From PSNC member Debbie Rasberry —
Ever since I first picked up a pastel, I have dreamed of visiting beautiful places to drink in the scenery and to paint en Plein air. I have pictured myself in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, easel set up and pastels ready to capture its glorious beauty. I have also dreamed of seeing the art masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and so many others first hand. I love experiencing other cultures – their customs, cuisines, and their rich history.
Well, folks, that dream may be realized sooner than later. Tony Hedrick, a fellow pastelist, has been taking groups to European countries for many years. His company is focused on missionary work globally, and he travels extensively and frequently throughout Europe and Asia. As a Pastel artist, though, he would love to host a pastel painting trip to Italy. Tony knows Italy like the back of his hand, and he would customize a trip that would be friendly to both artists and non-artists, traveling to the most scenic parts of Tuscany and Umbria, Parma, Cinque Terre and possibly the Amalfi Coast, as well as the cultural and historical centers of Rome and Florence, including Citta Di Castillo and Cortona. The journey would not only provide plenty of quality time for plein air painting, to satisfy the artists, but it also includes daily opportunities to experience the finest cuisine in each region, exploring towns and cities at your own leisure, shopping, visiting local market places, experiencing the historical sights and art museums and interacting with locals, experiencing their culture first hand.
Essentially, this is a tour designed specifically for artists, with plenty of time to paint in different regions, but is also a pleasure trip of Italy for spouses and non-artists. An art and food trip to Italy… it’s my dream come true!!
All accommodation, transportation (not including air travel), activities, private guide services and meals are reserved by Niteo Tours, and Tony plans to host us. We are looking at a trip in the spring of 2019.
If you are interested, and have additional questions, please email me. You do not have to commit, I am just looking to see who may be interested. I want to extend this offer to all 3 Pastel societies of North Carolina. If you’d like to know more, Niteo Tours has some beautiful brochures of previous trips that I can send to you.
Tony and I also discussed getting together in April for an afternoon or evening presentation of the areas we’ll be visiting, and we can also weigh in at that time with the specifics of the trip.
I would love nothing more than to share this trip with my favorite Pastel artists!!!
