In one of my recent posts, I promised I would show you the step-by-step process I used to paint a sketch of Fattoria Bacio, our workshop location in Tuscany. The villa is perched on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. One pretty fall morning, I walked out along the ridge, about […]
Category: Italy
Day Trip to San Gimignano and Saying Goodbye to Tuscany
It had been a fantastic week at Fattoria Bacio and our final days gave us more of the same. The sunrise Thursday morning was spectacular… and the skies cleared by breakfast time, forecasting a perfect day for our trip to San Gimignano. But as we ate our breakfast, a stealthy fog began to fill the […]
A Vineyard Tour and a Visit to La Meridiana
I’m back from Europe safe and sound, and I can’t wait to tell you all about Cornwall, but first, let me continue with the story of my week teaching at Fattoria Bacio in Tuscany…. After a morning spent painting at the villa on Wednesday, we enjoyed an afternoon tour of the Fattoria Bacio vineyards. Alberto […]
Hanging Around the Villa
After a full day in the bustling city of Siena, it was nice to have some time to relax at the villa on Wednesday. Wednesday morning, and every morning, when I woke up and looked out my window, I just had to smile…I was in Italy! One of my sketches of the view from the […]
Sketching in Siena
We took the train into Siena on Tuesday and spent the day walking around the city. Siena is famous for the Palio de Siena, a horse race that is run twice a year around the Piazza del Campo, the large sloping square in the center of town. There were no horses to be seen on […]
Certaldo – A Hilltop Gem
The medieval town of Certaldo is just a few miles down the road from Fattoria Bacio. It’s so perfectly preserved that visiting it is like stepping back in time. Certaldo is a lesser-known Tuscan hill town, so we almost felt like we had it to ourselves yesterday when we visited. We spent hours wandering about, […]
Fabulous Fattoria Bacio
We’re happily ensconced at Fattoria Bacio now and loving every minute of our time in this beautiful place. The villa is perched on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and hilltop homes. It couldn’t be prettier and the amount of visual stimulation for an artist is almost overwhelming! I feel like I’m […]
Fun in Florence!
We finally made it to Florence! Yesterday’s frustrations were forgotten after a good night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast. We set out on foot in the late morning and took in lots of the popular sights as we meandered around the city. We didn’t see everything we wanted to, but we had a good sampling […]
On My Way!
Finally! I’m on my way to Italy! I’m traveling with my mother Saundra and my friend Candy. Tomorrow we’ll be in Florence, a bit jet-lagged perhaps but ready to explore that beautiful art-filled city. I’m hoping to share lots of pictures from my travels, but it’s all dependant upon finding internet access, which isn’t as […]
Enjoying Spring and Planning for Fall
Seems like everything’s blossoming, growing, and greening-up time of year. It’s so much fun to walk around the yard every day and discover what poked up through the soil overnight. Echinacea, hosta, and primroses are all growing, and the bleeding heart is covered with buds. The forsythia was spectacular this year – I brought a […]
