Renaissance Art Techniques
27th October - 2nd November 2025
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2750€ per person single occupancy (MAX 5 PEOPLE)
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Includes 5 days tuition, 6 nights accommodation, all meals and drinks (including local wine) and daily excursions to see frescoes and tempera paintings by Piero della Francesca .
Spend a week immersed in the world of Piero della Francesca; a unique opportunity to learn and apply the techniques used by Renaissance artists.
Excursions, Workshops and talks given by practising fresco artist and teacher Carey Mortimer.
Carey Mortimer is an artist based in Sardinia, Italy, working with fresco, egg tempera and natural pigments both in her own widely exhibited paintings and in collaborations with architects and designers. Carey gained a Master of Philosophy in Public Art and Design from Duncan of Jordanstone University and studied fresco painting with restorer Leonetto Tintori; she has taught Renaissance techniques for many years at Bosa Art School.
The Week Schedule
Day 1
Arrival to Casa Ezio Marchi, evening discussion about Frescoes in the downstairs communal lounge and social supper cooked by Anna with traditional local Tuscan Aperitivo to welcome guests to the retreat environment.
Day 2
Morning: A trip to see a Piero della Francesca fresco in Arezzo. Talk from Carey Mortimer:
“What is a fresco?”: An explanation of the lime cycle and how combination of pigments + water become a permanent stone painting.
Lunch.
Afternoon: Fresco Workshop. The magic of fresco is in the use of natural pigments which become pure, bright and luminous as they are fixed permanently into the surface of a damp lime plaster – the painting becomes stone. We will look at printed out details of the frescoes we saw in the morning; deciding on a detail to work from; mixing 'intonaco' (lime putty and sand); plastering a terracotta tile; painting a fresco using natural pigments and water.
Dinner.
Evening: Slideshow and discussion about natural pigments and how they are extracted from earths and rocks.
Day 3
Morning: Moderate stroll in the Tuscan landscape to source pigment materials; earth and rocks.
Lunch.
Afternoon: Pigment workshop.
Processing of the earths and rocks that we found on the walk; painting a fresco using these prepared pigments.
Dinner
Evening: Discussion and slide show on egg tempera painting.
Day 4
Morning: Excursion: Including seeing some egg temperas alter pieces.
Lunch
Afternoon: Egg Tempera workshop. Egg tempera is a simple and direct medium that can create luminous surfaces richer in colour and transparency than almost any other medium. The excellent condition of the paintings from the fourteenth century demonstrates the durability of this medium. We will look at samples of egg tempera paintings; a demonstration of egg tempera painting, then we will prepare the egg tempera medium, mix it with pigments and paint onto prepared gessoed panels, working on copies or own paintings.
Dinner
Evening: Discussion and slideshow on silverpoint drawing.
Day 5
Morning: Excursion to see some silverpoint drawings.
Lunch.
Afternoon: Silverpoint drawing workshop. Silverpoint is a quiet meditative medium, and there is a peacefulness in its limited value range.
Drawing with a stick of silver on paper prepared with an abrasive ground in three different shades.
Day 6
Morning: Excursion.
Lunch.
Afternoon: Workshop. Continue working on any of the techniques taught over the week. There will be terracotta tiles, gesso panels and paper for silverpoint available at all times for people to work on.
Dinner.
Evening: Packing up the artworks and goodbye supper with reflective discussion.
Day 7
Arrivederci! A leisurely breakfast and fond farewells.