Suzanne Northcott

Travel Journaling - Mixed Media
Puglia and Basilicata Regions, Altamura, Italy

May 15 - 22, 2013

Ace Camps is excited to offer this workshop in collaboration with Suzanne Northcott and Tonio Creanza and Messors. We will be staying at Masseria La Selva an 18th century hunting lodge located in the heel of Italy in Altamura, Puglia. Suzanne will lead a 4 day workshop and Tonio will take us on a journey to share his passion, knowledge and connection with his native land of Puglia.

Tonio Creanza has been running fresco and art restoration and volunteer camps for 20 years. Since early childhood he has harvested the grapes and olives, and seeded the Murgian plains with wheat. This is a workshop where you will be close to the land and close to the people in a rural setting close to the historical towns of Altamura and Matera.

You will walk with the shepherds at sunrise, listen to traditional musicians in the courtyard, learn about cheese making, participate in wine tasting with regional varieties, visiting the pasta ladies of Bari, learn the art of fresco and spend time archeology surveying in one of the sites around the Masseria looking for pottery. You will have a taste of the restoration process of an artwork- canvas or fresco and bring your sketch pads to one of the nearby small towns to ask a local to pose for a portrait. We will head to Francis Ford Coppola's new hotel - Palazzo Margherita (featured in The World of Interiors - March 2012) - for an espresso, limonata or a glass of local regional wine.

This experience will give insight to the real Puglian people and their culture, history, food, and archeological and artistic treasures and celebrates their traditional way of life as well as the true meaning of the art of travel journaling. Suzanne will provide insights to beginners as well as advanced artists and will be available to consult and answer your question on an individual basis.

Time spent drawing and reflecting when you are traveling invites a kind of presence that illuminates the moments you are recording. When you return home, you may know a little more about yourself and you will have a real record of your experiences: tastes, colours, feelings and impressions, an unrepeatable treasure.

watercolor + sketchings: Suzanne Northcott

This Ace Camp includes:

4 day workshop with Suzanne Northcott
7 nights accommodation at Masseria La Selva (based on double occupancy)
7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners including final night dinner and cocktail party.
Day trips and transportation to surrounding villages
Guided tours, archeology surveying + fresco making session with Tonio Creanza
Walking tour in Bari with Guiseppe Gjordano
Cheese making class
Wine tasting
A visit to see the pasta ladies of Bari
Daily yoga
Pick up and return transportation to and from Bari

You will be sent a list of supplies to bring upon registration.

Workshop is limited to 10 people.

Fee: $2349.00 - airfare is not included
Deposit: $1200.00 - due when place in workshop is confirmed.
Final Payment of $1149.00 due March 10, 2013

Due to location and planning involved there are no refunds for this Ace Camp.

Suzanne Northcott

Sketch: Suzanne Northcott

Suzanne Northcott has traveled extensively, taking groups of students to Italy, Spain and Mexico for over twenty years. She is a sought-after lecturer and respected instructor; as a workshop leader Suzanne often combines international cultural excursions with painting and yoga instruction. Suzanne is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor and has been a guest teacher at UBC, Capilano University, York University, Trinity Western University and the Langley Fine Arts School.

Website – Suzanne Northcott
Blog - Suzanne Northcott

Itinerary

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

BARI airport pickup and transfer to accommodations- Masseria La Selva.Time for airport pickup will be decided at further date based on participant’s arrival times.

Welcome apertivo and meet and greet.

Dinner Masseria La Selva

Friday, May 17, 2013

BREAKFAST available 6.30 to 8.30 am

YOGA - optional

9:00am travel to GRAVINA- Botromagno - DISCUSSION WITH SUZANNE NORTHCOTT on top of hill, then search for pottery fragments, discuss and date your findings with Tonio.

1:00pm travel to Altamura

LUNCH at ANTICA OSTERIA - typical Puglian cuisine.

3:00pm WALKING TOUR of ALTAMURA with Tonio - centro storico: learn about the urban evolution from the Neolithic through the Medieval age.

Visit to an old bakery and learn about the traditional BREAD of Altamura or free time to sketch

7:00pm Participate in making dinner in the kitchen of Masseria La Selva (optional)

8:30pm DINNER AND A MOVIE - (watch a classic Italian film projected on exterior courtyard walls)

Sunday, May 19, 2013

BREAKFAST available 6.30 to 8.30am

YOGA- optional Morning Session with Suzanne

12:30pm LUNCH MASSERIA LA SELVA

Afternoon - FREE TIME to wander, walk, paint or just relax (other activities like a trip into town can be organized based on group ambitions and desires)

7:30pm DINNER at the Masseria with musical guests (traditional music)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

BREAKFAST - available 6.30 to 8.30 am

YOGA - optional

9am travel to BARI - WALKING TOUR OF BARI VECCHIA - visiting the Pasta ladies, visit to Basilica of San Nicola and other Romanesque architecture in town. (conducted by Guiseppe Giordano) Free time to sketch and explore followed by a picnic lunch.

Travel to Masseria La Selva

At the Masseria La Selva- CHEESE MAKING DEMONSTRATION AND WINE TASTING, participate in the making of dinner with a glass of wine with the chefs in the kitchen that traditionally accompany Puglian cheese.

Final night dinner.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

BREAKFAST - available 6.30 to 8.30 am

TRAVEL DAY - Arrangements will be made to get you to the Bari airport or train station.

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

BREAKFAST available 6.30 to 8.30 am

YOGA optional

9:00 - departure to Bernalda

DISCUSSION WITH SUZANNE NORTHCOTT at BAR CINECITTA, Palazzo Margherita

11:30-12 depart Bernalda

12.45 arrive Matera PICNIC LUNCH ON HILL OF - "SASSI PARK OF RUPESTRAL CHURCHES"

GUIDED TOUR THROUGH TOWN OF MATERA- UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE / VISIT CAVE RUPESTRAL/FRESCO CHURCH

VISIT PIAZZA LANFRANCHI MUSEUM OF MODERN AND MEDIEVAL ART- to see works of works or writer/artist Carlo Levi.

Visit MUSMA museum of modern sculpture

DINNER Pizzeria - wine/beer -outside patio

Saturday, May 18, 2013

BREAKFAST available 6.30 to 8.30am

YOGA- optional

MEET UP WITH A SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK AT PASTURE for walk and session with SUZANNE NORTHCOTT

12.30pm LUNCH MASSERIA LA SELVA

after lunch - SESSION WITH SUZANNE NORTHCOTT

5:00pm Travel to POLIGNANO DI MARE

POLIGNANO DI MARE - explore on your own - spend time working on your journal at this seaside town perched on the cliffs of the Adriatic sea.

7:30pm DINNER AND WINE TASTING at Il BASTIONE – a seaside restaurant

Monday, May 20, 2013

BREAKFAST - available 6.30 to 8.30 am

YOGA - optional

FRESCO MAKING SESSION - with Tonio - participate hands on and learn the process of mixing the natural materials to create of intonaco, application painting with natural pigments.

1:00pm LUNCH MASSERIA LA SELVA

FRESCO RESTORATION on underground rupestrial fresco. CLEANING PROCESS of a FRESCO

DINNER at site of MASSERIA JESCE- traditional clay pot slow roasted lamb and vegetables, bread and wine. The dinner will be set up and served in the underground cave church ( "Cripta" ) of Jesce.

Find out more about Tonio's restoration work - here.

please note - bring clothes for this day that you can get 'dirty' during the hands on process fresco making and restoration.