Inspired - An Art Retreat in Italy by Artist Jo Cullen

Inspired: An Art Retreat in Tuscany, Italy

If I had to describe my recent trip to Italy in one word, it would be inspired.

In May, I made my second visit to Barga in Tuscany to spend a week on an art retreat with Chris Bell. It was a week filled with artistic creativity, good food and wine, wonderful company, and beautiful surroundings. Really, how could you not be inspired by Italy?

The course explored art in so many different ways. We sketched, painted and experimented with charcoal, pencil, acrylics, oils and watercolours. We painted en plein air, learned new techniques, and were encouraged to step outside our comfort zones and think differently about our creative process.

What makes Chris such a great teacher is not only his artistic knowledge, but the way he shares it. His understanding of art history, artists and their influences is exceptional, and he has a gift for communicating ideas in a way that makes them accessible and inspiring. We spent time learning about other artists—their lives, their methods, what inspired them —and how art has the power to influence both ourselves and those around us.

One of the biggest lessons for me was that making art is as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. The thinking and decision-making process can be exhausting at times. Around day three, the self-doubt inevitably creeps in. Have I done enough? Is this piece finished? Am I happy with it? Creating art can feel a little like therapy—challenging, frustrating and incredibly rewarding all at once.

Our days began in the studio with an outline of the day's activities and a discussion about art in general before heading out into the great outdoors to begin our projects. Sometimes we stayed on site, while other days took us to beautiful hilltop villages and nearby locations to paint and sketch. After a couple of hours of brain drain or creative flow (depending on how the day was going), we would break for lunch—usually accompanied by a glass or two of the local wine. Whether that helped or hindered the creative process is still up for debate!

After lunch, it was back to work until around 5.30pm, when it was time to freshen up, enjoy an aperitivo and gather for dinner. We mainly ate on site, although on occasion we ventured into Barga—a charming Tuscan hilltop town of cobbled streets, historic buildings, bougainvillea and jasmine-covered walls, galleries tucked into hidden corners, and its beautiful duomo overlooking the valley.

A day trip to Lucca was another highlight. Wandering its gorgeous streets, climbing towers, admiring its impressive churches and, of course, visiting the local art supply store for a few purchases! We also stumbled across a ceramic market and enjoyed browsing the artists' work, although sadly there was no room left in my suitcase to bring anything home.

The week left me inspired and excited to get back into the studio to continue developing my own work. There is something about immersing yourself in a week of creativity in Tuscany that fills your creative cup, replenishes your soul and reminds you why you make art in the first place.

Later in my travels, I visited Florence, where I treated myself to a set of watercolours to play with—something completely new for me and so much fun to experiment with. While there, I also visited the Mark Rothko exhibition. Seeing these incredible works in such a beautiful setting was an absolute highlight and a wonderful reminder that inspiration can be found everywhere when you travel with curious eyes.

Italy has a way of slowing you down and encouraging you to observe—to really look at colour, light, texture and landscape. I found myself filling sketchbooks with ideas and returning home with a renewed sense of inspiration and an eagerness to continue exploring new mediums and developing my practice.

My travels through Italy have already begun influencing my work back in the studio. The colours, landscapes and light of Italy continue to find their way into my paintings as I explore and develop my practice here in New Zealand.

A selection of my original paintings is available to view at The Little Gallery in Whangamatā, New Zealand. If you're visiting Whangamatā or the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, I'd love for you to pop in and take a look.