La Romita Workshop in Terni, Italy in July 2010

May 6, 2010

Dear Fellow Artists, Art Lovers, and Lovers of Italy:

As most of you know because I’ve personally told you or you’ve received an email or a Facebook event message regarding it, I am co-teaching a painting/journaling/sketchbooking workshop in Italy with Grace Rankin this coming summer.  It will be held at La Romita School of Art in Terni, Italy about 60 miles north of Rome in the Umbria region, between July 13^th and 27^th. You can google La Romita or look up further information at laromita.org. Most of you have received an informational brochure from me already with details and the mailing address.

I attended La Romita in 2002 with Grace as the instructor and it was a life-changing experience for me due to several factors such as being in another country, looking at things in a different way, the golden light and the golden artifacts, the history, the architecture, and feeling like I’d stepped back in time about 200 years. I wish all artists could have the freedom to spend time in a studio/monastery chapel built in the 1600’s, to be able to paint at all hours of the day and/or night, and have no cares in the world other than creating art related to the wonders seen daily in the small hill towns. When I was asked to co-teach the class I was SO excited at the prospect of returning to Italy (for the 3^rd time) and especially to La Romita. I was already thinking of the wonderful food, wine, staff, scenery, inspiration, fellow artists, co-teaching with dear friend and highly-respected artist Grace, and the pure joy I experienced there in 2002.

But my excitement is faltering slightly because our deadline of May 15^th for “firm interest” as evidenced by deposits in the amount of $500 is fast approaching and we have 5 deposits of the 12 needed. I just know there are at least 7 very special people out there who are meant to join us at La Romita this July. Lots of people say they want to go but they either don’t have the money, they are nervous about the long flight, they are too old or their children are too young, they are too tired or too busy, they want to go another year but not this year, they have pending family emergencies or home situations, they have health concerns, or they don’t paint! Well, painting is NOT a requirement to attend—non-painting spouses can gladly attend and they will enjoy it as much as the painters do. Photographers, cooks, scrapbookers, fiber artists, sculptors and so on will also have a productive, interesting, exciting, and enjoyable 2 weeks. Even shoppers, with no other skills, can enjoy the experience! J I am NOT making light of the reasons mentioned above—it is so true that often “life is what happens while you are making other plans” but it is also true that sometimes we have to just do something for ourselves. Since I last spoke with some of you, you may have received an expected tax refund or sold a large painting or two, or decided that you need a way to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary, or reward yourselves for a job well-done or a life well-lived.  La Romita can be the answer to that need—a very special way to celebrate life and art.

Registrations have come late this year and we are still hopeful of meeting our minimum but please don’t wait any longer if you are considering attending. If everyone waits to see if the trip is a “go”, it will not be. L Please email me back at kathleenmattox@gmail.com with your intent and to ask any questions that you may have. My phone numbers are (559) 876-1540 (home) or 905-3517 (cell). With only 12 students (though there can be more), Grace and I will be able to give everyone a lot of personal attention. The problem with waiting till next year is that we may not be invited back next year so you cannot count on having the  “dual artist” opportunity that you will have this year. If this truly isn’t the year for YOU, but you know someone else who might like to join us, forward this letter on to them right away. I am going to ask Edmund Zimmerman to send all of you an email with more information and links to many of the hill towns we will visit so you can read more about them. Please watch for his email—coming from edmund_zimmerman@yahoo.com.

Artistically,

Kathleen Mattox

kathleenmattox@gmail.com

mixedmessagesbykathleenmattox.blogspot.com

gracenjack@att.net

gracenotesbygracerankin.blogspot.com