This weeks landscape painting group is off to Macerata's splendid open air opera Lo Sferisterio. On the program tonight: 'La Traviata' by Verdi. The composer, a son of this beautiful region of Le Marche, is celebrated through the summer opera festival at Macerata each year. The weather is gorgeous and with the shooting star…
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Palette knife painting
Painting plein-air today with a very talented group followed by a cooling dip for the kids and John and some delicious home-cooked food while watching the stunning sunset.
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Atmospheric Painting
Today's paintings jn progress... Contact The Retreat for details of our painting holidays in the heart of the Italian countryside.
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The Retreat Views
This is the view north from the studio. I gunned the camera down the valley just including the onion crop that is in the foreground. The onions are out of focus- to be honest it's all a bit too hazy. So I manipulated the contrasts to give a bluer background and a warmer foreground. It's…
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The 2018 Painting and Drawing Season is in full swing….
This week, our painters are enjoying a glorious week painting in the heart of Tuscany. Today,we have been working in watercolour en-plein air in the monasteries garden at the foot of the Conti Guidi's castle in Poppi. The castle provided shelter to the poet Dante Alighieri during his exile from Florence. Here, he…
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Painting in the Studio New Year’s Day!
Happy New Year from the Retreat! Jana has passed responsibility for this blog over to me. I am John Skelcher. I can't promise to keep it as organised as Jana but I shall try to keep it of interest to anyone who enjoys painting and the Italian countryside. Just warming my soul this wintry morning…
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Presepe Vivente-an annual tradition
The Presepe Vivente at Porchia 2017 The annual presepe vivente held in many Italian towns and villages are a traditional nativity scene which depicts the birt of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Whilst the term "nativity scene" typically includes two dimensional depictions in film, painting, printmaking, etc in…
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Tanti Auguri! Happy New Year 2017
Wishing all our visitors, friends and family a very happy new year 2017 Tanti Auguri! Book your next Painting Holiday by contacting The Retreat here.
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Ouch!!
We couldn't quite figure out why Chester wasn't coming to greet us with his usual waggy tail this morning but instead refused to come out of his hut altogether. It wasn't until we realised that must have sat on porcupine last night - judging by the sting sticking out of his bum. Ouch! Spare a…
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Truffle Season at The Retreat
This year's truffle season has been off to a good start with plenty off rain and humid conditions. Both the elusive White Truffle and the Autumn Black Truffle can be found on the grounds off The Retreat making it a popular spot for truffle hunters. We like enjoying this aromatic fungus in home-cooked local dishes…
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