WHAT IF I'M NOT EXPERIENCED IN ART, IS THIS RETREAT STILL FOR ME?
Yes, all of our courses are intended for anyone who is a beginner or an intermediate painter looking to improve or just have a go for the first time. We also often work with more experienced painters who simply need a well-equipped studio space and our knowledge of the local area. Each course is different and is dependent on the nature of the group and Julian varies the content to keep it lively and fun, whilst ensuring that you go home with work you’re proud of.
CAN I BRING A FRIEND/PARTNER WHO DOESN'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ART CLASSES?
Yes, non-participants are welcome and there are plenty of activities around the area or just time and space to relax while we are in class. They are welcome to come along on day trips throughout the week and participate in any activity as they would like.
WHAT IF I’M TRAVELING ALONE?
The majority of our guests come alone, and as we work in various locations around Italy and the world, each venue has its own arrangement of rooms. If we offer a shared room option, we match up based on guest profile which has always worked out really well. Most guests find that they are mainly only in the rooms to sleep as most tend to relax in the common areas of each of our locations when we're not in class, on daytrips, or having meals. Occasionally there are a limited number of single rooms available for an extra supplement price. If the single rooms are sold-out, there is an option for single occupancy in a double room for a higher supplement as well. There are many variants(!), so it’s always best to see the exact arrangements and prices on the specific retreat page you are interested in.
DO YOU CATER FOR SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS?
We can arrange with our locations and restaurants that we visit to cater for simple requests like vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten intolerance, but we do need to know in advance and this is included in your sign up form. We ask guests to specify intolerances, rather than preferences.
WHAT IS THE GENERAL DEMOGRAPHIC OF YOUR GROUPS?
Each of our groups is unique, although we tend to have a wide ranging demographic for every course. The majority of our guests are women, but more recently we are seeing many more men, and all ages from late 20s through late 70s - and sometimes even more broad. Most of our guests come from the UK, the US, Australia and Canada although we have guests from all over the world. We really pride ourselves in the variety and love how guests learn from one another - both culturally and artistically throughout the courses.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Sign up by using the "sign-up" link on any of the retreat pages after choosing your payment option (hold deposit or full payment) from the drop-down menu. It will add the retreat to your shopping cart, and when you're ready to check out, click to your shopping cart in the upper right hand corner. You will then fill out an information form, and then payment. We then will send you an official confirmation and welcome email with a disclosure and emergency contact form to fill out and sign, as well as any pertinent travel information you may need.