Christina Wald’s A Sketching Obsession in Tuscany
Workshop Information and Details
Dates: May 7-16, 2025, departing 17th May
Details regarding Christina’s workshop…
This is a 11 day/10 night adventure in the Val d’Orcia Region of Tuscany, an area rich with history, beauty and incredible food.
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We will meet up in Florence at the Florence Peretola International airport at noon on the 7th of May, 2025, and travel as a group to your home-away-from-home villa in Contignano, where we will settle into your rooms and then share a light bite. We will do a casual “Meet and Greet” over a glass of Prosecco. You will have time to relax and familiarize yourself with the lovely grounds and pool. A bit later we will share a dinner together, prepared by our Chef, Eufemia.
The next morning, after breakfast, Christina will offer her introduction to the workshop with a demo and a question/answer period. She will briefly go over the materials and then we will head out for our first visit to one of the many sites we will take in.
Each day will begin similarly, with different locations to visit and experience. There will be plenty of time for sketching, sight-seeing, exploring and immersing yourself in the surroundings and the culture.
We will be transported by professional drivers in comfortable, air-conditioned vans to the various locales, where you can experience typical Tuscan life and fare.
Days will be arranged to allow time to wander in addition to sketching. Typically, Christina will start an outing with a sketching project or exercise and then you can draw to your heart’s content or do a bit of discovery on your own. There is so much to see here, it will be difficult to choose.
You will eat several of your meals out (usually 4 or so, on days when we are out for the entire day), so that you can experience the wide variety of Tuscan cuisine. We often share meals out as a group but sometimes people meander and find a hidden gem of a trattoria, where they decide to have their meal on their own. We build a lot of flexibilty into our schedule to accommodate individual tastes.
Returning to the villa will give you time to relax, take a swim, or have a moment to finish works in your sketchbook. You might decide to walk into the village or have a quick Spritz or an Ichnusa beer at the bar. Dinners are communal and prepared by Chef Eufemia and special dietary needs are most often easily honored. At each dinner we will go over the next day’s planned activity, so you don’t have to remember a schedule.
The last night we have a communal family-style meal that includes our staff and drivers and new-found friends. It is often one of the highlights of the artists’ experiences, they tell me. We showcase the artwork and there is much camaraderie, music, sharing and laughter.
The last morning, the 17th May, after an early, light breakfast, the vans will depart to return everyone to Florence for their trips back home.
Included in your workshop are the following:
- 10 nights accommodations, double or single occupancy
- 10 breakfasts, most lunches and dinners (with the exceptions listed above during our various outings)
- Wine with meals
- Instructor’s fees and instruction
- Transportation from and to Peretola International Airport in Florence, Italy on
- designated days and times
- All ground transport to various places we visit
- Entrance fees where required
- A printed summary on the last day of all the places you have visited and seen.
Not included in your workshop:
- Airfare
- Travel insurance for the full value of your holiday (required)
- Extra wine or snacks you may wish to have in your room
- Staff gratuity (we present this to our house staff and drivers on the last evening – guidelines will be included in your registration packet)
These workshops fill up quickly, so if you are interested in participating, reserve your spot today.
To see more examples of Christina’s work go to her website here
Please note: because of the cost-sharing nature of these workshops, there are no refunds through Lisa’s Gryphon Art & Travel, should you register and then for some reason decide you do not want to come. Your travel insurance will cover you for your cancellations; you can read the refund policy here.