6 – 12 June, 2026
14 – 20 June, 2026
If you have always wanted to draw or paint, you can do so under the tutelage of Loreto Reilly, a fully qualified art and design teacher, with over 25 years of professional experience, including 20 years running this course. Loreto is an adept and accomplished teacher as well as a successful Irish artist who exhibits regularly at home and abroad.
Loreto will host this year’s courses in the beautiful city of Florence, cradle of Renaissance painting. We will be right in the centre, just a few minutes walk from the Duomo, the Uffizi, and the majestic Arno river.
Yoga with Marie Finn
Start each day with gentle yoga and somatic movement, nourishing breathwork, and guided relaxation. A lovely lead into the morning’s painting. Marie has been teaching yoga for many years. Her approach is gentle, promoting an overall sense of calm and well-being.
You will feel stronger, more flexible, more balanced, and ready to get the most from being and creating in these beautiful surroundings.
Instagram: mariecfinn
Location
The course will be based in a magnificent living monastery, an oasis of tranquility, yet in the heart of the city. Here we begin our course in the beautiful inner gardens with our rooms within its corridors, where frescoed ceilings delight the eye and numerous sitting rooms are there to relax, read, or sketch.
For more information, please contact Loreto by email or phone.
Classes
The course is all about painting your own original landscape. Beginning with selecting a subject, learning how to make a preparatory sketch, and then working that to a finished painting. Each step is demonstrated to the group and then developed through one-to-one tuition. Students are encouraged to work at their own level of art experience.
We begin in the monastery garden, with group and individual tuition, which will give each student the skills to observe, sketch, and paint. Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience already painting directly from what you see, Loreto will guide you, no matter what your level.
During the course of the week, we will take our paints and easels, and you will sketch a number of subjects, the beautiful Duomo, reflections in the Arno, or the beautiful Bardini gardens, often completing several paintings by the end. Following this course, whenever you encounter a striking subject, at home or while traveling, you will have the skills to sketch and paint it.
The group is kept to a maximum of twelve, to ensure that every student receives the maximum assistance and encouragement from the tutor at all times. The synergy of working together with like-minded people brings its own rewards, and often our students have become close friends. Many people also return from year to year.
Among the painting and drawing media used during this course are graphite pencils, acrylics, and watercolours, if requested. Most materials for painting and drawing are included. For a list of things to bring, click here.
For more information, please contact Loreto by email or phone.
Accommodation
All care is taken that your stay is an enjoyable experience while attending the course, and this includes the accommodation. Rooms are simply furnished and all are en-suite. Breakfast is provided each morning in the dining room or in the garden. The many sitting rooms and gardens are all available to you to rest, maybe read, or sketch. Wifi is available throughout.
Afternoon Time to Yourself
- Walk to the centre of Florence, just a few minutes from our accommodation. Have a long lunch in one of the many amazing restaurants on the doorstep.
- The centre is one of the oldest historic centres in the world. It has many famous museums and churches. The backdrop of Tuscan hills makes it a stunning cityscape to delight the eye. Through the ancient winding streets with exquisite shops and boutiques, walk in the footsteps of Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci, those streets where he bought caged birds from the market just to set them free.
- The sacred ritual of the passeggiata for Italians each evening is an experience in itself. Order an Aperol and listen to the hum of the people as they stroll arm in arm and seem to chatter incessantly. It is also an opportunity to admire the style with which they dress, seemingly effortlessly.
- Try one of the many picturesque walking routes in the local area or explore scenery further afield by bus or with a car rental.
- Take some time for personal painting development.
- Or simply relax in this serene oasis and take a siesta.
Accommodation and Course Cost:
- The course cost is €1,390, which includes:
- One hour of guided yoga each morning for five days.
- Three hours of painting tuition each day for five days.
- Yoga mats, all painting materials, and equipment.
- Afternoon guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery
- Accommodation, six nights, single en suite room with breakfast each morning. Double rooms are also available.
- Early booking is essential as room availability cannot be guaranteed after 30 November. This monastery is highly sought because of its fantastic location.
- Flights and accommodation are separate from the course fees and should be paid directly to the respective providers.
- The cost for non-painting partners is €795
Not Included in the Price:
- Flights
- Obligatory travel insurance
- Cost of transport
- Lunch/evening meal
Cancellation Policy
- Please read the Cancellation Policy here before booking.
Getting There
The nearest airport is Florence. airport. However, there are no direct flights from Dublin, so Pisa is closest, about an hour by taxi. We will organise a group taxi to take you to our accommodation. The cost of flights booked early is reasonable and tends to rise closer to the travel dates. So early booking is highly recommended.
The UK has many direct flights from London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airports, as well as one from Edinburgh.
Map
Gloss Magazine January 2020
Read the article here.
Gloss Magazine July 2017
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