6 night Wildlife Art Retreat 
Puglia, Italy

Arrive at Brindisi Airport (BDS) also known as Salento Airport and catch the 2pm transfer to Masseria Specula.
On arrival to your accommodation, you will shown to your comfortable room, with time to settle in.

Meet me (Sarah Stokes), then embark on a lovely orientation tour of the gardens, teaching and dining areas of the Masseria Specula. For those guests who like to get a grip on their surroundings there will be the option of an early evening stroll to the beach which is approximately 15 minutes on foot.

In the evening, get to know your art group over a authentic Italian dinner, enhanced by a glass of locally produced wine.

Your third day unfolds with breakfast, fresh juices and coffee where we can chat about the day ahead.
This is our chance to explore the myriad ways to depict the beautiful textures that we will see on our travels; of weathered doorways, pitted masonry or even the rusting iron of old balconies, softened with tumbling bougainvillea. It is here that we can unleash our playful side and experiment with an abundance of materials and techniques.
After lunch, you will be taken to the beautiful town of Nardò where you will be able to take your own photo references, or even indulge in some plein-air painting whilst shading on
the steps of a church or under the umbrella of a cafe. I will be on hand to talk about composition and perspective when it comes to choosing and painting larger areas, such as
street scenes. We will return back to the Masseria for a period of relaxation and refreshment before heading out into the ancient town of Manduria for the evening. Famed for being the homeland of one of the region’s boldest red wines, Primitivo di Manduria, this town with its cobbled alleys and Romanesque Cathedral oozes with mystery and charm. The place comes to night at life where you’ll be dining al fresco under hundreds of twinkly lights that light up the night sky.

Day five brings us onto the subject of painting animals and for the horse lovers amongst you, the unique chance to visit a local equestrian centre and experience a magical morning horse ride along the Salento shore line. There is no need to be a skilled
horserider: before each excursion, information briefings are carried out to get on the saddle safely and both beginners and more experienced itineraries are available.

If you’d prefer not to visit the stables, then your breakfast will be served at the Masseria and you’ll get the chance to grab a free period for painting until we all gather together at 11am ready for a short excursion to observe and sketch local flamingos in their habitat.

After returning to the Masseria for a bite to eat, I will teach you the fundamentals of depicting birds in their natural habitat using the flamingos as our subject matter. We will create the most wonderful colours, tones and textures using a range of warm and cool
hues. Crucially we will suggest the sky and the sea with the bare minimum of strokes, allowing our flamingos to pop with flare and colour. 

Once our flamingoes are painted,  we will have a couple of hours to relax and freshen up ready to end the day with a spot of wine tasting and supper in the nearby town of Manduria, a historic town famed for its production of the velvety smooth red wine Primitivo di Manduria. With the soft glow of streetlights illuminating the pathways and ancient architecture, what better way of ending the day winding down with an evening meal in the quintessential Pugliese town of Manduria.

Having refuelled with breakfast, this is a great opportunity to transform memories from
Lecce into captivating artworks. Dive into your photographs and be inspired to complete your previously started pieces or embark on a new artistic journey.

With freedom in your choice of subject you might be inclined to paint a seascape or depict the many animals that you’ve seen on your stay in Italy. To this end I will be carrying out a demonstration in
the morning covering the aspect of rendering fur and hair in a expressive yet realistic
manner.

After lunch there will be free time for you to continue painting, to spend time exploring the
expanse of beaches in the local area, or if you are a gastro enthusiast, to partake in an
impromptu cooking lesson from one of the Masseria chefs.
As the sun sets on our final evening, unique blends of cocktails will be served using locally sourced herbs and spices as a band of local musicians provide us with the perfect musical
backdrop to our last evening meal together.

After a hearty Italian breakfast, we will walk in the vicinity of the venue to photograph and
forage for objects suitable for our first art session. With olive trees, geckos, pine cones, cacti, and a beach close to hand, we won’t be short of inspiration.
Using a mixture of charcoals and black watercolour paint, we will study the skills needed to bring a 3D object to life on the paper, examining tone, proportion and perspective. Light snacks, fruit and refreshments will be available throughout the lunch time period, after which we will dive into our first experiments with colour. I will show you how to mix colours of your choice with just a handful of pigments.
You’ll also gain insights into a couple of essential techniques for watercolour, where I’ll show you how to desaturate colours, blend and lift paint, create soft and hard edges and explore mark marking with your brushes. This will put you in good stead for the myriad of colours that you will want to recreate over the coming days.
With this practical session finished you will have time to relax and refresh ready for a beautifully prepared evening meal at the Masseria.

After breakfast, day 4 brings us on to the subject of the Sea in all its majesty. I will teach you four ways of approaching the subject in which you carry out a series of mini studies covering the techniques involved in painting a range of situations such as crashing waves, sea foam, rocks, and boats. You will learn how to create soft and hard edges to good effect to denote waves; masking fluid, gel pens and gouache to create convincing sea
foam; splattering techniques to create interesting texture in rocks; layering techniques and effective colour mixing to create boat paraphernalia.

After lunch we will head out to the beautiful marina town of Santa Marina al Bagno where you will have chance to watch the waves crash against the rocks and the boats bobbing in
the marina. You will have ample time to paint, photograph or simply relax on the beach of this charming town, before heading back to a delicious evening meal back at the Masseria.

After a nutritious breakfast, we will embark on our day trip to the wonderful city of Lecce.

Famed for its baroque buildings, Roman amphitheatre, Cathedral and Churches, it is one of the most awe inspiring cities in the world. It is filled with ancient palaces and squares, vibrant cafes, museums and restaurants… ideal for painting plein-air, gathering photo
references or simply for taking time out to absorb the atmosphere.

On our return to the Masseria we will have a relaxing evening dinner over which we can share our experiences of the city and the retreat as a whole and make plans for our final day.

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Enjoy breakfast together, exchange any last contacts and catch the 11 am transfer to
Brindisi airport arriving there around 12.15pm.

Please note that the Masseria is very much in the heart of rural Puglia. As such the majority of our trips will be via mini bus with the journeys ranging from 15 to 60
minutes in duration.

All transportation is covered in the cost of your retreat.

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