WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!  Below you’ll find a day by day plan for the trip. This should serve as a rough guideline for what we’ll be doing. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will provide full details including specific times and locations to you through the WhatsApp group chat and in person. Keep in mind, this is a prospective itinerary. It is subject to modest modifications, depending on local weather + opportunities.

Day 1 - TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23

Welcome to Naples, Italy! Our journey begins in the city of Naples, Italy. Make your way to our hotel in Naples and settle into your room and we’ll meet early evening for a casual welcome dinner at a restaurant nearby.

Guests should plan to be ready to meet for your welcome meeting at the hotel around 5:30pm. Kristin, your Ace Camps Travel Tour Host, will confirm your specific welcome meeting time and location at the hotel on the morning of September 23rd in your whatsapp group chat. 

Overnight: Naples
Meals included: Dinner

Consideration: Tomorrow is a long, busy day of travel and activities, please consider an early night tonight so you can be well rested for your days ahead.

Day 2 - WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24

Early Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning we travel by ferry from Naples to Ischia. The ferry crossing is approximately 1.5 hours. We will arrive on the island and take a transfer to our hotel in Ischia Ponte where you’ll be able to stow luggage with the hotel as rooms won’t be ready just yet. Lunch on the terrace of the hotel.  

After lunch you’ll have your first workshop with Camilla. In this session you will explore using oil pastel for mark-making and creating different textures. Camilla will also show you techniques for incorporating pattern and utilizing the negative space within your drawings. Camilla will talk you through how she selects a limited color palette for each piece, showing you some examples of her own drawings and the atmosphere you can create by using different colored backgrounds. Then, we’ll move on to creating a small, floral still life in order to practice before our next full day of drawing.

Early in the evening we’ll have a sunset tour of the fascinating and incredibly photogenic Aragonese castle that sits high above town on a volcanic outcrop.

After your tour we have a multi course meal on the terrace of the hotel restaurant. This menu was prepared specifically for our group and will introduce you to local flavors + ingredients.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25

Breakfast at the hotel

Begin the day by walking around the beautiful hotel grounds and gardens where Camilla will talk you through how to choose the best compositions to work from, she will do a drawing to demonstrate how she works for anyone who would like to watch, then we will spend the rest of the morning drawing in the garden. Lunch on the terrace of the hotel. 

After lunch we’ll continue to draw in the gardens, scaling up to larger paper in order to fit more detail within our drawings. This is also a good opportunity to introduce a figure within the piece. Camilla will be working with each guest individually to help with any questions and provide insightful feedback. 

We will end the day by showing each other what we’ve worked on and talking through techniques that can inform how we go forward over the coming days. 

Dinner this evening is on your own to explore the local flavors of Ischia.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 - FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

Breakfast at the hotel

Today we take the ferry to the island of Procida a short distance away. Its narrow, sun-bleached streets are the domain of the locals. This is the Bay of Naples’ smallest island and considered its best-kept secret. The island is small and we will spend the morning exploring on foot with a local guide, searching for interesting angles and viewpoints to inspire our drawings. Lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon is free time to explore on your own or continue with some guided drawing time with Camilla where you will continue to incorporate all the techniques you have learnt for our on the go drawing session. We will discuss the power of colour and how it affects mood, conjures forgotten memories, and the best way to translate this into your own work. The group will meet in the early evening to take the ferry back to Ischia. Dinner this evening is on your own to explore the local flavors of Ischia.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27

Breakfast at the hotel

Begin your day with a guided tour of La Mortella Gardens. A subtropical and mediterranean garden developed in 1956 by the late Susana Walton. With the help of landscape architect Russell Page, La Mortella is considered one of the most beautiful private gardens in Europe. Light lunch at the garden cafe.

After lunch, Camilla will challenge you to try to create some sketches using a very limited color palette in surreal colors, creating a dream-like effect. You can also explore different techniques in how to draw water using gestural mark making to give our pieces the feeling of movement. You’ll have time to practice your skills and techniques with some on-the-go drawing. Return to the hotel late afternoon.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

*please note, incase of poor weather conditions we will schedule afternoon workshop time in the meeting space at the hotel.

Day 6 - SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28

Breakfast at the hotel

This morning, back in our workshop space, we will choose our favorite sketches from the previous days to translate them into a painting using acrylic and flashe. Camilla will show you how to start with a ground layer of flashe in the color of your choice and then using hog hair brushes we will add our acrylic paint in expressionist strokes. She’ll show you her favorite techniques in how to apply the colors in layers, using the back of the paintbrush to create a scratching texture, and how to incorporate mark making into the image. Lunch at the hotel.

This afternoon we will visit a picturesque fishing village on the other side of the island called Sant’Angelo. A pedestrian-only village good for wandering and exploring with fisherman activities by the small port. Camilla will provide you with some ideas to focus on in your on-the-go drawing session. You’ll have some free time to wander and sketch at your leisure. Sant’ Angelo is an excellent spot for people watching and sketching ‘movement’ studies and if the weather is warm, time to go swimming in the bay. We’ll stay here until early evening and return to the hotel as the sun is setting. Dinner this evening is on your own to explore the local flavors of Ischia.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

*please note, incase of poor weather conditions we will schedule afternoon workshop time in the meeting space at the hotel.

Day 7 - MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29

Breakfast at the hotel

This morning you’ll have your final session with Camilla where you will go through all of the work you have created together and Camilla will answer any questions you might have to help you to continue your artistic journey. 

The rest of the afternoon is a free time to explore the island of Ischia on your own or with others from the group. You may want to return to the castle to do more drawings or visit the Negombo Thermal Gardens + Baths, a beautiful place to spend some time. 

We’ll gather this evening on the hotel terrace for a final group dinner together to celebrate our week together.

Overnight: Ischia
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 - TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30

Early Breakfast at the hotel

This morning we pack our bags, say our farewells and take the ferry back to Naples for your onward journey. 

We will be departing the hotel early, around 7:30am this morning in order to reach our ferry. The approximate arrival time at Naples port should be 10:25am.

Meals included: Breakfast

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N.B. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will provide you with daily reminders about important timing each day via WhatsApp. This is a prospective schedule of excursions and workshops. It is subject to modest modifications, dependent on local weather, circumstances, and the desires of the group.