This past May featured En Plein Air with Virginia Fergus’s new painting workshop, San Gimignano 2024. It surpassed my hopes and dreams in every category including location, accommodation, painting opportunities, and participant experience and artistic growth.

Leader and artist Virginia Fergus painting on the piazza in San Gimignano.

When preparing and leading a completely new workshop experience I always have high hopes that it will be wonderful, productive, stimulating, and memorable, and I was so happy that San Gimignano 2024 exceeded my hopes in every way!

Leslie found a new love in Plein air painting.

The location was superb!

Heather and her lovely colors!

San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it provided a very special surround for our painting workshop San Gimignano 2024 and for our Tuscany experience.

Happy painter with a new painting.

The architecture is very complete and preserved and the town itself is perched and provides stunning landscape views.  Plus San Gimignano is full of great restaurants, shops, and hidden corners. It also boasts several outstanding museums and churches which are full of stunning paintings and famous frescoes.

Carol pushed to a new painting level!

Our hotel was so friendly and personal as the staff made us welcome. They seemed to really care about us and were interested in our pursuits. In fact, even the townspeople had heard about the group of American artists who were staying there and painting on location!

Kati was super engaged and dedicated to her painting growth.

The hotel had two wonderful and accessible types of painting locations. We had a private large terrace with spectacular views of the famous towers, the rooftops, and the winding streets. It also gave us a private perch for long range valley and mountain landscapes.

Kati and one of her lovely paintings.

It was embraced by the group as our private outdoor classroom.

Virginia’s painting of Piazza dell Cisterna.

On the other side of the hotel we stepped directly into the most beautiful piazza in town including the ancient well at the center. It was a very different painting opportunity that included cafe table, chairs, and umbrellas, people busy everywhere, and layered shapes of the famous architecture – and a world famous gelato shop to keep us fueled for our painting efforts!

Deborah relished our terrace!

San Gimignano 2024 was made complete by a bonded and congenial group of wonderful people. All were dedicated to growth as artists and painters and jumped in and focused the entire time. So many interesting and lovely paintings were made and everyone grew in their artistic production and painting skills. We were all sorry to see the week end and I hope we will be reunited at San Gimignano 2025 which is planned for May 10 – 17.

Deborah’s most special painting.

Details and Registration will be available on my website by September 1.

If you are interested, please Contact Me on my website with the Contact Form. Make sure to include your full name and email address and a note of your interest. I will respond with details.

Sara gets lost in her own painting world.

En Plein Air with Virginia Fergus strives to live up to her motto

”Authentic, Intimate, Beautiful”

and San Gimignano 2024 painting workshop did just that!

Virginia Fergus leads small group Plein Air Painting Workshops in Italy and France that are unique opportunities for creative immersion and personal transformation. Each workshop includes plein air painting experiences in curated locations, sensitive and personal instruction, experienced and empathetic guidance, artistic immersion, beautiful accommodations and delicious meals in authentic and particular locations, and new friends for the journey. Ginny's personal motto is “Authentic, Intimate, Beautiful” and is the creative and experiential goal of each workshop. To learn more, visit www.vsfergus.com Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.