RUTH FITTON
The Portrait Outdoors - Alla Prima Figurative Painting
SOLD OUT

Details
Dates: 26 May - 1 June 2024
Price: From €1835 - €2550
Includes: 22% VAT, 5 days tuition, 6 nights accommodation, all meals & drinks (including wine), wine tour, transfers, easels, solvents & models
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Non-Participaing Partner: €650
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Location: Antico Borgo La Torre
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Medium: Oil painting
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Class size: 12-17
Painting Experience: All levels welcome
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Languages: English
Italian translation available (email for details)
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Payment plans available 😎
Workshop Description
Take your portraits beyond the confines of your studio and out into the beautiful Italian countryside. Join us for an all-inclusive week of oil painting with Ruth Fitton. Partcipants will spend 5 days learning Ruth's techniques and approach to alla prima figurative painting. Working in oils, we will begin indoors, establishing the building blocks of portrait painting from life (structure, likeness, three-dimensionality, and colour). We will then take these skills outdoors, and apply them to the vibrant and exciting subject of the model in the landscape. Attendees will paint 2-3 paintings over the course of the week. Ruth will give painting demonstrations, and each participant will receive individual feedback and guidance.
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During this retreat, meals will be home-cooked and eaten together in our large dining room or outside when the weather is nice. In the evenings participants will have free use of the grounds to explore, including the swimming pool, woodland, lake and olive groves. There is also a volleyball net, and a games room with table tennis and table football. During the week we will host some evening entertainment which everyone is welcome to join, such as a wine tour, pizza night, evenings around the fire pit and more..
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The Venue
This workshop will take place at Antico Borgo La Torre, a converted farmhouse and winery located in Chianti, 25km from Florence.
Originally a medieval tower, the structure dates back to the middle ages. Now an agriturismo, Antico Borgo La Torre produces it's own wine and olive oil. It is made up of 32 hectars of land, which include olive groves, vineyards, woodland, orchards, walnut trees, and a swimming pool.
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See photos and more details about the venue here
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What's included?
22% VAT - 5 days tuition - 6 nights accommodation - Arrival & departure transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Alcohol (wine grown & produced at the venue) - Wine tour & tasting - Extra activities - Laundry - Swimming Pool - Wifi - Models - Easels & Solvents
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Prices
€1835 Shared Twin Bedroom with private bathroom (shared with one other participant of the same gender)
€2290 Private Bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom
€2550 Private Apartment with a double bedroom, bathroom and private living room/kitchen
Payment plans are available, email us for details 😎
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The Food
All meals will be made up up of delicious, home-cooked Tuscan cuisine, and will take place in our beautiful dining hall or outside whenever the weather is nice. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options will be 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
We will send you an information pack with the full materials list and more details about the retreat.
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Bring a partner or friend - €650 all-inclusive rate
If you book a private bedroom or apartment then you are very welcome to bring along a travel companion with you who will not be participating in the workshop. Partners will be very welcome to join all of our meals and activities, and become a part of our group.
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We will happily assist in planning activities during the days for your partner, such as bike tours, trips to local towns, and walks around the surrounding countryside. Equally, your partner is very welcome to relax by the pool and enjoy the beautiful countryside. We recommend bringing a car so that you can travel around freely, however, it will also be possible to call a taxi at any time to take you to the local train station.
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The €650 fee for non-participating partners includes: 22% VAT - 6 nights accommodation - Arrival & Departure Transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Alcohol (wine grown at the venue) - Wine tour & tasting - Laundry - Swimming Pool - Wifi.
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Participating Partner - €1380 all-inclusive
Bring a partner or friend who will attend the workshop with you. If you book a private bedroom or apartment you are welcome to bring along a a travel companion who will participate in the workshop with you and share a bedroom with you. €1380 all-inclusive rate for your travel companion!
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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, register and pay. To confirm your place on this retreat you will need to pay a €750 deposit. The remaing balance can be paid up to 3 months before the start of the workshop via bank transfer (we will send you a reminder and our bank details).
If you don't have the funds to pay the full deposit upfront, not to worry - you can still book your place by choosing 'offline payment' when you check out, and then email us for details so that we can set up a payment plan that works for you.
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Review our terms & conditions of booking here
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Questions? See our FAQ's page here




Ruth Fitton
Ruth is a portrait and figurative painter based in the UK. Ruth’s paintings generally contain a strong narrative element, populated by characters brimming with motivation and emotion. Ruth is a great advocate for working from life – she is drawn to the organic experience of capturing her immediate reality in paint. This passion is balanced by a keen curiosity regarding texture, layers, and edges. Quick, immersive live studies are generally followed by extensive studio work. Ruth has exhibited at Sotheby’s NYC, Arcadia Contemporary NYC, the MEAM Barcelona, and the Mall Galleries London. She is an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and in 2023 was awarded People’s Choice at the Portrait Society of America.
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You can see more of Ruth's work here:
Instagram: @ruthfittonportraits
Website: www.ruthfitton.com