I stayed at the Retreat for a week in late July for one of their plein air painting holidays. The Retreat is nestled in a beautiful countryside landscape of Italy. It is not a very touristy area which adds to its charm. You look around you and think, “Are you kidding me? Am I in a painting?” Breathtaking views and scenery. You’ve got mountains, hills, valleys, vineyards, and endless sunflower fields. It was a treat in itself to have a home base in this serene beauty. You could live there a lifetime and not run out of things to paint. Visiting the nearby hilltop towns in the evenings for some watercolor painting was a really cool experience as well. The towns are nearly abandoned or they have a pretty small population so we’d show up, John would do a demonstration and then we got to go off on our own to pick a spot to sketch and paint. I thought this was really neat and you could feel like a local artist in an Italian village on a hill. No matter which way you went, there were quaint little cobblestone alley ways with arched doorways and historic architecture. John and Jana could not have been better hosts! I had the most amazing week staying with them. Jana is an amazing cook who made us amazing, unique local and organic meals that were unbelievably delicious. As a foodie myself, there were plenty of opportunities to try out local cuisine and wines. John is an outstanding artist and teacher and just all around genuine guy! He will always keep you smiling and laughing. He gives great one on one critiques and help when you need it and took us around to some wonderful painting locations and hilltop towns. Whether you’re more advanced or more of a beginner in the arts, this trip will suit you. You really learn to appreciate what goes into plein air painting. I had a wonderful week and would love to come back!
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