Tuscan Dream
September 2007 we flew to Pisa for a week painting in Tuscany (below) with ‘Studio Paradiso’ – no longer operating. A second week took us first to Siena for a few days, then on to Florence for a few more days before we flew home from there.
I had wanted to paint and draw in Tuscany for some time. Karon – who had been before – often spoke of the beautiful landscapes of Italy so when it came round to deciding where to holiday this year we decided early on that we would fulfil a dream. Searches on the web found ‘Studio Paradiso’ which looked, and turned out to be, perfect. That took care of the first week, hosted by Kathryn, cooked for by Dermot and guided by Ivan.
We decided we would split the second week between Siena and Florence, where we were flying in and out from. To go between, we would use the train as there was no way I wanted to drive. This proved to be a good choice as the service is unbelievably cheap compared to the UK.
And so, on September 1st we flew into Florence and took the train to Pisa airport where we were met by Dermot and some of the other ‘painters’.
Karon and Bob’s Italy paintings
Caugliano
Our first week was spent at Casa Unicorno being well looked after by Kathryn and Dermot and guided in our painting efforts by Ivan. The small hamlet of Caugliano is perched on a hilltop with spectacular views of the surrounding hills. An enchanted garden and the sleepy surroundings provided a relaxed atmosphere were we could go at our own pace and take on as much or as little as we wanted.
