Plein Air Pastel Painting in Tuscany

In a Tuscan Dream

I landed in Rome on an early Sunday morning in October and was met by my workshop partner and professional photographer, Robert Copeland, who had graciously driven down to give me a lift the two and a half hours north to our hotel in the scenic heart of Tuscany. Arriving in San Quirico d’Orcia, I was stunned by the incredible beauty of the Tuscan countryside. Here were the famous hilltop towns and cypress-lined lanes I had seen countless times in paintings, books and calendars. After settling in to our hotel, I made arrangements to accompany Bob while he took some of his photo students out for a late-afternoon drive into the golden hills nearby for sunset shooting. This was a perfect opportunity to scout locations for painting with an experienced guide, and the light couldn’t have been more perfect. As the effects of jet-lag began to set in, I contented myself to just observe, soak it in, and take photos with the rest of the group. It became quickly apparent to me that there would be …