Renaissance Art Workshops

For thirty years, I taught art history at the local high school, watching generations of students discover the beauty of Renaissance masters. When I retired three years ago, I couldn't bear the thought of letting that passion fade away.

So I transformed my garden studio into a workshop space where I teach traditional Renaissance techniques to anyone willing to learn. From fresco painting to tempera preparation, from gold leaf application to manuscript illumination, we explore the methods that created some of history's greatest masterpieces.

My students range from curious tourists to serious art students from the university. There's something magical about seeing a child's eyes light up when they successfully mix their first tempera paint using egg yolk and pigments, just as Raphael did five centuries ago.

We use authentic materials whenever possible. The pigments come from the same quarries that supplied medieval artists. The wooden panels are prepared using traditional gesso techniques. Even our brushes are made from squirrel and sable hair, crafted by hand.

The workshop has become more than just an art class—it's a living connection to our artistic heritage. Students don't just learn techniques; they understand the patience, skill, and dedication that Renaissance masters brought to their craft.

Last month, one of my students, a young woman from Japan, completed her first small fresco using techniques unchanged since Giotto's time. As we unveiled her work together, I felt the same pride I imagine the great masters felt when guiding their apprentices centuries ago.