Workshop Overview
Dates: 19-25 April 2027
Price: From €2290 - €3330
Includes: 22% VAT, 5 days tuition, 6 nights accommodation, all meals & drinks (including wine), evening events, transfers, life models, solvents & easels
Non-Participating Partner: €790
Location: Villa Fontallorso
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Class size: 18
Painting Experience: All levels welcome
Languages: English (Iryna also speaks Ukrainian)
Se avete bisogno di una traduzione in Italiano, inviaci una e-mail
Payment plans available ♥
email info@artescapeitaly.com
Workshop Description
Join us for an all-inclusive week of oil painting in the Tuscan countryside with Iryna Yermolova. Forget trying to make a “perfect painting.” This workshop is about making paintings that are alive. We will work from the live model, but instead of chasing every detail, we’ll search for movement, rhythm, energy and character. The goal isn’t to copy what we see - it’s to understand it well enough to let go of it. We’ll push and pull between realism and abstraction, learning how expressive mark-making can live alongside anatomy and convincing proportions.
Expect to get your hands dirty. Brushes are welcome, but they won’t be doing all the work. We’ll paint
with cloth, palette knives, builders’ brushes and even our gloved hands. Every tool has its own voice,
and sometimes the most unexpected marks are the ones that bring a painting to life. We’ll explore how to let the canvas breathe instead of suffocating it with paint. Not every inch needs to be covered. Some areas deserve silence, while others demand thick, sculptural impasto. We’ll learn to control the chaos - to know when to attack the canvas and when to leave it alone.
"I encourage everyone to work on a large scale. Big paintings force you to stop thinking with your wrist
and start painting with your whole body. They give the paint room to run, drip, scrape and build. They
invite bigger decisions, bigger risks and, often, bigger rewards. We’ll work primarily with odorless solvent and linseed oil, discovering how a simple combination of mediums can create everything from fluid, transparent washes to bold, buttery impasto. You’ll learn to control the paint without taking the life out of it. I won’t teach you a formula, because I don’t believe one exists. I’ll challenge you to look harder, simplify more, trust your instincts and make brave decisions. There will be demonstrations, plenty of individual guidance, honest critiques and, hopefully, a few happy accidents. If you leave the week with paint on your clothes, sore arms, a head full of new ideas and paintings that surprise even you, then we’ve done it right"
_JPG.jpg)
This is a chance to focus on you and your art, you'll be living and working together among many other creatives, and alongside Iryna, with the opportunity to dive deep into each other's knowledge and experience - building relationships, whilst making the most of the surrounding nature in this Tuscan setting. This is a place where you have the opportunity to learn from some of the world's most inspiring contemporary artists, without judgement or competition, immersed in nature, so that your primary focus is to learn and create, whilst enjoying your time on this beautiful planet.
During this all-inclusive art workshop, meals are home-cooked by our wonderful Chefs Giovanna & Gabriele, and eaten together in our panoramic dining room, or outside with a view of the stunning landscape. After class you have free use of the Villa and grounds to explore. We host evening events; such as pizza night using our outdoor pizza oven, yoga and sound bath in the ballroom (which help to boost creativity), and a night of live music. Many of our evenings are spent around the fire, under the stars. If you need to unwind after class you use our sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. Or if you prefer to explore you can wander through the woodland, walk, cycle or take the bus into town. And of course you are always welcome to continue practicing your art, sketching outside, or continue painting in our large Octagon studio, which is always open for you.
Our Art Retreat Villa
This 19th Century Italian Villa used to belong to an ancient noble family, the Dukes of Caffarelli. It is located near the Casentinesi forest park, in the Chianti region of Tuscany, just 40 minutes from the centre of Florence, with stunning views of the surrounding hills, entirely covered with woodland and vineyards.
The Octagonal studio, is a large, bright and welcoming 220 sqm structure, with views of the surrounding nature. A space where you can learn, create, and feel inspired.
The Villa has been running as a meditation centre for the past 20 years, you can feel it in the energy - there is something magical about this place. See more photos here
See photos from our recent art workshops here: Gallery
What's included?
22% VAT - 5 days tuition - 6 nights accommodation - Arrival & departure transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Wine - Evening Events - Jacuzzi/Sauna/Steam Room - Wifi - Easels & Solvents - Life Models
Prices
€2290 La Condivisa | Twin-Share Bedroom a place in a spacious shared bedroom with private ensuite bathroom (shared with one other participant of the same gender)
€2590 La Singola | Single Private Bedroom with a single bed and shared bathroom
€2830 La Piccola | Cosy Private Bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom
€2990 La Classica | Classic Private Bedroom with a double bed and private ensuite bathroom
€3330 Il Grande | Spacious Private Bedroom with a double bed and a private ensuite bathroom
€790 Amici | Non-Participating Partner bring along a partner or friend to share your bedroom with, if you book the Piccola, Classica or Grande option. You can not bring a non-participating partner if you book the Condivisa or Singola options.
The Food
All meals are made up of delicious, home-cooked Tuscan cuisine and prepared by our incredible Chefs Giovanna & Gabriele! Meals will take place in our panoramic dining room or outside on the terrace overlooking the hills and sunset, whenever the weather is nice. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available, please let us know in advance if you have any dietary requirements (dietary needs rather than preferences).
Materials list, itinerary & more information
At least 3 months before the retreat we will send you an information pack with the full materials list and more details about the retreat. See airport and transfer information on our FAQ's page here
Bring a partner or friend - €790 all-inclusive rate
If you book either a Piccola, Classica or Grande private bedroom then you are welcome to bring along a partner or friend with you who will not be participating in the workshop. Partners will be welcome to join all of our meals and activities, and become a part of our group. Whilst participants are in the class, partners have this beautiful Tuscan venue all to themselves.
We are happy to assist in planning activities during the days, such as bike tours, trips to local towns, or hikes around the surrounding countryside. Equally, your partner is very welcome to stay at the villa and relax. We recommend bringing a car so that you can travel around freely, however, we can also drive you to the local train station if you would like to explore the nearby cities of Florence or Arezzo.
The price for non-participating partners includes: 22% VAT - 6 nights accommodation - Arrival & Departure Transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Tuscan Wine - Jacuzzi/Sauna/Steam Room - Wifi.
Participating Partner
If you would like to bring a participating partner with you (a friend or partner who will be participating in the workshop with you) then you can book 2 places in a twin-share bedroom. We can then arrange your bedroom into a bedroom with a double bed or 2 single beds, whichever you prefer.
Booking information
To book a place on this retreat click Book Now below and you'll be taken to a separate page where you can choose your bedroom option, and fill out your registration details. If you would like to discuss payment plans, feel free to email us.
Review our terms & conditions of booking here
Questions? See our FAQ's page here
-compressed.jpg)
Iryna Yermolova
Born in Ukraine and now based in England, Iryna Yermolova is a contemporary figurative oil painter known for her expressive and intuitive approach to painting. Working primarily with a palette knife, cloth and her hands, she creates expressive, textured paintings where instinctive mark-making meets strong figurative structure. Light, movement and composition lie at the heart of her work, resulting in paintings that feel spontaneous, alive and full of emotion.
Iryna has exhibited extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, the Saatchi Gallery in London, and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition at London’s Mall Galleries, where she has been selected for fourteen consecutive years. Her work is held in private collections around the world.
Website: www.irynayermolova.com
Instagram: @irynayermolova_art
