s individual needs. Whether a beginner just learning the fundamentals of plein air, or a seasoned professional searching for a new creative eye, Lori will help you move your work to a new level. This workshop will include demonstrations, group work, individual instruction, and critiques. A study guide will also be provided.
Come. Taste the rich atmosphere and paint in a land where other great artists have been inspired for centuries.
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 painting en plein air in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere with the expert instruction of a nationally know artist and instructor and the camaraderie of a small group of learners.
Enjoy...
great Italian food, delightful wines, new friends, breath-taking vistas, history and the hospitality of the people of Cortona.
All-inclusive* workshop includes: Escorted group travel Rome to Cortona September 11, 2010**** Instruction in the classroom and on location Seven nights accommodations in historic Cortona** (Private room & bath) Local Etruscan Museum & Museo Diocesano All meals*** (Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner) Daily wine tasting opportunities Day trip to Assisi & Val di Chiana A farewell wine tasting dinner Tuscan cooking clas & dinner
**Included with "Casa Betania" plans only. See details. ***Included with "Group Meal Plan" only. See details. ****Specific departure time only; to be announced *All-inclusive plans are Hotel plans A, C, E, G and Hostel plans I & K only. Air travel and ground transportation to/from Cortona is not included and is the responsibility of each participant.
Casa Betania proud partner of Toscana Americana Workshops since 2003
Visit Casa Betania online
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.
Itinerary
Saturday – Arrival in Cortona
-7:00p Welcome to Cortona wine and chocolate tasting at La Saletta.
-8:00p Evening dinner in Cortona at La Locanda nel Loggiato
Sunday - Paint Cortona
-9:00a-12:00p Morning Session: Demonstration and discussion
-1:00p Lunch
-3:00-6:00p Afternoon Painting Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner
Monday - Paint Cortona
-9:00-12:00p Morning Painting Session
-1:00p Lunch
-3:00-6:00p Afternoon Painting Session and Group Critique
-7:30p Wine tasting Il Pozzo
-8:00p Evening dinner
Tuesday - Paint Val di Chiana
-9:00-12:00p Morning Painting Session: Demonstration and discussion
-1:00p Lunch
-3:00-6:00p Afternoon Painting Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner
Wednesday - Paint Cortona
-9:00-12:00p Morning Painting Session
-12:00 Lunch
-1:00-4:00p Afternoon Painting Session
-7:30p Tuscan cooking class and dinner
Thursday - Paint Assisi
- Morning Painting Session
-1:00 Lunch
- Afternoon Painting Session and Group Critique
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner
Friday - Paint Cortona or Option Wine tour (cost extra)
-OPTIONAL Day trip: Wine Tour Avignonesi Vineyard (tour), Pienza (lunch), then Montalcino and Montepulciano to explore the Brunello, Chianti and Vino Nobile includes light lunch or paint on your own in Cortona
-8:00p Farewell Dinner
Saturday – Departure -Morning Check-out and departure from Cortona.
Note: Toscana Americana reserves the right to alter this itinerary. All times are approximate
"Sundried" Lori Putnam
Supply List
All of your supplies should fit comfortably in one bag or backpack and be lightweight enough for you to carry on your own. The following list allows for easy transporting of materials. You will be emailed “packing for the flight” tips upon registration.
Portable painting easel or pochade such as OpenBox M or Soltek. If you do not currently own portable equipment, please email me for more information.
Wooden (or other neutral-toned) mixing palette (Do not use white, disposable palette pages!)
Oil Paints (please pay particular attention to the brands listed):
You may bring any color palette you are comfortable with using. I use a basic palette, limiting my colors to the following specific brands. Using fewer tubes of paint lightens my backpack and provides dependable color mixtures.
Cad Red Deep Hue (Winton #6)
Ultramarine Blue (Winton #21)
Cad Yellow Medium (Gamblin)
Titanium White (Gamblin, Grumbacher, or other)
Brushes:
About half-dozen, high quality, bristle brushes in sizes 4-10. I suggest filberts, flats or a mixture of the two. Do not bring small brushes!!!
My preference is Silver Brush Grand Prix or Escoda Chungking.
Several styles of palette knives
Canvases:
Bring canvas panels (not stretched canvases). Depending on your level of experience and how fast you paint, bring 8x10, 9x12, or 12x16 panels, two or three for each day. Visit www.windriverarts.com or www.raymarart.com for high quality panels.
Other:
Small sketchpad and pencil
EMPTY, sealable, non-breakable, spill-proof (clamp-lid) container for mineral spirits (such as the metal Anderson, Holbein, or Martin Universal)
Liquin (optional, makes the paint dry more rapidly for ease in packing)
Wet canvas carrier such as a Panel Roo (email panelroo@yahoo.com), as a part or your pochade box, or disposable, cardboard ones.
Mineral Spirits (MS) may be purchased on location. DO NOT PACK AND BRING. IT IS ILLEGAL TO BRING OMS ON FLIGHTS. Participants purchase their own mineral spririts or equivalent.
Paper towels and plastic grocery bags (for trash) can be purchased on location.
Sense of humor
LIST OF SUGGESTED READING:
Anything on Sergei Bongart, Joaquín Sorolla, or John Singer Sargent
Fill Your Paintings with Light and Color, Kevin D. Macpherson ISBN 1581800533
Brushwork, Emile A. Gruppe, ISBN 0823005259
Composition of Outdoor Painting, Edgar Payne ISBN 0944699022
Distributed by DeRu's Fine Arts 949-376-3785
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, John F. Carlson, ISBN 0844661023
Travel with fellow artists, family & friends! In addition to Non-participating guest options, did you know that other workshops are offered this same week! Enjoy the experience together while immersed in different topics! View calendar for details!
Testimonials
“Lori was very patient and very insightful in her approach to our beginning oils class. I had little experience, but she made certain that I understood the processes we went through and was able to apply them to my own style of painting. Her class was one of the most influential classes I've taken, and would really enjoy another class, which I hope will happen in the near future.”
Tony Leonard, Nashville, TN
“I am so grateful to have studied plein air painting with Lori. Before I attended her courses I was aware of her reputation as an artist, and I was an avid admirer and owner of her works. As her student I was amazed to find her to be as gifted an instructor as she is an artist. During her classes she seamlessly moves us through all the steps of plein air painting. At the close of the three day event, I was amazed to find myself admiring my completed plein air scene. It was only through Lori’s skilled leadership that we were able to make such enormous progress in such a brief time.”
Cindy Helms, Brentwood, TN
"Finally, I can see color... REALLY see color. For years I thought I knew what color to use when painting an apple. I could mix that color perfectly every time. Unaware, I had assembled a bag of tricks that would allow me to paint formula paintings at will, but Lori helped open my eyes and see true color. It was as much a change of mind as a change in the way I painted. My paintings are now filled with more atmosphere and light; each a unique expression of what I truly see."
