$200 Early bird discount
Next October we're heading to the southern coast of Italy for our art retreat! We are going to paint and practice self-care, enjoy delicious homemade Italian food, explore through excursions, and immerse ourselves in nature!
Art Retreat
October 26-November 2, 2025
14 Spots left!
Through Nov 30th!
- The Quick Facts:
- Retreat cost: $3,100-$3,500 total
- $800 deposit to hold your spot
- Duration: 7 nights, 8 days
- Trip is non-refundable, travel insurance is required to help cover expenses for interruptions or you need to cancel
- Cost includes:
Meals
Excursions + transport
Airport transfers
Happy to discuss your questions!
"I went home with beautiful memories of our week in Italy"
It was an amazing week! Picture the most beautiful venue, the best food, the sweetest people taking care of the venue, a beautiful classroom to paint and the most supportive group of people you can imagine to paint with! So much fun to try different techniques, paint stuff around the venue and to do plein air sketching and painting. I went home with beautiful memories of our week in Italy, new friends from all over the world and more painting skills. It was the best!
Rika
What my students are saying
"I loved the simplicity of the venue and the commitment of the owners"
This retreat experience was exceptional. Tammy brought, not only her watercolour expertise, but also warmth, kindness, humour and passion that energized the group and made each day special.
I loved the simplicity of the venue and the commitment of the owners to creating an environmentally sustainable space. It was very special.
Ann
"The group that gathered was so supportive and fun."
Tammy's art retreat was a perfect combination of learning, excursions, shared meals and fellowship. The group that gathered was so supportive and fun.
Having a dedicated space for relaxing, painting and adventures was perfect.
Thank to Tammy and her wonderful friends to pulling this all together.
Kristin
You're in the right place.
How would you like to spend a glorious week painting, exploring, swimming, dining in the gorgeous and peaceful countryside of the south of Italy, off the coast of the Mediterranean sea?
During this relaxing art retreat, we will be staying in a beautifully restored historic Italian farmhouse overlooking the Sea. The venue and grounds are reserved for our group and you will have full access to explore the gardens, roof-top terraces, and open spaces.
We won’t be rushed but we will be enjoying many activities in this incredible place as we experience what the calmer side of Italy has to offer. In addition to 7-8 painting sessions together, we will embark on exciting excursions and also savor our free time. Choose to swim in the warm sea, relax on one of the rooftop terraces with a good book, bike to the lake or sea, or maybe even take a nap :)
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living"
-Miriam Bird
Prices include all retreat amenities: Accommodations, food, excursions, transportation, and painting classes with me.
Double Occupancy - $3,500
Venue Accomodations
Triple Occupancy - $3,100
Spacious and beautifully decorated room has 3 twin beds and its own bathroom. Rooms come with soap, shampoo, and a hairdryer. Each room has wifi access and AC and heating as needed.
Spacious and beautifully decorated room has both a queen and a twin bed and its own bathroom. Rooms come with soap, shampoo, and a hairdryer. Each room has wifi access and AC and heating as needed.
"This experience was unforgettable"
This experience was unforgettable. The staff was amazing and very accommodating. Tammy was the best and taught me some new techniques that I can’t wait to go home and share with my painting group!
Sandy
What my students are saying
"Tammy's painting retreat in Italy was a magical experience"
Tammy's painting retreat in Italy was a magical experience. It was such a joy to be able to absorb the wonderful scenery, make new friends, enjoy the most wonderful vegetarian meals and take part in the art sessions knowing Tammy had taken care of every detail. I also loved that mindfulness was built into the daily art sessions. The location itself is spectacular, a painter's dream! Transfers to and from the airport were seamless. The staff at the Masseria were exceptional. All in all a five star experience.I loved the simplicity of the venue and the commitment of the owners to creating an environmentally sustainable space. It was very special.
Anonymous
" Everyone should take this chance of a lifetime opportunity"
Tammy Kaye‘s retreat was amazing. The venue was in a perfect location in the content of her class was exactly what I needed. We had a lot of fun painting, laughing, eating together, and getting to know one another. I’ve made some lifelong friends. Everyone should take this chance of a lifetime opportunity. Having a dedicated space for relaxing, painting and adventures was perfect.
Thank to Tammy and her wonderful friends to pulling this all together.
Anonymous
- Art classes, tuition, and painting demonstrations with Tammy Kaye (7-8 scheduled, but can be subject to change)
- Accommodations at the Masseria Specula
- Exclusive usage of the venues and grounds, retreat rooms, gardens, terraces, etc. during the retreat
- Rooms have AC/heat, and Wifi
- Meals are vegetarian and are lovingly prepared by local chefs Rosanna and Franca with fresh ingredients. This is part of their strong committment to the sustainability of their venue (as well as planting more than 500 trees, solar panels, etc).
- Excursions including: A shopping trip to Lecce to visit several places around the city and an olive oil tasting and tour. We will even be able to experience making pasta from scratch at the venue! Private transportation to all excursions will be provided
- Bikes, beach chairs, and umbrellas are provided by the venue, as well as paper towels and glass water jars for painting
- Complimentary cappuccinos, coffee, and tea will be available
- Local taxes, as well as state and province taxes are included in the price of this trip
- Private WhatsApp group to share details of our upcoming plans where you can ask questions and connect with your fellow travelers
- 1 scheduled courtesy transfer from the airport and 1 scheduled courtesy transfer to the airport at assigned times
What's Included:
What's Not Included:
- Airfare
- Travel insurance - This is required for covering medical expenses, travel interruptions, and personal cancellation to cover anything that might require cancellation or a change in travel arrangements
- If you are not able to schedule your flight within the recommend flight times for arrival and departure, you will miss the scheduled courtesy transfer and will find transportation on your own
- Lunch during our shopping trip
- The rest of the painting supplies not sponsored as listed above - I will share a detailed list of what to bring with ample notice
- Tips for staff (not required but a kind gesture if you desire to do so)
- Other expenses you may incur on your own
***This is an example schedule - based on our last retreat. Things may be changed around based on availability of excursions, transportation, etc.
Class content may also change, at the artist's discretion ***
Sunday
Afternoon: Arrive at the Brindisi airport and prepare for the transfer to the venue. There will be only one transfer included in the retreat costs but if you need another time, that can be arranged ahead of time with the venue on your own or you can get an airport taxi. After arriving and settling into our rooms, we will enjoy a tour of the history of the venue with some free time until dinner. We’ll get to know each other and share what we hope to learn during the week.
Monday
Morning: Enjoy a delicious breakfast before we dive into our painting class for the morning. Class: We will learn and play with basic watercolor techniques, such as color swatching and color mixing (avoiding muddy colors and using complimentary colors) and create a paint consistency scale and a value scale. As time allows, we will practice some basic flower shapes with a reference photos or worksheet. Free time until lunch.
Afternoon: Practice painting loose florals using the following techniques: Wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry for 1 layered flowers and also using 2-3 layers to give depth to your flowers. We may also use reference photos. Free time until lunch.
Tuesday
Morning: Enjoy a delicious breakfast before we dive into our full day of excursions.
Schedule: We will head out to Torre Guaceto, a center for the rehabilitation of sea turtles. We'll experience a guided tour of the area, as well as experience how they take care of the turtles. We'll eat our packed lunches on the beach before heading to our next destination.
Afternoon: We will drive to the city of Lecce, a historical area with lots of local shops to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Dinner is on your own before heading back to the venue.
Wednesday
Morning: Have a scrumptious breakfast and chat with new friends before starting our morning class.
Class: Practice sketching basic shapes and objects of a landscape to get familiar with placement and composition. We'll practice watercolor textures and then add on washes of color and details to complete your painting. Free time until lunch.
Afternoon: Walk and bike to the beach (15 min walk, 5 minute bike ride) and paint on location (bring basic kit, beach towel). Will work on the various layers of paint used to create depth and interest in the painting, as well as the the usage of texture. Let’s take a swim after! Free time until dinner.
Thursday
Morning: Have an energy-packed breakfast and share experiences with your new friends before class starts.
Class: We'll be learning how to do some basic floral sketching, using some drawing sheets. Sketch on watercolor paper so you can go in and add watercolor over the top. We'll do as many as time allows.
Afternoon: We will embark on our journey to an olive oil tasting, where we'll enjoy a variety of oil flavors as we learn about the interesting process of making the oil itself.
Friday
Morning: Enjoy a delicious and filling Italian breakfast to energize us for our day.
Class: Learn how to take a reference photo with your phone to frame a balanced composition. We will sketch and paint on the grounds so choose an object, floral, or plant you would like to create and bring it to life. I will guide you through your experience as you need help and have questions. Free time until dinner.
Afternoon: We will practice sketching/painting leaf shapes. Then we'll paint a full watercolor floral bouquet with a reference photo. If time allows, you will free paint your own watercolor bouquet to further practice your skills
During free time: OPTIONAL 15 minute bike ride to the Salina Monaci lake with natural flamingos to paint on location (bring basic kit if you'de like).
Saturday
Morning and afternoon: Our painting classes will be finished and for your last day in Italy, we will focus on relaxation and soaking up our environment. Saturdays are personally my Sabbath day of rest and I will be looking forward to relaxing and appreciating nature :)
What’s included in this day: If you choose to stay at the venue, all meals will be served to you that day. One of the scheduled events will be learning how to make fresh pasta at the venue. Some other options to consider doing include: Walking or biking to the lake or swimming in the sea, quality time with friends or on your own, going on an excursion of your choice which you would book on your own (not included in the cost) or staying in and painting, etc.
Sunday
We will eat brunch together, reserving the earlier morning for restful activities of your choice, an impromtu painting session, or something else. We will then pack up and head out to the airport around 12 PM to catch the 3 PM flight! There will be only one transfer included in the retreat costs but if you need another time, that can be arranged ahead of time with the venue on your own.
Sample Schedule
Sample Schedule
1. Do you have to have experience with watercolor to go on this trip?
Frequently Asked Questions
3. This trip is non-refundable so what if the trip is canceled by Tammy Kaye or the Italian Venue?
2. How much will we really be painting versus exploring Italy?
Although this is a watercolor painting retreat, you don't have to have previous experience with the medium! The way I teach is inclusive of all skill levels, whether you are a beginner, experienced, or just starting out with me in Italy! My big focus is to let go of the need for perfectionism in our art, using simple self-care techniques when we paint to learn to enjoy every step of our session, not just the end result. There is great joy and peace from putting brushstrokes on paper!
As I have listed in my sample schedule for the week, I have 7 painting sessions planned, each of which will probably last 1.5-2 hours a piece. There are several days where we have a morning and afternoon sessions and the other days we have one painting session and one excursion planned. But as we begin our trip together, we can be flexible on the length and amount of classes. The most important thing to me is that we are relaxing, don't feel rushed, and experience joy together by balancing painting with Italian fun :) We must have room for chill time and swimming.
Travel insurance is required to attend this trip and it will cover cancelations and interruptions, including the trip being cancelled by myself. If this happens, insurance should cover all expenses that you have paid out. If not, I will be glad to reimburse what is not covered.
- A non-refundable deposit of $800 to hold your spot
- 50% of your remaining balance is due March 1, 2025 and finishing your balance is due August 1, 2025
- Feel free to pay your fees in full, if you desire and no processing fee will be charged
- Payment options include: Personal or cashier's check or money order if in the United States. If you will pay via electronic payment such as Paypal, Venmo, etc, there is a $25 fee per payment to cover credit card fees.
- If you are overseas, you can use Wise, which you connect to your bank to make your payments. If you will pay via electronic payment such as Paypal, Venmo, etc, there is a $25 fee per payment to cover credit card fees.
Payment Info
Cancelation policy
- Once you have put down your deposit, you have confirmed your participation in the trip and it is non-refundable.
- We require you to purchase travel insurance to cover medical expenses, travel interruptions, and personal cancellation to cover anything that might require you having to cancel or make a change in travel arrangements. We will require proof of your insurance 30 days after you register. If for some reason the trip has to be cancelled, you will be refunded what your travel insurance will not cover, if anything.
Contact me if you have any questions!
Ready to Make Your Dream trip Happen?
lets do this.