Art Retreat

Art Retreat.

I have recently participated in my first time art retreat. It was a truly unforgettable and valuable experience.

It doesn’t happen so often but with my choices, I won twice. The location, Florence. And the true artist, Paco Lafarga. It still feels like a dream to me to be honest. But it really happened, I attended the Paco Lafarga Contemporary Figurative Painting in Oil course via Artescape Italy. The organisers, team Art Escape, Tana and Dorian prepared this art adventure beautifully from A to Z. Starting for the venue the picked to all the coworkers that they have chosen to cooperate with, the talented and creative cooks and professional art models. The location was inspiring by itself Antico Borgo La Torre, a picturesque villa located in the Tuscany country side owned and run by a couple who happen to be also making delicious wine which we were able to enjoy with our aperos and dinners.

https://www.artescapeitaly.com/

See more pictures from the retreat here:

Paco Lafarga

http://www.pacolafarga.es/noticias/

Paco Lafarga is a Spanish artist. He used to draw a lot as a child and after choosing an alternative career path he finally returned to his childhood passion after completing his studies. Thank God!

On the first day Paco did a demonstration of his approach to starting a painting. He began with putting blocks of paint in the face area and a little part of the body. He moved really slowly. His whole painting process is slow. It is actually only when he feels like it that he picks up a brush. Lets all hope it will be a couple of times a week that the inspiration hits him so he’d be able to produce many more masterpieces in the future.

Bit by bit a silhouette and a hint of a face emerged on Paco’s canvas towards the end of the demo and we proceeded to our easels equipped with razor blades. Yes razor blades. You scrape the paint to form, to remove or add texture. Our canvases or paper had to be gessoed multiple times to allow for the scraping to work. Oh but it was so much fun.

On our second workshop day Paco discussed his influences in a presentation he has prepared for us his temporary students. This was incredibly helpful in understanding his process and where he is coming from. We went on a time journey from Velasquez, Rembrandt, Dali and others all the way through to Antonio Lopez and Golucho, his beloved teacher.

Paco’s teaching style was almost subtle but very specific at the same time. He didn’t really need too many words to explain what he means about the work we have been doing at the venue. Each time he came to critique my work I let him have my brush and paint and show me what he meant directly on my canvas. This was very much eye opening in terms of how much more of a risk taker I needed to become to be a ble to attempt at producing a meaningful piece. Well maybe one day …

Turn the picture upside down

Step away from the painting. Look at it from a distance.

Don’t draw. Paint.

Well it is my prayer now each time I paint. Thank you Paco.

It all feels like it was yesterday, I can still feel the excitement, see the breathtaking views, smell the morning coffee, the paint and solvents throughout the day (In a weirdly satisfying way) and amazing food and wine in the evening. Not to mention the beautiful long conversations with a bunch of wonderful like-minded people.