RUTH FITTON
The Portrait Outdoors - Alla Prima Figurative Painting
Bookings will open soon
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Details
Dates: 5-11 October 2025
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Price: From €1985 - €2750
Includes: 22% VAT, 5 days tuition, 6 nights accommodation, all meals & drinks (including wine), evening events, transfers, models, easels & solvents
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Non-Participaing Partner: €790
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Location: To be announced soon
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Medium: Oil on canvas
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Class size: 17
Painting Experience: All levels welcome
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Languages: English
Italian translation available (email us)
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Payment plans available ♥
Workshop Description
Take your portraits beyond the confines of your studio and out into the beautiful Italian countryside. Join us for an all-inclusive week of oil painting with Ruth Fitton. Partcipants will spend 5 days learning Ruth's techniques and approach to alla prima figurative painting. Working in oils, we will begin indoors, establishing the building blocks of portrait painting from life (structure, likeness, three-dimensionality, and colour). We will then take these skills outdoors, and apply them to the vibrant and exciting subject of the model in the landscape. Attendees will paint 2-3 paintings over the course of the week. Ruth will give painting demonstrations, and each participant will receive individual feedback and guidance.
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During this all-inclusive art retreat, meals will be home-cooked by our wonderful Tuscan chef, and eaten together in our large dining room, or outside on our terrace with a panoramic view of the stunning landscape. After class you'll have free use of the Villa and grounds to explore, including our swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, and woodland. Many of our evenings will be spent around the firepit, with a beautiful view of the stars, and during the week we will host some evening events, such as pizza night using our outdoor pizza oven, an evening of life drawing, and a night of live music. If you need to unwind after class we also have a yoga deck, tennis court, bicycles, a star-gazing platform, as well a games room with a pool table & table tennis. ​Otherwise feel free to continue practicing your art, sketching outside, or contine painting in our studio, which is always open.
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This is a chance to focus on you and your art, you'll be living and working together, and alongside Ruth, with the opportunity to dive deep into eachother's knowledge and experience, building relationships, whilst making the most of the surrounding nature in this beautiful Tuscan setting.
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The Venue
Details of our new Villa coming soon...
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What's included?
22% VAT - 5 days tuition - 6 nights accommodation - Life Models - Arrival & departure transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Alcohol (wine grown & produced at the venue) - Wine tour & tasting - Evening Events - Laundry - Swimming Pool - Wifi - Easels & Solvents for painting
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Prices
€1985 Shared Twin Bedroom with private bathroom (shared with one other participant of the same gender)
€2490 Private Bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom
€2750 Private Apartment with a double bedroom, bathroom and private living room/kitchen
€790 Non-Participating Partner to share a private bedroom or private apartment with you
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The Food
All meals will be made up up of delicious, home-cooked Tuscan cuisine, and will take place in our beautiful dining hall or outside whenever the weather is nice. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available, please let us know in advance if you have any dietary requirements (dietary needs rather than preferences).
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Materials list, itinerary & more information
At least 3 months before the retreat we will send you an information pack with the full materials list and more details about the retreat. See airport and transfer information on our FAQ's page here
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Bring a partner or friend - €790 all-inclusive rate
If you book a private bedroom or apartment then you are very welcome to bring along a partner or friend with you who will not be participating in the workshop. Partners will be very welcome to join all of our meals and activities, and become a part of our group. Whilst participants are in the class, partners have this beautiful Tuscan venue all to themselves.
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We are happy assist in planning activities during the days for your partner, such as bike tours, trips to local towns, and walks around the surrounding countryside. Equally, your partner is very welcome to relax by the pool and enjoy the beautiful countryside. We recommend bringing a car so that you can travel around freely, however, we can also drive you to the local train station if they would like to explore the nearby towns of Florence or Arezzo.
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The price for non-participating partners includes: 22% VAT - 6 nights accommodation - Arrival & Departure Transfers - Breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks - Tea, coffee & soft drinks - Alcohol (wine grown at the venue) - Wine tour & tasting and other evening activities - Laundry - Swimming Pool - Wifi.
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Participating Partner - €1480 all-inclusive
Bring a partner or friend who will attend the workshop with you. If you book a private bedroom or apartment you are welcome to bring along a a travel companion who will participate in the workshop with you and share a bedroom with you.
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Booking information
To book a place on this retreat click Book Now below and you'll be taken to a separate page where you can choose your bedroom option, register and pay. To confirm your place on this retreat you will need to pay a €750 deposit. You can choose to pay the deposit via credit card or bank transfer, the full reamining balance must be paid by bank transfer. When paying by bank transfer choose 'offline payment' when you check out, and from there you will be given our bank details. If you require a different payment plan email us for details.
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Review our terms & conditions of booking here
Questions? See our FAQ's page here
Ruth Fitton
Ruth is a portrait and figurative painter based in the UK. Ruth’s paintings generally contain a strong narrative element, populated by characters brimming with motivation and emotion. Ruth is a great advocate for working from life – she is drawn to the organic experience of capturing her immediate reality in paint. This passion is balanced by a keen curiosity regarding texture, layers, and edges. Quick, immersive live studies are generally followed by extensive studio work. Ruth has exhibited at Sotheby’s NYC, Arcadia Contemporary NYC, the MEAM Barcelona, and the Mall Galleries London. She is an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and in 2023 was awarded People’s Choice at the Portrait Society of America.
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You can see more of Ruth's work here:
Instagram: @ruthfittonportraits
Website: www.ruthfitton.com
