PAINTING ROVINJ

'God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things.'
Pablo Picasso 1881-1973

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Involving local people makes a big difference to this holiday because the people we have met in Rovinj are extraordinarily friendly and helpful and we are sure you will find the same. The first person you will meet is Borko Memodovic who will fetch you from the airport and drive you to Rovinj. There you will be met by Sanja Jovanovic, who will show you to your accommodation and be available throughout your stay to help with any enquiries about the apartments.

On the first evening you will meet Paolo for a glass of Istrian champagne at Baccus Winebar. Paolo owns Baccus and he will be your guide on the half-day trip to the local vineyard. You will also meet Jan Ejsymontt, whose studio is Atelier Sottomuro. She will introduce herself to you and will be making sure that the week goes according to plan. Then dinner at Al Gastaldo, a stylish but cosy restaurant nestling in the old narrow streets.

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Each morning, you will meet Jan for coffee at a harbourside cafe when she will explain the plans for the day and make arrangements for the evening. On the first morning she will introduce you to the tutor from Atelier Sottomuro who will be with you each day to share artistic expertise and give any tuition that you need.

You can either bring your favourite materials with you or Jan will organise for you to buy materials from a local supplier. Easels and stools are provided for you. You will be painting in Rovinj where Jan has picked out sites of particular artistic interest, or you will be travelling to Motovun or Groznjan. You may choose to take a picnic lunch on these days or you can eat at a restaurant with beautiful views of the Mirna River Valley.

Every evening Jan will meet you in Baccus where Paolo will introduce you to Istrian wine. This will give you the opportunity to discuss how the day went. Then Jan will take those who wish to one of the local restaurants for dinner.

One morning, Paolo will take you to a local vineyard. You will be back in Rovinj for lunch and you will be free to spend the afternoon exploring or relaxing or doing more painting!

On the last evening, you will return to Al Gastaldo for a farewell meal. We believe it will only be au revoir because once experienced, Rovinj is impossible to resist!

Tuition

The tuition will suit all levels of abilities. We will try to be as flexibile as possible and will attempt to cater for special interests.

Topics will include:

techniques of painting landscapes using watercolour, watercolour with ink, acrylics or medium of choice
sketching followed by colour mixing using primary and secondary colours; light and shade and the use of complementary colours in shading
creating depth through strong contrasts of light and shade - achieved through the interplay of opaque and transparent colours
looking at perspective; creating volume with shadow and light; adding complementary colours or black to form shadow
looking at line, perspective and detail
experimenting with the fluidity of watercolour, acrylic or the medium of your choice