Sketching the Portrait and Figure in charcoal & oil
with Juliette Aristides
🗓️ June 5th to 12th 2027
🎨 Charcoal & Oil Paint
Language: English
Full Board Accommodation: From 1750€ for 7 nights
​
Workshop Fee: €850
​
Partners & family may join the trip as non-participating guests without the teaching fee.
Course Description
Immerse yourself in art in this 5-day immersive retreat led by Juliette Aristides—internationally recognized painter, author of Classical Drawing Atelier and Classical Painting Atelier, and founder of one of America’s leading Ateliers.
​
Working from direct observation, you will engage in both figure and portrait studies each day, alternating between half-day sessions with a live model. Through drawing and sketching in oil, you will build a comfortable technical foundation while exploring a more personal, expressive visual language.
​
Instruction will move progressively—from structure, proportion, and value toward gesture, atmosphere, and interpretation—emphasizing how careful observation can evolve into meaningful artistic expression. Daily demonstrations will be paired with thoughtful critique, offering individualized guidance as well as group discussions on process, perception, and the enduring questions of representation in art.
This retreat offers the rare combination of rigorous instruction and sustained time for focused work. Whether you are new to drawing or an experienced artist, you will leave with strengthened skills, a deeper understanding of your process, and new ways to approach expressive work on paper.
Course Outline​
Saturday
16:00 - Check in & Estate Tour
18:00 - Welcome aperitivo followed by dinner
​
Sunday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Rignana
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
​
Monday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Rignana
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
​
Tuesday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Rignana
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Wednesday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
Class Break - Stay at Rignana and relax, or visit Florence for the day
Thursday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Rignana
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
​
Friday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Rignana
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Saturday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 -Check out
About Juliette
​​
Juliette Aristides is a Seattle based painter who seeks to understand and convey the human spirit through art. Aristides exhibits nationally in dozens of one person and group shows including multiple museum exhibitions including the solo: Observations in Reading, PA and A Life’s Work at the Customs House Museum, TN. She received Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. She is the recipient of the Elisabeth Greenshields Grant and is recognized as a living master by The Art Renewal Center. She was the Director of the renowned Aristides Atelier for 25th years, the first Atelier in the Northwest. She is in dozens of magazines and authored seven books including Classical Painting Atelier and Lessons in Classical Drawing. Her newest book: The Inner Life of the Artist published by Monacelli Press, NYC spring of 2025.
“I have met many thousands of artists over the last fifty years of painting and thirty-five years of making paint. Very rarely do I meet someone who is as good at writing as she is at her visual art. Juliette Aristides is one such person–both a terrific writer and great artist.” –Robert Gamblin, founder of Gamblin Artist Colors.
Accommodation & Inclusions
Small bedroom shared bathroom:
Single occupancy: €1,750
Double occupancy: €2,240
Bedroom with shared bathroom:
Single occupancy: €2,295
Double occupancy: €3,295
Bedroom with ensuite:
Single occupancy: €2,590
Double occupancy: €3,590
Superior bedroom with ensuite:
Single occupancy: €2,890
Double occupancy: €3,890
What's included
-
7 nights accommodation with airconditioning
-
Daily breakfast 5 lunches and 6 dinners with wine
-
Pizza making experience
-
Daily Aperitivo
-
Painting Easel
-
Arrival & departure transfers
-
Infinity pool
-
Tennis court
-
Wifi
-
Laundry facilities
-
VAT tax
What's not included​​​
-
City tax (€2.50 per person per day to be paid in cash on arrival)
-
Materials
-
Day trips
​
Optional Add-ons
-
Wine Tours
-
Massage