"Yes- There is spontaneity along with structure. No pressure to join the group should you need time alone. A great balance between communal meals and dining out. Breathtaking scenery and excellent accommodations"
~Maureen McMenamin, Toronto, France trip 2006


  
"Absolutely! Accomodations were excellent. I would definately share again. I really enjoyed the sharing of food, dinners together. I had painted almost 30 years ago (omg) and having learned new techniques through Joan helped me to establish a love of 3-color watercolour and develop my new found style."
~Maureen Martin-Edey, Toronto, France 2006, Italy 2007


  
"Absolutely...it is an excellent retreat...for those that would like to express themselves creatively or those who would like to find the creativity anew!"
~Dorothy Kolesnik, Toronto, France 2006

On a paintbrush tour in Tuscany

Under the shadow of Michelangelo (and some watchful pigeons), Larry Humber explores his artistic side

LARRY HUMBER

Special to The Globe and Mail

June 2, 2007

ANGHIARI, ITALY -- One of my least fond memories of school was being conscripted into the art club in the eighth grade. This was after I had shown some proficiency with a paintbrush. The club was composed of one other boy and maybe 30 girls. I tried to hide every time we went on a gallery excursion.
Recently, I found myself in a similar situation, but I no longer felt the need to hide. I joined a group of nine women who were decamping to Anghiari, a tiny walled village in the Tuscan hills with a stunning view of the valley below, to paint and explore the treasures of the area. The company was great, with organizer Joan Skura keeping things light during the 12-day sojourn.

The recently retired Skura heads tour group Artists ... let's Get-Away and has also travelled to Mexico and the South of France. She is looking at forays to Salvador Dali's hometown of Figueres, in northern Spain, and to Portugal and Greece.
"I like to make people happy," she replied when asked why she does it. She's a talented painter, too, and sits down with her charges at every opportunity, offering instruction and inspiration. For the few beginners, that was most welcome.

Skura searches for scenic but lesser-known spots, with Anghiari easily filling that bill. But there's much to be seen thereabouts, including Florence and Siena, both on the itinerary. While Florence enjoys the greater reputation, calling itself the cultural capital of Europe, Siena was the real find, if only because things were much more accessible there. Florence is a bit of a madhouse, like the Canadian National Exhibition on opening day. And that was in May, not mid-summer.

And while few have heard of Anghiari, without it Florence and Siena wouldn't be nearly so exalted. It seems two of the greatest of the Renaissance artists hailed from just around the corner. Michelangelo was born a few kilometres north in Caprese Michelangelo, and Piero della Francesca just east of Anghiari in Sansepolcro, where he spent much of his life. Both those towns have museums dedicated to their prodigious sons, though Michelangelo's hardly does him justice.

Anghiari is further distinguished by a legendary battle that took place near there in 1440 between Florentine and Milanese armies. That fray became the subject of a fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, now dubbed "the most famous lost artwork of the Renaissance." Sadly, it was plastered over, about 40 years after his passing in 1519.

There are still traces of it to be found at the local museum and at Bar Baldaccio, a popular pizzeria in Anghiari's Garibaldi Square. A rendering of it appears on the placemats at the bar, where the calzone is served piping hot and topped with lots of sauce. Wine is cheap and plentiful, as it is everywhere in Italy.

All of us came equipped with paints and brushes, and many brought along folding chairs. Most days were given over to painting, with ageless Anghiari providing a great backdrop. The nearby poppy fields were a favourite theme for those weary of town life, the bright red contrasting with the abundant greenery. Most worked in watercolours, but my preference was for acrylic and collage, both unknown to the masters. I could hardly hope to emulate them anyway.

After a few days in Anghiari, we bundled off one morning to nearby Arezzo, where we set up in the market. We attracted a few shoppers, too. There were even some offers for our work - though not all appreciated it, the pigeons venting their displeasure with an occasional aerial onslaught.

Then it was off to Siena for dinner. It was the perfect time to drop in on the medieval, car-free city, the sun slowing sinking to allow for some splendid shots. Most visitors were on their way home at that time, too.

A few days later, we opted for Florence, catching the bus from Anghiari to Arezzo and then hopping the train, packed with school kids. Florence is home to the Uffizi Gallery, which showcases the best in Italian art, and Brunelleschi's soaring Dome, a marvel when it was built in the 1400s and to this day.

Lengthy lineups are the norm at both, though you can avoid some of the hassle at the Uffizi by pre-ordering tickets for a few extra euros. The day we attended, we were told there was a 1½-hour wait just to buy tickets.

The Uffizi justifies the wait, if only to see its two Botticellis, Primavera and The Birth of Venus, also known affectionately as "Venus on the Half-Shell." They are a source of endless riches for the gallery, as is evident when passing through its multitudinous gift shops. Venus graces postcards, calendars, playing cards, handbags, erasers, credit card holders, posters, umbrellas, pens, notepads, address books, jigsaw puzzles and, of course, fridge magnets. Now seriously inspired, we sat down to paint for the final few days, mostly in the older portion of Anghiari near the square. We had been promised a show in town, so we decided to focus on the familiar.

The show took place at the River, one of a chain of coffee shops in the Starbucks tradition. Not sure what to price our art, we were given some hints by man-about-town Giuseppe Dini, who claimed to resemble the subject of a celebrated della Francesca portrait, The Duke of Urbino.

"It depends on the number of colours," Dini said. "This one has only two colours, so not much. Now this one, with all these colours, that's a lot more."

Colours didn't seem to impress the locals, though, as nothing was sold. That hardly mattered, as we had been enriched in so many other ways.

Art tours

A sampling of companies and organizations offering art tours:

Artists ... let's Get-Away

Loretto, Ont.; 705-434-0530; http://www.joan-of-art.ca.
Led by Ontario College of Art-trained Joan Skura and Stephanie Rostirolla.