Advice to share if you’ve taken an Art Workshop trip

This sounds great, Jean. If it's at all possible, try to include Urbino in your plans. It was the first place we went in Europe when we started traveling in 1999 and hooked us on Italy immediately! I'm sure Ascoli Piceno will be wonderful also, but there's only one Urbino!

Janet, Urbino is very appealing! Thank you for mentioning it!

I just checked the transportation options to go there, and it’s not looking promising. : (. There’s the Trenitalia train route along the coast, and then a bus is needed to go inland to Urbino. There is a bus that is run by Adriabus which has a rating of 1.5 from the locals for all of the reasons you can well imagine. I’ll keep it on the list in case something practical comes through later.

Janet, did you also stay in Jesi (Lesi)? That is in Le Marche on the train route toward Foligno, and it could be a great option if initial pictures are accurate. Fortress walls, etc. Palazzo Pianetti has gorgeous frescoes & walls with some unusual hues.

I’ll probably fly to Venice & go the Emilia-Romagna region route to reach Le Marche, spend time there pre/post class & finish routed through some of Umbria to fly home from Rome. A painting of little Spello with the flowers contrasting the stone fronts of homes as a finale to this trip would be SO special!

Jean that sounds dreamy!! I would love to do something like that but I am a total beginner. (My sister is the artist in the family)

One tip I have is that when you go to Ascoli, have your hotel or host make a phone call to the Agritursimo Villa Cicchi.
It is a very short way out of town. You should try to contact the owner, Elena, and go for lunch. We did that and were then given a tour of the farm and it was one of the loveliest days of our time in Le Marche (I have seen very little of the region, though)
Elena gives cooking courses and is the most delightful person and I am pretty sure she speaks English very well...I am going to look this up; I wrote a review on TripAdvisor which is rarely do..it was just such a lovely day and she is such a lovely person and so warm.. You might even think of staying there...it is very close to the city and maybe there is a bus....or maybe she would drive you...

This is my review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g194676-d2169360-r627503332-Agriturismo_Villa_Cicchi-Ascoli_Piceno_Province_of_Ascoli_Piceno_Marche.html

Ekscrunchy, what a great experience you had in that special place! Thank you for sharing it! Of course, I would like to take a cooking class there, too. My husband always told his friends that was the benefit of being so supportive of my independent travel in Italy; I’d come home & make those dishes for him. : ). This past year this has transitioned to having a large table full of my neighbor ladies over for Italian meals, so it continues…. (heart)

Specific to the art workshop class: My background in using pastel paints is zero, but I am very motivated & have a year to practice to prepare. I did ask the instructor if this was a concern for her. I certainly don’t want to be a bother to her or the other class participants! She assured me that it is okay that I am a beginner now, (My goal is to move my drawings/paintings from “engineering-look” to a romantic look & pastels seem like the perfect medium to enable it.). This could be a fun sisters trip for you together!

Jean, it's true that you have to take the bus from Pesaro to Urbino, but it was never a problem for us. The end justifies the means!

Hi Jean. Like you, I have a love for art and Italy, although my Italian adventures have been far fewer than yours! Also like you, I started out with one day art workshops. Last year I graduated to a full week mosaic workshop in Ravenna and had a wonderful time. Quality instruction but maybe even more memorable is the people I met from all over Europe and even Australia. The primary instructor has been making and restoring mosaics for a “very long” time and she was very interesting. After that experience, I took the leap to a two week ceramic workshop this spring at La Meridiana, just outside Certaldo. I’m so excited as pottery has really become my first love over the last couple of years. Please don’t fret about any lack of experience, the instructors want to help you to be successful. I now travel on my own with some “slow walking” issues and I finding that travel revolving around a shared interest with others is extremely rewarding (and fun!) and plan to continue as long as I can. I hope you have a fabulous time!
Edited to add: Art supplies and creations can weigh a ton! Last year I brought home steel mosaic tools, Murano glass and completed projects along with a solid body clay sculpture I made in a half day workshop in Florence. Fortunately I had a sturdy bag to check along with packing materials. I did have to throw out clothes though!

There’s some discussion today on another thread in the forum on AI planning our trips, so I thought for fun I’d ask it about taking a pastel class next year in Italy! Here was the response:

”These aren’t typical “classes”—they’re more like immersive art retreats.
Typical experience:
Paint outdoors (“plein air”) in incredible scenery
Daily instruction + demos
Small groups (often 6–12 people)
Built-in travel: food, wine, museums, local culture
So it’s part art class, part vacation, part creative reset”

”Reasons you should do it
1. You’ll improve faster than at home (usually)
Being immersed for a week—with nothing else to do—can jump your skills forward.
2. The environment matters more than you think
Painting in Italy hits differently. Light, architecture, colors—it all pushes your work.
3. It’s motivating. You’re surrounded by people who actually care about art. That’s rare in everyday life.
4. It’s a life experience, not just a class. Even if your art didn’t improve dramatically, the trip itself is meaningful.”

”Ask yourself: “Do I want skill improvement only, or a creative life experience?”
If your goal is pure skill, you can get similar results cheaper at home
If your goal is skill + inspiration + travel + joy, Italy is absolutely worth it”

I really like the response it gave me! Yes, Italy’s environment matters, it’s very motivating & a wonderful life experience! Okay, onward with the planning! : )

Thank you, CindyP, for your insights from your experiences! I loved my days in Ravenna, but you took it to a whole other level - such an inspiring location!

Wow, you are talking heavy materials, but I bet they were beautiful! What a wonderful opportunity to have these in your home now! On a smaller scale, I have purchased cooking utensils in Italy & France, and yes, I would give up a few clothes, if needed, to get them home. : ). I love using them to make Italian dishes & French pastries.

Buying the mosaic tools in Italy saved me more than 50% versus buying in the US, not to mention shipping, customs etc. I can never resist such a bargain!