Fumaroles, badlands and alabaster quarries
with Simo Capecchi & Caroline Peyron
Volterra, Tuscany - June 24 /28, 2015*
The sixth edition of this Tuscan workshop is dedicated to matter. After so many panoramas, this time with our drawing and painting we are going to take a closer look at the materials themselves.
The "infernal" landscape of fumaroles, vapors, rocks and thermal springs in Sasso Pisano making up the landscape of the Cecina valley; the high "Balze" cliffs stamping their character on the rugged landscape to the west of Volterra, explored from below, so as to touch them; the landscape of alabaster quarries, with workshops and factories, so tied to the city's history.
* UPDATE: 3 places still available!
check new drawings and photo here
In the afternoon we will be painting and sketching amongst the different natural and artificial landscapes which have their origin in Volterra's peculiar geo-morphological composition, materially representing these elements through ink, crayons and watercolors and collage (with Caroline Peyron).
Goals of these four days of painting, sketching and exploring is to improve our observational attitude, going deeper into reality, trying to capture the qualities of the elements that form our landscape. Participants will focus on reportage and storytelling aspects of sketching, to show how Volterra's geological diversity influences the lives and products of designers and artisans.
This workshop is organized in collaboration with da Volterra Werkstatt, a Klaudia Ruschkowski and Dirk Oelbermann recent project aimed to promote interaction between art, craft and design, involving renowed artists working on traditionals and local materials (stone, wood, terracotta, alabaster) to produce hight quality design objects. As usual we will be hosted in villa Le Guadalupe. Spazio per le Arti by Klaudia Ruschkowski and Wolfgang Storch, enjoying their company and their delicious meals - already a must in our workshop. Watch past editions photos to get an idea of a very special place that will really inspire you to paint.
Simo Capecchi sketching "il Pupo" alabaster artisan in Volterra |
Workshop Schedule
Wednesday, June 24
5 - 7 pm: introduction and demos in Villa Le Guadalupe
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
Thursday, June 25 / steam, thermal springs and rocks
10 am - 7 pm: painting tour to Sasso Pisano and Monterotondo Geothermal Park
10 am - 7 pm: painting tour to Sasso Pisano and Monterotondo Geothermal Park
(picnic, on your own)
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
Friday, June 26 / alabaster
10 am - 1 pm: sketching alabaster artisans at work: Alab'Arte in the city of Volterra
2 pm: *dinner in the Villa's garden
4 pm - 7 pm: painting in an alabaster quarry and in a factory near Volterra
2 pm: *dinner in the Villa's garden
4 pm - 7 pm: painting in an alabaster quarry and in a factory near Volterra
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
Saturday, June 27 / clay, badlands
(picnic on your own)
10 am - 7 pm : painting tour into Le Balze, under Volterra's etruscan city walls.
8 pm: *supper in the Villa's frescoed living room
Sunday, July 27 / wood
9 am - 13 am: sketching in Villa le Guadalupe's garden,
meeting a sculptor of Da Volterra Werkstatt
1 pm: *dinner in the Villa's garden
4 pm: Open Day in Villa Le Guadalupe, everybody invited!
Hosting institution
Le Guadalupe. Spazio per le Arti is an association dedicated to arts by germans dramaturgs Wolfgang Storch and Klaudia Ruschkowski that hosts workshops in arts, theatre, design and music, with an international program. Le Guadalupe is located in a XIX° century villa, with a view on the southern hills of Volterra, with beautiful gardens around and interiors covered with frescos. They have been hosting us for the past six years!
Registration fee
Workshop tuition is 220 euro (including 21 hours lessons) plus 130 euro for meals (including *6 suppers/dinners in villa Le Guadalupe, hosting institution).
10% of this workshop supports the Urban Sketchers nonprofit program.
10% of this workshop supports the Urban Sketchers nonprofit program.
To apply: simo.capecchi(at)gmail.com
Workshop locations: Check our Map here.
Find out how to reach Villa le Guadalupe, 10' from Volterra city center.
Find out how to reach Villa le Guadalupe, 10' from Volterra city center.
Accommodation Check out suggested hotels in our workshop map.
*Rooms inside the villa are already taken, sorry!*
*Rooms inside the villa are already taken, sorry!*
Travel You can reach Volterra from these airports/train stations:
Florence (2 hours): bus to Volterra via Colle val d'Elsa
Pisa (2 hours): bus to Volterra via Pontedera
Florence (2 hours): bus to Volterra via Colle val d'Elsa
Pisa (2 hours): bus to Volterra via Pontedera
We'll help with bus timetables and we'll pick you up from bus station. No problem if you came without car, we'll organize transportation to and from Villa le Guadalupe - Volterra.
Participants Maximum 15, each level of drawing experience is welcome.Sponsor Moleskine will donate a sketchbook
Simo Capecchi watercolor of "Le Balze" in Volterra, from abbazia Camaldolese |
Meet the instructor / Caroline Peyron is a french artist living in Naples. Personal exhibitions of her works has been held in Naples at the Grenoble Institute Francaise, in the Biblioteca Nazionale, in Castelnuovo municipal museum and Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Caroline has been an art teacher and has held workshops for private schools and public institutions for over twenty years now. She holds art classes with children, adolescents and adults for cultural institutions like Museo di Capodimonte and Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Naples. With Simo Capecchi she exhibited altered books: Libri Artefatti, was in L'Aquila with Una carriola di Disegni and organized the 3 MUSEI sketchwalk. Watch a Caroline's performance in a slideshow and a video.
Caroline Peyron's sketchbook |