Art Escape

​Wanderlust​

For centuries, artists have travelled in search of landscapes, artistic inspiration or refuge in painting. Visiting coastal towns, countryside villages and fields, going up mountains and out to the ocean. They studied perspective, played with colours and practised the art of composing the same view in different light. They also explored cities for stories embedded into walls and cobblestoned streets, watching people everywhere go about their day.

From the Baroque period of Caravaggio and Rembrandt to Impressionists like Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas, many painters travelled widely across Europe, and some to other continents. Bringing life to canvas, they brought viewers along, making them feel connected to places they would never have a chance to see for themselves. Italy has always held an enduring appeal for international artists, thanks to its rich heritage in art, history and culture. American John Singer Sargent and English J. M. W. Turner both painted in Florence, and French Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet also came to Italy to paint. Inspired by nature and the mood of society seen in fashion, each with a foreigner’s point of view, they paused history through their works of art, capturing moments in time for generations to come.

Often moving in creative circles, artists, writers, poets and musicians exchanged ideas, inspirations and introductions. Portraits were painted of friends and lovers, muses, patrons and fellow artists. Talent carried social value and reputation travelled far through community, exhibitions and word of mouth.

Today, community still sits at the heart of the arts.

I spoke to Dorian Plaka, co-owner of Art Escape Italy, which offers a modern take on this same pursuit, bringing international artists together in the Tuscan countryside. At immersive art retreats, participants devote their time to portraiture, figurative, landscape painting and drawing, deepening their creativity in a shared experience. Each retreat is hosted by a different artist, with guests learning techniques, approaches to composition and different ways of working with colour, texture and light. Alongside the painting itself are shared meals, excursions, visits and conversation. “We aim to inspire you with the beauty of Tuscany, some of the world's best contemporary artists, and the warm atmosphere of our art residencies.”

“I find it fascinating that in an era of artificial imagery and photoshopped pictures, your classical fine art escapes are mostly sold out,” I tell him. Dorian agrees people are craving something tangible and human again. “In this time of AI and fake images, authenticity is lacking nowadays. I think now and in the future it is more important than ever before for humanity to retain creativity.”

“This is a place to learn, connect, and just be,” he continues.

Some arrive as practising artists. Others are rediscovering painting after years away from it. “Each of our retreats offers a different atmosphere, as artists from around the world, with different ages, nationalities and life experiences come together. We welcome all levels of ability. The most important thing is that you are open, and willing to learn.”

While some people may be hoping to improve technically, others are perhaps seeking inspiration or to rebuild confidence in their painting capability. “People come for a variety of reasons. Some are perhaps a bit more intermediate level and will choose their teacher accordingly. Classic fine art takes a bit more skill.”

One thing however stands out above other motivations; “Most people come for the community, to meet fellow artists, living and working alongside them, sharing stories, and growing on their artistic path. It is also the thing that keeps us going, this community. We have returning clients who come back again and again, they want to experience this with us.”

Dorian’s partner, co-owner and co-founder Tana Maxted paints. Originally from Albania, Dorian now runs Art Escape Italy alongside the British-born artist. “She has the talent and eye for design, so she is behind the creation of all our artistic experiences. Then someone has to do the business, so I focus on that and also do the PR marketing and organisation around Art Escape Italy”, he smiles. While they have been running events for ten years now, Dorian says it still feels as though they are only just starting out. “We have a million ideas in our heads,” he laughs. “Art is experiencing a rebirth,” he adds. “We are releasing more retreats every year, really seeking to cater to demand that is only growing.” Dorian observes that many Italian art schools are now filled with international students, reinforcing his belief that the growing interest in art is increasingly global.

He speaks warmly of the inspirational artists that they partner with. “We are connected to and keep in regular touch with so many of them. Some great artists out there can’t teach though. If we’re building a retreat with an artist, we ask how they want to structure the time together. That’s why many of them have completely transformed the way we think about these art retreats, and the best path to learning. For example, Ron Hicks’ approach to teaching is different because he focuses on the inner journey of students. He stays in dialogue with them, asking about their background to help them bring to light their worldview and decision making in art.”

Sports coaches can help athletes explore their limits by inspiring them to rethink what’s achievable. Equally, it can take an outsider challenging the limitations of someone’s artistic expression, for them to push their imagination beyond what they themselves think is possible.

Authentic self-expression in art also asks for a great deal of self-inquiry and an open-minded attitude.

“Another good example is Alex Kanevsky, who I think has truly mastered the art of oil painting, he can do anything. His perspective is ‘The painting is not finished when you think it is finished. The art is done when your soul thinks it is ready.’ He shared with us how he first had done a painting of two figures, and it looked “ready”. But then, he felt like adding a horse, so he continued painting. And then, he felt like adding a countertop. By the time he finished, he had arrived at a painting he hadn’t envisioned at all.”

Part of what allows the creative process to open and develop so naturally for people at Art Escape retreats, is the surrounding atmosphere. They recently purchased a permanent venue, after a decade of moving between different locations. The art retreats now take place in a 200-year-old villa, which is young in Italy, one that once belonged to the Dukes of Caffarelli of Florence. “There are 21 bedrooms, so we, our guests and the art teachers all stay here.” The space now used as their art studio, was originally designed by a meditation teacher. “It is an open-plan, 200m² octagonal studio,” he says. “I think you can instantly feel the energy of this space in which people have meditated for decades, there’s serenity and tranquillity in the room, which is wonderful for creative work.”

Beyond the time in the studio, they enjoy life in the villa with candlelit dinners, walks through Tuscan villages, local food and wine tastings. Guests can also attend yoga classes and sound baths. “We are on our own trajectory of expansion where we take care of it all and let the people who join us forget about everything else, simply focus on their art and creativity.” This is genuinely difficult to find in the daily life of an artist: time for inspiration, time to practise, time spent with other art lovers.

“What is exciting is that when we reach out to big, contemporary artists, we can really see how they think, what they want to do next, what they’re working on. The artists often feel the same passion for sharing. Most people don’t do this only for money, it is the giving back part that matters more. They want to meet the people who follow them on social media and interact in real life.”

While workshops are primarily held in English, translators are brought in for artists who are less confident teaching in it. “Language is not a barrier,” Dorian says. “We know that artists can express enough through their presence.”

Creativity, talent and confidence don’t always go hand in hand. Sometimes it was a critique that failed someone, a cutting remark or a poor choice of reference. Enough to put off even revered artists. Some can fall out of practice, others lose momentum or simply stop making time for painting altogether. For a few painters attending Art Escape Italy, the retreat is also about returning to a part of themselves they have neglected for years.

“We were actually talking about exactly that this week”, he nodded. “A woman at our current retreat is very talented, yet she hadn’t painted for ten years. As she came back to painting here, she said she immediately felt her technique had improved although she hadn’t practised for a long time. ‘Even though you don’t use your talent, you are still improving’ she told us. Because there is something in our way of looking and seeing that matures with age.”

Time is a key ingredient in art, as endurance in creativity and focus also requires periods of decompression and integration so that insights can land. “It is worth noting that during these retreats everybody is under a lot of stress while learning. It is 6h a day, every day in the studio trying to create and understand, your brain is getting a lot of information at once and it does need time to process and learn. We’ve heard that about two weeks after the retreat is when people say the brain starts to implement what they learnt. Really, you should just paint whenever you feel ready.”

Many participants, he says, leave surprised not only by the learning experience itself, but by the group dynamic and the setting. “Everybody is taken with the venue, how nice it is in person and how great everyone in the group are. The secret to it, is we have like-minded people that come here for their passion, they share their worlds, they express themselves through art and that can never form a bad group. Of course, simply the beauty of being in Italy, how good the wine and food is here, and the temperature, it really is all very good here.” The community spirit extends well beyond their first meeting. Beyond the in-person retreats, Art Escape Italy also offers online workshops for artists wanting to continue learning remotely.

Dorian grew up in Florence surrounded by art and architecture, though he admits he did not fully appreciate it when he was younger. “It was only later when I was studying art history that my eyes finally opened, I started noticing every single detail around me. The city is full of art, there are grand museums, statues and paintings everywhere you look. There is also something that happens when you are breathing the same air where so many great artists have previously worked. The moment you are exposed to such beauty something inside you does change.”

Although he does not paint professionally himself, years spent surrounded by art have radically transformed his views. “I was not artistic until I met painters,” he says. “They see so much beauty in this world. At dinner, you end up having conversations about how they’re seeing light fall on faces and suddenly presence looks totally different. When you are exposed to artists, living with them, dining together and spending time in person, it fundamentally changes you and the way you look around.”

With his experience of hosting aspiring artists, I ask Dorian what advice he gives people struggling with creative block or self-doubt, perhaps those who find themselves staring at a white page or blank canvas. “A blank canvas has infinite possibilities,” he says. “A blank canvas is probably the most beautiful thing because you are really staring at a piece of art that only you can dream of. This too is part of the journey. It can be a hard journey, often there are many steps before you take your skill to a point where you can create everything you’re dreaming of. But staring at a blank canvas is really the greatest opportunity.”

This may well be why artists continue to travel in pursuit of their next motif: to challenge a vision and keep discovering new ways of seeing the world. Whether it's a face, a body, a bowl of fruit, a landscape or figments of imagination. What changes at the easel is the looking: people learning to see light, colour, texture and the parts of themselves that only come forward once the brush is moving. We may look at what they looked at, but never quite in the same way. The painter’s way of interpreting their view stretches the boundaries of our perception. Somewhere between the artist’s eyes and our own, art happens.