Creativity Lab, Sicily

Marsala, Sicily May 4-10, 2025

What exactly is Creativity Lab?

Our Creativity Lab is a unique model where you can try out simple classical art and painting principles in a spectacular location. If you are interested in gently trying something new that has the potential to inspire the next phase of your life then come with us!. This is a fun and ideal way to unlock your creative potential in a small group with attentive instructors.

We also encourage our previous students to return again and again to study and develop at the next level .

Each Creativity Lab is unique because we research and choose a new location each year. Creativity Lab 2025 will be centered in Marsala, Sicily where you'll explore classical art principles among ancient ruins, salt flats and windmills, the small historical island of Mozia, a medieval village perched on a mountaintop, shopping and more. We have use of a beautiful, expansive studio for morning activities . Home base is Baglio Custera, a sleek Sicilian boutique hotel nestled in a peaceful olive grove. This hotel has a popular restaurant on site offering cuisine based on local recipes using top-quality, purely Sicilian products. It will be a magical experience and we hope you will join us.

Details

Dates: 5/4 - 5/10/2025 (6 nights)

Airport: Palermo

We encourage you to come early or stay on and explore Sicily on your own.

Hotel Venue: Baglio Custera,

Fee includes single accommodation for 6 nights, all meals, all local transportation (not including air travel) and art instruction.

Price: $3,500 USD

Returning students receive a 10% discount.

Presented by

Julie Stonebraker Nelson

Julie Stonebraker Nelson is an artist and educator with a passion for teaching and inspiring creativity in others. Drawing on her 35+ years in classical painting experience and training from a lineup of modern masters. Among them Costa Vavagiakis, William Elston, Steven Assael, Gary Faigin and Patrick Byrnes.

Julie leads the Creativity Lab Retreat. She guides participants through the foundational principles of color, composition, and artistic techniques that will help a new artist have the confidence to move forward. As a bonus, Julie's holistic approach to creativity helps people apply universal art principles to that can add meaning to daily life.

Julie's website: www.jstonebrakerart.com/

Instagram: @stonebrakerart

Sarah Sedgwick Anderson

Sarah Anderson is an accomplished artist known for her light-filled landscape and still life works. With a degree in Art History/Curatorial Studies and 10+ years in classical art training, Her teaching style is characterized by demonstrating her own work and guiding students with a step by step approach. Sarah has organized art retreats for groups in Tuscany, England, France, New Mexico, Carmel, Seattle and New England.

Sarah's website: www.sarahsedgwickanderson.com

Instagram: @sarahsedganderson_art

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Why participate in Creativity Lab, Sicily 2025?

A unique opportunity to build your art skills and inspire your creativity

Unlock Your Creative Potential:

This retreat is designed around the beginner and the new beginner who's interested in developing further.. If you have no experience painting but have a desire to learn if it's something you can do, this retreat is for you! Everyone has a creative voice and hidden ability that is waiting to be discovered. If you have the desire, we believe we can help you unlock this!

Creativity Lab has been designed with useful activities to help you delve into foundational art principles like color, composition, line, and value. Julie and Sarah will guide participants in hands-on exercises, helping students understand and apply these skills. Through this process you will start to see your unique style and voice emerge. That is the best part!

Watercolor and Oil Painting:

The ancient and picturesque landscape of Sicily provides an inspiring backdrop for exploring watercolor, oil paint and plein air oil painting. Julie and Sarah will give participants all the tools they need to be successful as they begin their creative journeys. Participants will have multiple opportunities to practice these principles in the olive groves, ancient ruins and rocky seascape of Sicily.

Experience Beyond Painting:

The artistic principles you learn will be applied in many aspects of your life as you seek to live creatively, purposefully and joyfully. Attendees not only get to try something new (and hopefully find a new passion to add to their life) through oil painting or watercolor. We hope this will spartk interest in other mediums as well until you find your artistic home. In addition, we hope to help you look even beyond the skills learned and seek to find or create beauty in your everyday lives.

Artistic principles are found almost everywhere and after this retreat you will start seeing them!

Creativity Lab & Sicily Artist Retreats
at the modern villa of Baglio Custera in Sicily

Creativity Lab has partnered with Sicily Artist Retreats to create the most impactful and enjoyable experience possible! Guests will be lodging at the Baglio Custera, a boutique resort hotel nestled in Marsala’s countryside. Known for its gardens and luxurious swimming pool, this ultramodern resort stands on the Rakalia hill, the site of an ancient shrine to Hercules, surrounded by centenary olive trees and fragrant orange groves. The brand new Baglio Custera is built on ancient lines, those of the "baglio," or Sicilian farmhouse.

Visit

What to expect

A typical day will include breakfast at Baglio Custera from 8:00- 9:00am. Then you will transfer off-site to a beautiful art studio for morning art exercises. Your group will have delicious Sicilian lunches brought in to the studio and then you'll spend the afternoon practicing lessons at various outdoor locations (i.e. an ancient site, a town, or an ocean vista). In the late afternoon the group will break back to the studio to finish our work until dinner time at Baglio Custera, which, in Sicily is typically held at 8:00pm.

Daily watercolor painting and oil exercises will be combined with other group adventures such as:

Day trip to ancient site of Erice
Excursions to nearby towns
Participate in a cooking class
On the last day of retreat, beginners will have the opportunity to combine all of their learning exercises into a plein air painting experience. Kind of a tough sport, but very fun! (And don't worry, you'll have lots of help). Participants with previous plein air experience will have opportunity to plein air paint earlier in the week.

After excursions or painting on location, you'll return to the studio each afternoon to continue working on what you've learned until dinner time. The group will also have the option to leave the studio early and return to Baglio Custera for some down time before dinner.

On the final (Friday) evening, your group will have an exhibition of the week’s creations. It is always a joy to see the explosion of creativity from every participant! On Saturday morning after breakfast you will transfer back to Palermo Airport.

Accommodations

Our guests will be staying at the Baglio Custera, a boutique resort hotel nestled in Marsala’s countryside. Known for its gardens and luxurious swimming pool, this ultramodern resort stands on the Rakalia hill, the site of an ancient shrine to Hercules, surrounded by centenary olive trees and fragrant orange groves. Baglio Custera is a brand new hotel built on ancient lines, those of the "baglio," or Sicilian farmhouse.

Meals

Sicily boasts an extraordinary cuisine influenced by the unique flavors of the Mediterranean region. Its mainstays are garden-fresh vegetables and fruit, ancient grains, local cheeses and seafood. All meals, accommodation and transport are Included in your package, including a celebratory welcome dinner with your instructors.

Activities

Our daily painting will be combined with other adventures, including daily excursions to nearby ancient sites and towns for painting, lunches, and shopping.

Reserve your exclusive spot

$3,500 USD per person

What's included

Single occupancy luxury lodging
Hotel lodging with breakfast and dinner included. Lunch every day.
Daily painting and individual guidance
Workshop-related day trips around western Sicily for plein air painting or sightseeing
Cooking class
Airport transfers to and from Palermo (at designated times)
Scheduled transportation to and from the airport; daily transportation to the studio
Some basic painting and drawing materials.

What's not included

Airfare
Art supplies (most supplies are already included for your convenience, and plein air kits are available for rent. We will also link to a small list of supplies to purchase and bring with you to the retreat.)
Independent meals and sight-seeing
Gratuities – much appreciated by your hard-working staff. (Suggested 10-20 euros per person per day.)

Transportation information

All transportation between your lodging and our studio will be by charter bus. On the day of arrival there will be 2 pickup times at Palermo’s Punta Raisi International Airport (PMO)--11:00AM and 2:30PM; please consult your welcome package for further details on exact timing. If you are arriving at a time that does not fall within this schedule, you have several options: Hotel Baglio Custera is able to pre-arrange private pick-up for you at a cost of 130 euro, which may be paid directly to the hotel. Costs for a Taxi from the Palermo Airport to Baglio Custera Hotel is about 150 euro. Palermo Airport has many major car rental services on-site, including Hertz and Avis. In addition, public bus transportation is available at a cost of 30 euro from Palermo Airport to the regional airport in Birgi (TP), where a taxi can take a taxi to the Hotel for a nominal cost.
Arrival day: Sunday, May 4th. Guest pick up at the Palermo Airport (PMO) at 11:30am and 2:30pm and transfer to hotel. 6:30pm start time.
Departure day: Saturday, May 10th. 9am transfer from hotel to Palermo Airport (PMO)
Can I arrange private transportation? Certainly, but please consult with Hotel Baglio Custera at info@bagliocustera.com, Attention: David Castiglione, to help arrange it.