Karen Hewitt Hagan  Plein Air Painting Workshop Holiday
June 13-20, 2009 in Tuscany   (10 miles from Sienna)      
                           

Program Description:  

The main activity for the week will be the painting workshop.

But there will be plenty of time for excursions to Siena or Florence or the surrounding hill towns to give the organizers and participants an opportunity to explore the art, food and culture of the area.

Plein Air Painting Workshop:
4 Days of Morning Instruction

(4 + hours per day) Concentration on capturing the light en plein air
&  creating strong compositions quickly out of doors. All levels.

Long morning classes with Karen, then free painting in the afternoons. Last day - free painting with optional one on one critique as desired.

Karen  will paint most afternoons and students are encouraged and welcome to join in this free painting time.  Supply List and Plein Air Painting Notes Provided upon registration

REGISTER NOW  
Just pop me an email and I'll send you the form. We're going 

to have a most fabulous time, painting every day, having our meals 
prepared for us and having time to enjoy talking and sharing our painting experiences at dinners! (Karen)

Accommodations:
 

Accommodations will be in a collection of authentic Tuscan country farmhouses on a vineyard estate that has been in existence for hundreds of years.  Most bedrooms and bathrooms are shared 
(1 bathroom for 2 rooms). Everyone gets their own bed.

Wine and olive oil are still produced here.  The stone houses were originally built for the families who worked the land.  The estate is set on the lip of a spectacular valley that overlooks the medieval towers of Siena - about 10 miles away to the southwest.  There is a pool and plenty of gathering space and gardens for classes or group sessions or private painting time.

We are a short walk from the village of Vagliagli, a hamlet in the Chianti region of Italy, dating from 900A.D. It has a cafe, grocery store, post office, restaurant - and a church.  There is early morning bus service to Siena, Florence and other historic Tuscan towns.

Meals:

The group will have it’s own private chef for the week. 

At Il Chiostro, the food experience is very important to us.  
We want everyone to be exposed to the delicious simplicity of authentic Tuscan food, which includes plenty of fresh vegetables, meats, pasta, risotto, fruits, local herbs, and desserts like panforte and tiramisu.

Breakfast and dinner are served in the dining room daily.  Local wine (Chianti) is included with dinner.  Lunches are independent.  There are many opportunities for eating in the village, picnics or on excursions.

Transportation:

All local transportation for excursions and to and from 
plein air sites will be provided by Il Chiostro.  
We normally provide transfers to/from the Siena train station, but if your group is traveling together, we can arrange a van to pick you up in Florence and take you to Il Chiostro.  

For returns, we will provide a van that delivers you to Sienna, where you can get a bus back to Florence for your departure.
 

Activities:  

The Village of Vagliagli  

In addition to the daily painting workshop, Il Chiostro will accommodate / can arrange the following activities:

·        Tour of Siena

·        Winery tour and tasting at the Dievole Chianti Classico Winery

·        Barbecue one evening

·        Early morning nature hike through the valley

·        Visit to nearby Etruscan tombs

·        ½ day hill-town excursions (to Radda, Castellina, 
Monteriggioni, etc.)

   
Please sign up now for 2009 -  Space is very limited

Two new paintings from the  '08  trip  (Hagan)

 
The Contessa's Poppies 20x24 Oil $2400           Poppy Lane 10x6 Oil $600

Note: If your spouse  or a friend wants to join in, but does not  paint 
Il Chiostro also offers cooking, sculpting, photography, writing and language classes, sometimes concurrently w/ this class.  www.IlChiostro.com to see their offerings.

Order Karen's new book which has a section with paintings 
dedicated to this Tuscan property.