Take Your Decorative Finishing to the
Master Level in Vicenza, Italy
A Unique Opportunity to Study Venetian Plaster Finishing with Italian Master Artisan Giovanni Polistena
When: October 26-November 4, 2008
You already know that advanced technique is the key to differentiating yourself from your competitors. Your best customers crave authenticity and impeccable craftsmanship. Imagine being able to tell them you’ve studied with a true Italian master of your craft, and enhanced your education by studying masterpieces of decorative plasterwork in their original setting.
You’ll be able to show your most demanding customers an array of samples that include the same techniques used in classical Italian villas and palazzi.
Join us for an incredible, inspiring week
You’ll learn dozens of sophisticated and highly marketable techniques from a genuine master artisan. You’ll soak in enough inspiration to fuel your work for a lifetime. And the cost is surprisingly affordable.
This is a very limited opportunity to stand head and shoulders above your competition. If you’re serious about growing as an artist and a professional, call us at 206.838.588 or email us today to reserve your spot for this exceptional opportunity.
Please do not delay. Class size will be strictly limited to 12 students.
Master Artisan Giovanni Polistena Will Take Your Craftsmanship and Artistry to the Next Level
This 10-day mini-apprenticeship will teach you:
- A maestro’s portfolio of authentic finishes, varying from completely uniform to highly textured
- How to make a velvet-smooth Marmorino with two or more colors
- Master techniques for impeccably finished edges
- How to work on large surfaces with complete confidence
- An advanced technique for applying Marmorino on floors
- The traditional Moroccan technique Tadelakt, a lustrous waterproof plaster finish used in palaces and hammams in Marrakech (perfect for creating amazing bathrooms)
- How to create sophisticated matte finishes in stucco, and the rich look of a wax finish over matte Marmorino
- Classical techniques for decorative “al fresco” painting on stucco
- Ancient techniques for stucco decoration on Marmorino
- Advanced lessons on how to use a variety of waxes for beautiful — and practical — results, including waterproofing with natural olive oil soaps
- Elegant traditional borders for doors and windows
- The correct way to finish columns with stucco
- An array of charming special effects, including patterns combining matte and glossy finishes
- How to handle the complex use of color
- How to apply velvet Marmorino Venetian plaster for a uniquely luxurious look
- How to obtain the master artisan’s chiaroscuro effect, using light and dark shades with Intonachino . . .
. . . and more.
This mini-apprenticeship blends rigorous hands-on demonstration with fieldwork to educate your eye in the most elegant uses of these classical techniques . . . on the historic villas and palazzi where they were created.
The Ancient City of Vicenza will Inspire You for a Lifetime
The city of Vicenza and the Palladian villas of the Veneto are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are renowned across the Western world for inspiring architecture.
Andrea Palladio, born in 1508, has often been described as the most influential — and most copied — architect in the Western world. His most acclaimed work was created in and around this ancient city. Our master class will soak up Vicenza’s unmatched ambiance and visit Andrea Palladio’s public buildings for inspiration, as well as tour some of the architect’s exquisite villas in the surrounding countryside.
Even without the intensive hands-on workshop in classical techniques, this class would be worth the fee just for the visual education you’ll receive seeing these master works firsthand, in their original context. The authenticity and beauty you’ll bring to your work after completing this class will take you to an entirely different level from your competitors — and will leave your clients with finishes they can’t stop talking about.
Once again, call us at 206.838.588 or email us today to reserve your spot for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Please do not delay. Class size will be strictly limited to 12 students.
Itinerary
- Oct. 24 - 25 (Fri & Sat) — Arrive in the ancient city of Vicenza.
- Oct. 26 (Sun) — The class will tour historic sites in Vicenza to study Palladio’s work as a group, and enjoy dinner in town.
- Oct. 27 - 28 (Mon & Tues) — Master class at Giovanni Polistena’s studio. The evening is free for exploration and a fabulous Italian dinner.
- Oct. 29 (Wed) — The class will spend all day on an intensive field trip of historic sites, including some of Andrea Palladio’s greatest masterpieces, to study traditional uses of the Marmorino finish. Don’t forget your notebook, you’ll want to make copious notes.
- Oct. 30 (Thurs) — Master class at Giovanni’s studio. Group dinner in Vicenza.
- Oct. 31 (Fri) — Having learned dozens of classical finishing techniques, the class will again venture into the field. We’ll observe and study more of the inspiring villas of Andrea Palladio and other historical sites that use these superb finishing traditions.
- Nov. 1 - 4 (Sat - Tues) — You’ll have two options:Option A — Return home Saturday or Sunday (or stay in Italy until your money runs out!); orOption B — Travel to Venice with some of your classmates and return home on Tuesday.
Tuition
- Tuition for the mini-apprenticeship is $1,500. Full payment for the class must be made by August 31, 2008 to guarantee your spot.
- Tuition includes master class sessions with Giovanni; all materials and lunches during class; transportation from your hotel to Giovanni’s studio and back; transportation between Vicenza and the VCE airport, a full-day field trip on Wednesday and a half-day field trip on Friday.
- Tuition does not include accommodations. We offer several recommendations below.
- Tuition does not include meals (except for class lunches), airfare, or the optional trip to Venice.
- Tuition for this class is non-refundable unless we can fill your canceled spot prior to September 30
Instructor
Master artisan Giovanni Polistena began professionally restoring antique Marmorino wall finishes more than 30 years ago in Italy. He was inspired to learn how to re-create these incredible finishes to grace newer buildings and homes, and he has been at the forefront of the modern renaissance of traditional Venetian plasterwork ever since.
Accommodations
We have two hotel recommendations in Vicenza, a three-star hotel priced at about $100 per night, and a four-star hotel priced at around $200 per night.
Airfare and Transportation
Airfare from the U.S. to Venice typically runs between about $1,000 to $1,700.Flying into the Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is your best choice for travel to Vicenza. Transportation between Vicenza and the VCE airport will be provided at no charge for students arriving and departing on the following dates:
- Arriving October 24 or 25
- Departing from Vicenza on November 1 or 2
- Or departing from Venice on November 4
Transportation to and from the master classes in Giovanni’s studio, on field trips, and for group dinners are included in the cost of tuition.
Register Now to Reserve Your Spot…
Before This Small Class is Full:
Call us at 206.838.588 or email us today to reserve your spot for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Click here to see a Google map of Vicenza and the surrounding towns.
