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Workshop Overview
Dates: 30 August - 5 September 2025
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Price: From €2140 - €2990
Includes: 22% VAT, 5 days tuition, 6 nights accommodation, all meals & drinks (including wine), evening events, transfers, easels & solvents
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Non-Participating Partner: €790
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Location: To be announced soon
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Medium: Oil Painting
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Class size: 17
Painting Experience: All levels welcome
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Languages: English (Johan also speaks Spanish)
If you need Italian translation email us
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Payment plans available ♥
email info@artescapeitaly.com
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Workshop Description​
Join us for an all-inclusive week of oil painting in Tuscany with Johan Barrios. During this workshop Johan will guide participants through his distinctive approach to figurative painting, where everyday objects take on unexpected roles in constructing surreal, and ambiguous narratives. Through demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and personalized critiques, students will explore how to render the human form with precision while integrating objects in unconventional ways to challenge perception and evoke deeper meaning.
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Johan will also delve into his personal, muted color palette—marked by soft, desaturated tones and subtle contrasts that enhance the dreamlike quality of his compositions. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a deeper understanding of how to manipulate composition, space, and color in their figurative work.
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Key topics covered during this workshop include:
Techniques for achieving a refined yet expressive figurative style.
The interplay between figures and objects to create tension, balance, or dissonance.
Using composition and lighting to enhance conceptual depth.
Exploring ambiguity and subtle surrealism in visual storytelling.
Developing a personal language through unconventional figure-object relationships.
During this all-inclusive art workshop, meals will be home-cooked by our wonderful Tuscan chef, and eaten together in our large dining room, or outside with a panoramic view of the stunning landscape. After class you'll have free use of the Villa and grounds to explore. During the week we will host some evening events; such as pizza night using our outdoor pizza oven, an evening of life drawing, and a night of live music. Many of our evenings will be spent around the fire, under the stars. If you need to unwind after class you can 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 studio, which is always open.
This is a chance to focus on you and your art, you'll be living and working together among many other creatives, and alongside Johan, 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 beautiful Tuscan setting. This is a place where you have the opportunity to learn from some of the world's top artists, without judgement or competition, and with everything taken care of, so that your primary focus can be to learn and create.
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The Venue
This Autumn, we are excited to welcome you for our very first season at our new dedicated art retreat Villa.
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This 19th Century 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. Enjoy a 360 degree view of the surrounding hills, entirely covered with woodland and vineyards.
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The Octagonal studio is a large, bright and welcoming 220 sqm geometric structure, with views of the surrounding woodland. This is a space where you can learn, create, and feel inspired.
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This season is going to be something special ✨
See more photos of the venue 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 for painting
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Prices
€2140 Condivisa | Twin-Share Bedroom a place in a spacious shared bedroom with private bathroom (shared with one other participant of the same gender)
€2590 Piccola | Cosy Private Bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom
€2790 Classica | Classic Private Bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom
€2990 Grande | Spacious Private Bedroom with a double bed and a private bathroom
€790 Amici | Non-Participating Partner bring along a partner or friend to share any of our private bedrooms with
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The Food
All meals will be made up of delicious, home-cooked Tuscan cuisine, and will take place in our panoramic dining room or outside 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).
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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
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Bring a partner or friend - €790 all-inclusive rate
If you book a private bedroom then you are very 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.
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We are happy to assist in planning activities during the days for your partner, such as bike tours, trips to local towns, cooking classes or walks around the surrounding countryside. Equally, your partner is very welcome to stay at the villa and relax using our sauna/jacuzzi/steam room. 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.
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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.
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Participating Partner - €1490 all-inclusive
Bring a partner or friend who will attend the workshop with you. If you book a private bedroom you are welcome to bring along a travel companion who will participate in the workshop with you and share a bedroom with you (subject to availability).
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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. You will not be required to make any payment upon registration, payment requests will be sent out in May. We advise not booking your flights until payment requests have been sent out, confirming that this retreat is going ahead. And if you would like to discuss payment plans, feel free to email us.
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Review our terms & conditions of booking here
Questions? See our FAQ's page here
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Johan Barrios
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Johan Barrios is a Colombian artist known for his figurative paintings that blend realism with a sense of quiet surrealism. His work often depicts figures interacting with ordinary objects in unexpected ways, creating a subtle tension between the familiar and the uncanny. Using a unique color palettte in each piece, Barrios brings a dreamlike quality to his compsitions. His paintings have been exhibited internationally, earning recognition for their delicate balance of technical precision and conceptual intrigue. Johan Barrios lives and works in Houston, Texas.
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You can see more of Johan's work here:
Website: www.johanbarrios.com
Instagram: @johanbarrios
