Sketching and Journaling

Sketching by the sea in Porto Recanati, possibly expressing the joy of a seafood lunch

Prices

1,700 Euros – private room (inc. 200 Euro deposit) (approx £1,400)

1,000 Euros – non painting partner

What's included

This is box title

  • Tuition
  • Accommodation, private room
  • Airport pick up Perugia or Ancona,
  • Train – Foligno
  • Excursions
  • Food and drink
  • Materials and equipment
  • Use of all facilities, including Laundry
  • Wifi access
  • Postage Unfortunately, due to recent changes in Italian postage regs. We are no longer able to offer postage of artwork after the course.  We can, however, arrange delivery by courier, payable by the artist.

 

Dates 2026

4th – 11th June

1st – 8th October

 

Dates 2027

3rd – 10th June

30th Sept – 7th October

 

  • Loreto, gouache on watercolour
Sketching around Gorgiano

You can experiment with watercolour, pencils, gouache, watersoluble pen, permanent pen, acrylic, pan pastel and ink sticks etc – and discover for yourself which medium most helps your creativity.

During this holiday you will make your own traveller’s journal.  You don’t need to be an accomplished artist, everyone’s journal is individual, using drawings, words and image transfer singular to themselves. Artisitic tuition is always on hand to help build confidence, your jounal will be about an artistic as well as an actual journey.

Acrylic, Seasons
The wind whistling through olive groves

We travel around with a variety of  materials, looking at ways to capture the essense of a place and time. We work on loose leaf paper, so no need to fear the blank page, there is always another one. On the last day we string them all  together to form a concertina journal. You can leave out anything you don’t like, chop them up and rearrange them. Its up to you.  Extra points for making me laugh.

Itinerary
  • Day 1:- Around the studios. Beginnners will have a crash course in basic shapes and perspective etc whilst experienced artists can get their hand in sketching some pages around our house, and making backgrounds for futures work.  We discuss and plan the itinerary for the week, depending on weather and wishes of the group. We round the day off with a sketching drive putting into practice all the lessons of the day.
  • Days 2-5 Trips out and about
  • Day 6, Finishing off, finding and augmenting themes and sticking it all together.

Even Pinturicchio’s angels enjoy a spot of journaling

Some of our Trips

Spello

Often considered one of Italy’s hidden jewels, Spello is built out of pink marble which glows at sunset.  It is famous for it’s intricate little lanes (lovely to draw) and stunning Pinturicchio frescos of the life of the young Jesus.

Sketching Walk

We go for a gentle walk, stopping every now and then to draw a page of fauna/flora/villages/hills/mountains, literally taking a line for a walk

Loreto

A beautiful, although relatively unknown pilgrimage town.  In the centre of the ornate basilica you will find a tiny Palestinian house. Apparently the very house where the annunciation occurred.  It was flown to Loreto by angels during the crusades.  Loreto is the spiritual home of the Italian Airforce. Genius Logic. Plenty to journal about there!

Sketching Drive

We drive around, stopping every now and then to capture the views amongst the craggy hills

Porto Recanati

A charming little fishing town, with boats and seafood,

The 3 castle tour

A short trip (morning) to three different castles within a 10 minute drive of the house.

Torre del Parco – a basic, and very early ‘we are not coming out, and you are not getting in’ kind of no frills castle.

Rocca d’Ajello – the perfect size castle for a family.

Rocca Varano – the symbol of Camerino, this is a real ‘come on if you think you are fit enough’ castle, and the seat of the Dukes of Varano.

Fabriano

You just can’t mention Fabriano without Paper.  For many years the pope held the patent for papermaking and with Fabriano having all the prerequisites (hydro power, gelatin from the leather industry) it remained the centre of the paper industry for centuries.  For those of us fond of drawing the occasional cog it is a foil to all the renaissance splendour of castles.

San Severino

A bustling market town bristling with chuches and abbeys.  It is arranged in 3 tiers, Abbeys, museums and convents at the top, town square and civic centre in the middle – trade very much at the bottom

Traveling is very precious and fleeting, and most tourists make it less precious and more fleeting by speeding from site to site, snapping photos…. Mediating one’s experience in a foreign land through a tiny camera screen is sinful, so I do my best to translate the fascinating things I see through my eyes, mind and hand. By letting the experience of a foreign land flow through you, it resonates in your memories in ways unavailable to the average tourist. When you spend three hours drawing the majestic expanse of the Roman Forum, you leave with a visceral recollection – the smell of the breeze, the shine of the marble, the murmur of thirty-odd languages intermingling.

Illustrator Seamus Hefferman

Materials and Kit

We provide all the materials and equipment that you will need to enjoy your painting or drawing holiday

For working in the studio we have studio easels and for work around the property and on trips out we provide portable easels and stools.

We have all the materials and equipment necessary for the major mediums, oil, watercolour, pastel, acrylic and gouache. If there is anything else you like to use, or would like to try, just let us know and I’ll get it in.

You will also receive one of our handmade, monogrammed sketchbooks (it’s a little hobby of mine).

Gorgiano  sketchbook
The story of one of our Journaling holidays
  • June on a journaling holiday in Italy
    June (USA)

    What a wonderful, incredible, inspiring week. Such kindness and giggles and learning to paint. Times I will never forget.

  • Anne and Roger Pyne (UK)

    Wonderful tutor, charismatic chef ….. good company, excellent food and amazing journaling! What more is there to say, we totally endorse all other comments,

  • Cheryl (Australia)

    I had a blast. Staying in your home and doing journaling and sketching will surely be a highlight of my trip! I will never see the world the same again. The yellow in the trees, shadow everywhere and damn perspective everywhere (so get used to it). I didn’t think I could do it but I did. Thanks for the laughs.

  • Tuscany painting holiday, art vacation, learning to draw in italy, watercolour, oil, pastel, drawing for beginners Italy
    Phil and Jo, UK

    Many, many thanks for a fantastic week.  Excellent company and fine food.  We’ve both learnt a huge amount and hopefully have gained some new skills!  

  • Amelia (Singapore)

    Thank you for an amazing week! People back home will never believe that there is such a gem of a place here in Gorgiano. … I’ll miss the amazing food, views and laughter …. I’ll be awaiting your arrival in Singapore for the next story slam.

  • Tiziana, Italy

    Grazie per questa  bella esperienza e soprattutt grazie per aver fatto passare le paura del ‘folio bianco’, ho imparato tanto in questa settimana, spero di tornare …

  • Julie on a Painting Holiday Italy
    Julie (UK)

    This home has an axolotl, Whose name isn’t Aristotle. It makes him sob, They have named him Bob. They must’ve been on the bottle.

Get in touch

This is box title


    We can also be contacted on 00393289680796 (also for WhatsApp)

     

    Booking Form 2026

    This is box title

      Which holiday would you like to book, please select

      Your Postal Address

      Any Dietary issues, food allergies or general allergies (eg detergents, hayfever or animals)

      Age (nearest decade will do):
      Any mobility issues

      Nationality

      Initials for your sketchbook


      Travel arrangements if known

      Contact number

      Name of Next of Kin

      and contact no. of Next of Kin

      How you will be paying the deposit

      How will you be paying the balance (probably)

      Your data is not shared with any third parties, the only cookies are functional

      Booking Form 2027

      This is box title

        Which holiday would you like to book, please select

        Your Postal Address

        Any Dietary issues, food allergies or general allergies (eg detergents, hayfever or animals)

        Do you suffer from motion sickness

        Age
        Any mobility issues

        Nationality


        Travel arrangements if known

        Contact number

        Name of Next of Kin

        and contact no. of Next of Kin

        How you will be paying the deposit

        How will you be paying the balance (probably)

        Any other notes

        Your data is not shared with any third parties, the only cookies are functional

         

        Reviews in full
        Painting Holidays Italy > Courses, Painting Holidays in Italy > Sketching and Journaling

        Sketching by the sea in Porto Recanati

        Dates 2026

        4th – 11th June

        1st – 8th October

         

        Dates 2027

        3rd – 10th June

        30th Sept – 7th October

         

        Price

        €1,700 – private room (inc. €200 deposit) (approx £1,400)

        €1,000 – non painting partner

        What's included

        This is box title

        • Tuition
        • Accommodation, private room
        • Airport pick up Perugia or Ancona,
        • Train – Foligno
        • Excursions
        • Food and drink
        • Materials and equipment
        • Use of all facilities, including Laundry
        • Wifi access
        • Postage Unfortunately, due to recent changes in Italian postage regs. We are no longer able to offer postage of artwork after the course.  We can, however, arrange delivery by courier, payable by the artist.

         

        During this holiday you will make your own traveller’s journal.  You don’t need to be an accomplished artist, everyone’s journal is individual, using drawings and words singular to themselves. Artisitic tuition is always on hand to build confidence. Your jounal will be about an artistic as well as an actual journey.

        Seamus Hefferman, puts it so well

        Traveling is very precious and fleeting, and most tourists make it less precious and more fleeting by speeding from site to site, snapping photos… so I do my best to translate the fascinating things I see through my eyes, mind and hand. By letting the experience of a foreign land flow through you, it resonates in your memories in ways unavailable to the average tourist. When you spend three hours drawing the majestic expanse of the Roman Forum, you leave with a visceral recollection – the smell of the breeze, the shine of the marble, the murmur of thirty-odd languages intermingling.
        Illustrator Seamus Hefferman

        We travel around, looking at ways to capture the essense of a place and time, and any adventures we have on the way. We work on loose leaf paper, so no fear of the blank page. On the last day we string them all  together to form a concertina journal. You can leave out anything you don’t like, chop them up and rearrange them. Its up to you.  Extra points for making me laugh.

        You can experiment with watercolour, pencils, gouache, watersoluble pen, permanent pen, acrylic, pan pastel and ink sticks etc – and discover for yourself which medium sparks your creativity.

        • Loreto, gouache on watercolour

        Itinerary

        • Day 1:- Around the studios. Beginnners will have a crash course in basic shapes and perspective etc whilst experienced artists can get their hand in sketching some pages around our house, and making backgrounds for futures work.  We discuss and plan the itinerary for the week, depending on weather and wishes of the group. We round the day off with a sketching drive putting into practice all the lessons of the day.
        • Days 2-5 Trips out and about
        • Day 6, Finishing off, finding and augmenting themes and sticking it all together.

        Even Pinturicchio’s angels enjoy a spot of journaling (Spello)

        Some of our trips

        Spello

        Often considered one of Italy’s hidden jewels, Spello is built out of pink marble which glows at sunset.  It is famous for it’s intricate little lanes (lovely to draw) and stunning Pinturicchio frescos of the life of the young Jesus.

        San Severino

        A bustling market town bristling with chuches and abbeys.  It is arranged in 3 tiers, Abbeys, museums and convents at the top, town square and civic centre in the middle – trade very much at the bottom

        Fabriano

        You just can’t mention Fabriano without Paper.  It wasthe centre of the paper industry for centuries.  For those of us fond of drawing the occasional cog it is a foil to all the renaissance splendour of castles.

        Porto Recanati

        A charming little fishing town, with boats and seafood,

        Loreto

        A beautiful, although relatively unknown pilgrimage town.  In the centre of the ornate basilica is a tiny Palestinian house. The house of the annunciation occurred  was flown to Loreto by angels during the crusades.  Loreto is the spiritual home of the Italian Airforce. Genius Logic. Plenty to journal about there!

        One of our Journaling Holidays
        • June on a journaling holiday in Italy
          June (USA)

          What a wonderful, incredible, inspiring week. Such kindness and giggles and learning to paint. Times I will never forget.

        • Anne and Roger Pyne (UK)

          Wonderful tutor, charismatic chef ….. good company, excellent food and amazing journaling! What more is there to say, we totally endorse all other comments,

        • Cheryl (Australia)

          I had a blast. Staying in your home and doing journaling and sketching will surely be a highlight of my trip! I will never see the world the same again. The yellow in the trees, shadow everywhere and damn perspective everywhere (so get used to it). I didn’t think I could do it but I did. Thanks for the laughs.

        • Tuscany painting holiday, art vacation, learning to draw in italy, watercolour, oil, pastel, drawing for beginners Italy
          Phil and Jo, UK

          Many, many thanks for a fantastic week.  Excellent company and fine food.  We’ve both learnt a huge amount and hopefully have gained some new skills!  

        • Amelia (Singapore)

          Thank you for an amazing week! People back home will never believe that there is such a gem of a place here in Gorgiano. … I’ll miss the amazing food, views and laughter …. I’ll be awaiting your arrival in Singapore for the next story slam.

        • Tiziana, Italy

          Grazie per questa  bella esperienza e soprattutt grazie per aver fatto passare le paura del ‘folio bianco’, ho imparato tanto in questa settimana, spero di tornare …

        • Julie on a Painting Holiday Italy
          Julie (UK)

          This home has an axolotl, Whose name isn’t Aristotle. It makes him sob, They have named him Bob. They must’ve been on the bottle.

        Reviews in full

        Get in touch

        This is box title


          We can also be contacted on 00393289680796 (also for WhatsApp)

           

          Booking Form 2026

            Which holiday would you like to book, please select

            Your Postal Address

            Any Dietary issues, food allergies or general allergies (eg detergents, hayfever or animals)

            Age (nearest decade will do):
            Any mobility issues

            Nationality

            Initials for your sketchbook


            Travel arrangements if known

            Contact number

            Name of Next of Kin

            and contact no. of Next of Kin

            How you will be paying the deposit

            How will you be paying the balance (probably)

            Your data is not shared with any third parties, the only cookies are functional

            Booking Form 2027

            This is box title

              Which holiday would you like to book, please select

              Your Postal Address

              Any Dietary issues, food allergies or general allergies (eg detergents, hayfever or animals)

              Do you suffer from motion sickness

              Age
              Any mobility issues

              Nationality


              Travel arrangements if known

              Contact number

              Name of Next of Kin

              and contact no. of Next of Kin

              How you will be paying the deposit

              How will you be paying the balance (probably)

              Any other notes

              Your data is not shared with any third parties, the only cookies are functional

               

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              Painting Holidays Italy > Courses, Painting Holidays in Italy > Sketching and Journaling
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