With boundless skill, creativity and a plethora of ideas, Phyllis leads this all-inclusive collage workshop with enthusiasm to discover/create/enrich your artistic skills. Lecce's Lo Spazio d'Arte is a community art space in a naturally cool, 15th-century, converted bakery. Make collages with multiple layers and depths through using paintings, photos and objects from this beautiful, largely unexplored region. Create your marvelous memories of ancient Lecce with its above-ground and underground treasures. From pre-Roman through Renaissance to today, the arts remain alive everywhere. Villages with ancient frescoes and mosaics to modern ceramics, nearby coasts with giant caves, endless wildflowers, gnarled olive and almond orchards and vineyards. Enjoy region-specific pastas, wines and cheeses. This is deservedly named 'the Florence of the South'!
 
Location: Lecce, Puglia, Italy
Instructor: Phyllis Chekenian
Cost: 2750 euro
Sponsor: Lo Spazio d'Arte
email, (+1) 570 251 1766 or (+39) 347 906 4636

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling for their workshop at the stunning Salinara Art Farm in Sicily. Discover an endless variety of restaurants and cafés, blue skies and beautiful nature, joyful and welcoming people, traditional foods, and excellent local wines. There will be plenty of opportunities to swim in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Cindy and Theresa will provide daily painting lessons, personalized guidance, and inspiring demonstrations. They’ll share techniques for sketching and simplifying your subject, playing with color and water, adding texture and composition, and enhancing your watercolor journal pages with writing and creative expression. The workshop will conclude with a review session and discussion of participants’ works. Limited spots available.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs
Cost: Starts at € 3200
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email, (+39) 339 77 57 062

Writing can be both an inherited and an acquired skill, as is illustrating. With daily explorations through the heel of Italy, you will encounter antiquities, incredible nature, history and cultures from Greek to modern times. Lindsay, a fun-loving, well-published writer/illustrator and professor, will guide you. Enjoy cool mornings, exploring Lecce and nearby towns, the coast, vineyards and orchards. The warmer afternoons will take place in the naturally cool, cave-like 15th-century converted bakery, Lo Spazio d'Arte, your workspace. Everything is included: regional transportation, private accommodations in Centro Storico, full art materials packet, hand-bound journal, meals, wine and your weeklong pass for building entries at your leisure. This ‘Florence of the South’ is a treasure, and a place to create memories!
 
Location: Lecce, Puglia, Italy
Instructor: Lindsay Barrett George
Cost: 2750 Euro
Sponsor: Lo Spazio d'Arte
email, (+1) 570 251 1766 or (+39) 347 906 4636

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Nine full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gastronomy in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. Our teaching approach and groups limited to eight participants allow us to offer personalized instruction and a stimulating environment that fosters creativity. Cost of CAD 4350 (around US$ 3170) includes instruction, 9-night single or double accommodation (limited single rooms available at no extra cost), all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 gourmet dinners including wine, transportation from and to the Arezzo train station, transportation to all painting sites (Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, etc.), train ticket to Florence, and a guided tour to the Uffizi Museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$3170
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

A concertina sketchbook is the perfect way to make an artistic memory of a place you’ve been. Creative lettering and colourful watercolour sketches result in a collection of vibrant memories that will bring your week back to life forever. The town of Montelparo provides the perfect setting for this way to record a trip with its classical buildings, traditional shops, wonderful food, colourful inhabitants and even truffles in October. Over the last decade Róisín Curé has taught students at every stage of their journey, and with her guidance you’ll take your skill to the next level whether you love to sketch people, buildings, nature or anything that catches your eye.
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Róisín Curé
Cost: €2999
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054

Get ready for an unforgettable artistic adventure in the heart of Le Marche, Italy, next fall 2026! Spend a week soaking up the stunning scenery of rolling hills, ancient villages, and sparkling coastlines while diving into the world of line & wash watercolor painting. Led by the talented Sarah Whyte, this workshop is more than just a painting class—it’s a fresh way to see the world around you. Sarah’s down-to-earth teaching style will inspire you to sharpen your observation skills, uncovering the magic of light, color, and texture in nature. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned artist, Sarah will help you bring your own perspective to life surrounded by Italy’s breathtaking landscapes!
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Sarah Whyte
Cost: €3699
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054

8-day Sketching & Painting Retreat at Dievole Wine Resort, Tuscany. Surrounded by panoramic views and the charm of a 900-year-old winery, you’ll be immersed in the perfect setting to create art from the heart. Most meals, wine, lodging, tours and instruction included. Any medium, all levels welcome. Plus a sketchpad, sharpie, and small watercolor set is recommended, especially for beginners. Karen will demonstrate sketching with enhanced watercolor washes. Then she’ll guide you in developing those initial sketches into expressive small paintings on canvas boards. Through daily demos (in oil and sharpie) personalized instruction, explore how to build compelling compositions, simplify color theory, infuse your travel sketches & paintings with your own unique voice. Hosted by Il Chiostro Workshops.
 
Location: Vagliagli, Tuscany, Italy
Instructor: Karen Hewitt Hagan
Cost: $4475
Website, email, 843-754-0494

Discover the enchanting landscapes and architecture of Italy during this special painting retreat. Under the expert guidance of artist Christopher Cole, you’ll immerse yourself in the captivating beauty of medieval villages, rolling vineyards, and sun-drenched hillsides while refining your artistic skills and developing your unique creative voice. Christopher’s course will focus on sketching and painting from direct observation. Using pencil, pen, watercolours and/or acrylics you will be guided to achieve authentic interpretations of local views, buildings and people on location. By demonstrating how to select your subject, then how to compose and colour your painting, Christopher will inspire confidence using both traditional and contemporary techniques.
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Christopher Cole
Cost: starts at €2999
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors). Nine full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gastronomy in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. Our teaching approach and groups of up to eight participants allow us to offer personalized instruction and a stimulating environment that encourages creativity. Cost of CAD 4485 (around US$ 3290) includes instruction, 9-night single or double accommodation (limited single rooms available at no extra cost), all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 gourmet dinners, transportation from and to the Arezzo train station, transportation to all painting sites (Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, etc.), train ticket to Florence, and a guided tour to the Uffizi museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3290
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

This week is an invitation to slow down, sketch in new ways, and discover what happens when you give yourself time to truly experience what you are seeing. Join artist and educator Jess Yurwitz for an immersive week of line and wash sketching, art journaling, and creative noticing in one of Italy’s most quietly magnificent regions. Working on location in the hill towns and sun-drenched piazzas near Le Marche, you’ll find inspiration around every corner and have the time to actually capture it. The week also includes a full day Taste of Le Marche food tour and a hands-on pasta-making class with a local family, because what you taste, smell, and touch is creative material too.
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Jess Yurwitz
Cost: starts at €3599
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054

Together, you’ll wander sun-soaked villages, sip cappuccinos in cobblestone piazzas, and gather inspiration from every delicious detail—colorful shutters, market flowers, ancient stone walls, and the laughter of new friends. Through guided lessons and playful exercises, Lori and Kenzie will show you how to capture your experiences in fresh, personal ways—combining sketching, collage, watercolor, lettering, and mixed media magic into a keepsake journal that tells your story. By week’s end, you’ll not only have a travel journal brimming with memories, but also a one-of-a-kind piece of art that celebrates your journey. It’s a week of creativity, connection, and discovery—set against the breathtaking backdrop of Italy’s hidden gem. Come ready to explore, play, and fill your pages (and your heart) with beauty.
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Lori Siebert & Kenzi Elston
Cost: starts at €3949
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors). Nine full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gastronomy in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. Our teaching approach and groups of up to eight participants allow us to offer personalized instruction and a stimulating environment that encourages creativity. Cost of CAD 4485 (around US$ 3290) includes instruction, 9-night single or double accommodation (limited single rooms available at no extra cost), all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 gourmet dinners, transportation from and to the Arezzo train station, transportation to all painting sites (Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, etc.), train ticket to Florence, and a guided tour to the Uffizi museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3290
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Join Julie Drew in an unforgettable painting and sketching adventure in the medieval village of Montelparo with amazing food and a taste of the culture. You will explore, paint and sketch in Montelparo and 2 nearby historic locations. There will be archways, doorways, cobblestone paths, vistas and Medieval villages to inspire you. Julie will teach you how to focus in and paint with your heart. There will be time to paint freely as well as guidance and demonstrations, where we will cover tricks and tools of painting that you will be able to use long after the retreat is over. At the end of our excursions, we will talk about our paintings, sharing ideas and learning from each other.
 
Location: Montelparo, Italy
Instructor: Julie Drew
Cost: starts at €3099
Sponsor: Hotel Leone
Website, email, +39 340 4166054