Dates: May 30-June 8, 2027
Instructor: Richard K. Blades
Venue: Castello di Petroia, Umbria, Italy
Medium: Open to oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor (Richard will work in oil)
Level: Open to all levels
Spend an immersive week painting in one of Italy’s most beautiful landscapes. Set among medieval stone walls, olive groves, open meadows and sweeping Umbrian hill views, Castello di Petroia is the perfect place to slow down, look closely, and paint with feeling.
Richard K Blades invites you to discover his expressive approach to capturing the poetry and romance at the heart of nature. His loose, free way of working is liberating, and it will open up new ways to translate light, atmosphere and texture into paint. Working en plein air and in a dedicated studio, you’ll explore both observational and intuitive techniques in oil and gouache, and leave with a stronger voice and paintings full of energy and atmosphere.
Richard brings together his two great passions, landscape and floral still life, in a single workshop. Paint the countryside outdoors, then bring its colour and mood into the studio as you compose still lifes from observation and imagination.
What you’ll learn
Set in the heart of Umbria, Castello di Petroia offers an extraordinary venue for a 10-day art immersion. The 11th-century medieval castle combines the romance of a historic castle with the ease and comfort of a refined countryside retreat.
Perched on a hilltop between Perugia and Gubbio, the castle overlooks the rolling Umbrian countryside and sits within a 500-acre estate of ancient olive groves, meadows, forests, and abundant wildlife.
The birthplace of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino (b. 1422), a major figure of the Italian Renaissance, Petroia offers a rare opportunity to experience the history, beauty, and hospitality of the region.
With just 15 guest rooms, Petroia offers an intimate and unhurried stay. Each artist who registers individually has a private room with ensuite bathroom, featuring exposed beams, stone arches, antique furnishings, and painted ceilings—historic character combined with modern comfort.
The castle and its estate are a painter’s paradise: weathered medieval walls and quiet courtyards, silvery olive groves, open meadows where Chianina cattle graze, and long views rolling out across the Umbrian hills.
A newly renovated 450-square-foot studio with soaring 25-foot vaulted ceilings is yours for the entire stay at the castle, so you can paint whenever inspiration strikes. This bright comfortable workspace offers ample room to spread out and paint, whatever the weather. It’s also a perfect space for painting the still life and the figure. Nearby, the covered loggia on the top floor of the main building offers another sheltered space with sweeping views.
We provide the equipment: easels and painting materials are included and available throughout your stay. Just bring your favorite brushes and we’ll take care of the rest.
Note: We provide traditional oil paints, acrylics, and gouache. Other mediums are not provided.
Meals are served in the castle’s historic spaces, from a breakfast of homemade sweet and savory specialties to relaxed family-style lunches and a daily aperitivo on the terrace. Each evening, Michelin-starred chef Walter Paseri presents a four-course dinner inspired by traditional Umbrian cuisine and seasonal local ingredients.
Beyond painting, guests can relax by the pool among the olive groves, hike the estate’s trails, take a cooking lesson, or simply read and enjoy the views. Gubbio, Assisi, Perugia, and Spoleto are within easy reach, and we’re glad to help arrange visits to hill towns and markets, as well as hiking and biking in the countryside.
What’s Included:
With over 10 years of experience organizing art tours, and with part of our team, our daughters Anne and Amy, living in Europe and fluent in Italian and Spanish, we maintain long term relationships with the owners and staff of our favorite venues. We personally participate in every travel workshop to ensure the quality and to coordinate all the needs of an art instruction program.
If you have any questions, please use the form below, phone 206-715-6663 or email martha@winslowartcenter.com to contact us.
Search Winslow classes by instructor, day, month, medium or keyword.
