From the very first brushstroke, this retreat was a dream come true. John is not only an incredibly talented artist, but also a deeply sympathetic and gifted teacher. His calm, encouraging presence and intuitive guidance created a space where everyone, no matter their level, could grow and thrive. He has that rare ability to explain techniques clearly while also inspiring confidence and creativity. The retreat was superbly organized from beginning to end. These were truly intensive days, filled with learning, discovery, and inspiration — a perfect blend of art, culture, and connection. Highly, highly recommended! Thank you, John, for such a beautiful experience and Jana for all the support by the organization of my trip. I’ll go back to Switzerland with 1001 memories 🙏🏻🙏🏻
June 2025
If 10 stars were possible, I would definitely call this a 10 star workshop! … I learned more from John in 5 days than all of the other (retreats) combined!!! John’s method of starting by reinforcing and clearly making relevant the basics, to en plein supervised trips into the ancient villages of Italy brought my amateur hobbyist dabbling to a level that made it a pleasure to NOT create mud on expensive paper. John also had an amazing skill of making this adventure a true holiday with humor, openness, stress-free and fun. I have never walked away from prior workshops with such inspiration to paint and the feeling of it was all worth it! Additionally, the inclusion of a few hours of getting away from the brush and doing something to relax and enjoy a nice break was an an excellent balance to the workshop. I look forward to learning more from Maestro John!
September 2025
Italy’s best kept secret. Whether you are a beginner painter or advanced, you will learn and advance in your craft with John. I liked his structured classical approach to teaching painting with some shortcuts that he employed. The retreat itself is located away from a beaten path in Italy’s countryside atop of a mountain with stunning scenery all around. Lots of paintings can be done on the retreat grounds or within walking distance. The only thing I regretted at the end was that one week was not enough to paint it all. The group size was small due to limited accommodation at the retreat and John could give a lot of personalized attention to each participant.
September 2025