The Magic of Painting in Tuscany, Italy
Join us in Pienza, Italy for a Painting Workshop | September 11 to 18, 2025
Plein Air Painting Workshop in Tuscany, Italy
Your Instructor: Leslie Jorgensen
The workshop week gets underway in Pienza in the Val d’Orcia. The Val d’Orcia is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its unique beauty. Pienza was built as an "ideal town" in the 15th century under the patronage of Pope Pius II. To this day, it is difficult to tell whether the town itself is more pleasing, or its lovely views across the Tuscan countryside.
Leslie Jorgensen, your instructor for the workshop, will lead daily painting demonstrations and also assist students individually. Demonstrations will be mostly in acrylics, but participants are welcome to also work in watercolor and gouache — or any medium that suits you.
We will visit an outdoor Italian market on market day. And of course, when not painting, we’ll sample some excellent Italian cuisine and perhaps some wine.
Other activities:
Non-painting partners and others are welcome to join our adventure enjoying our excursions and planned cultural activities. Private bike rentals through a local bike shop are also possible..
Recent Tuscany painting by workshop instructor Leslie Jorgensen.
The Workshop
Come with us to explore Tuscany and create artwork that renders and translates the delightful sights, sounds, and tastes of our travels.
EN PLEIN AIR
After breakfast each morning, we will head out to that day’s location to observe, record, and immerse ourselves in the area. We’ll choose locations that offer diverse architecture and landscapes.
Leslie, our instructor, will start the day with a demonstration, showcasing her unique viewpoint. During the work session, Leslie will circulate to offer individual support and guidance to each artist. We’ll have group critiques aimed at problem solving and appreciation, as well. You will be responsible for bringing the materials you need for this work.
Students in the workshop can work in any medium. Demos will be done mostly in acrylic
CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Leslie’s goal is to help us look from a new or renewed perspective and push us to use color in unusual ways. Her work is focused on using the natural beauty of landscapes and shifting the traditional to create unexpected pieces. Leslie thrives on being a part of the landscape, and the joy she gets from painting en plein air is contagious.
Join us! All levels of art experience are very welcome!
Dates: September 11 to 18, 2025 in Pienza, Italy
Cost: $3950 (see below for details)
Maximum group size: 12
Trip Details
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Trip Dates: September 11 to 18, 2025 (7 nights - 8 days)
Total cost of the tour: $3950
Supplement for single occupancy: $450
Deposit required to reserve a place on the tour: $450
(Places in the tour are limited to 12 and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve your place early!)Payment schedule
$450 deposit. The deposit is refundable through May 1, 2025.
$1750 initial payment (Due May 1, 2025)
$1750 final payment (Due July 1, 2025)
All payments are refundable if we need to cancel the trip due to government restrictions or unsafe travel conditions.
** Earn a $300 discount when you bring or refer a friend. Read More.
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Excursions and special activities throughout the week
Pick-up and drop-off at designated airport
7 nights lodging
7 dinners and a breakfast buffet. Appropriate amounts of beer or local wine are included with dinner.
What’s not included:
Airfare & Travel Insurance
Lunches
Misc. entry fees when you're not with the group
Painting supplies
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You will stay in a 3-star hotel located an easy walk to Pienza’s historic center and a few blocks from Pienza’s cathedral and central square.
Visit the Hotel Rutiliano Website
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A breakfast buffet will be available at the hotel each morning.
Dinners will be taken at a variety of restaurants around Pienza.
You will be on your own for lunch.
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As you will fly into Florence, it will be easy to add a few days to visit this fantastic city of art, either before or following the workshop. There is a new tram line that serves the city center from the airport, making access to the city quite convenient. While you will make your own reservations for Florence, we can help with advice and recommendations.
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Your deposit is non-refundable after May 1, 2025, unless of course the trip is canceled for any reason by Travel Fever Tours. Natural disasters, political instability, or low enrollment would form the basis for canceling a trip. After that date, payments you make are nonrefundable.
You will be contacted once the trip reaches minimum enrollment so that you can proceed with purchase of your flights and make other travel arrangements. In all cases, review of enrollment numbers will not take place any later than the date of the First Installment payment.
**Note on Mobility: We will have transportation when we head out on excursions, but you will still need to walk 3 blocks to go from our hotel into the town of Pienza, and a bit further to our various painting locations.
Learn more about your instructor, Leslie Jorgensen
Leslie grew up in Florida and when she moved to Colorado she fell in love with the mountains. She quickly came to love hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing, and took every opportunity to explore new mountain adventures on the road less travelled.
Now Leslie is expanding her horizons further with travel and instruction in Europe. Leslie is leading an art workshop for Travel Fever Tours to Austria in September 2024 and looks forward to returning to Italy in 2025.
Working as an abstract painter, Leslie found her new passion for nature and landscapes.
“I love what the wild places have done to me and to my art,” says Leslie. “I merged my abstract techniques with a lively, gestural painting of my experiences in the mountains. I wanted to take the kind of risks with my subject matter that I do on the slopes.”
Find more information about Leslie and view her work on her website at www.lesliejorgensen.com.
Above: Leslie with her wall mural created for Vectra Bank’s corporate headquarters in Denver. Below: Samples of her vibrant landscape paintings.
Need help planning your next trip?
Ask Bob Lawson, Co-founder of Travel Fever Tours
Where We’re Based: Pienza, Italy
Pienza is a gem of Renaissance architecture and urban planning. Designed by the architect Bernardo Rossellino under the patronage of Pope Pius II in the 15th century, Pienza was intended as an ideal Renaissance city, embodying the principles of harmony, proportion, and beauty. The town's layout is a testament to these ideals, with its central square, Piazza Pio II, surrounded by significant buildings such as the Pienza Cathedral, Palazzo Piccolomini, and Palazzo Borgia, each contributing to the town's cohesive design.
The Pienza Cathedral, with its striking façade and harmonious interior, stands as the town's centerpiece, reflecting the influence of classical ideals combined with the Gothic elements of the time. Palazzo Piccolomini, adjacent to the cathedral, boasts a panoramic view of the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its rolling hills, cypress trees, and picturesque farmland. This view from Pienza is often considered one of the most iconic representations of the Tuscan landscape.
Pienza is also a town rooted in its agricultural traditions. The surrounding countryside is famous for producing some of Italy's finest Pecorino cheese that has been crafted in the region for centuries. Walking through the narrow, cobbled streets of Pienza, visitors can enjoy local delicacies and explore artisan shops.
And all this makes Pienza a wonderful place to paint.
“I have been on several Travel Fever Tours trips, all painting workshops to great locations. They are well-organized, and have provided a nice mix of painting and sightseeing opportunities, scheduled time and free time.”
“I have been on two trips with Travel Fever Tours, both painting workshops in Europe. They were exceptionally well-planned, from choice of family owned hotels, restaurants featuring regional menus, transportation, and interesting local side trips featuring art, culture, and history.”
Where we’ll stay: Hotel Rutiliano
You will stay in a 3-star hotel located an easy walk to Pienza’s historic center and a few blocks from the Pienza cathedral and central square.
We’ve had groups stay twice before at this hotel and have enjoyed the comfort, the large rooms, and helpful staff. Plus, the breakfasts are great.
There is a swimming pool and hot tub, both of which will be open and inviting in September at the time of this workshop.
Visit the Hotel Rutiliano Website
Meals We’ll Eat:
Eating in Italy is half the fun. As you know, the food is fantastic.
We will share some great Italian cuisine with you, eating at a different restaurant each night in or near Pienza. While this is a painting workshop, not a culinary tour, we don’t want you to miss out.
In short, we will eat very well in very nice restaurants.
Traditional Italian breakfasts will be taken at the hotel.
