Sketchbook Art Workshop in Padua and Parma, Italy with Koosje Koene
Join artist and illustrator Koosje Koene for 8 days on a sketchbook art workshop in Venice, Padua, and Parma, Italy.
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Overview
Join us for a seven-night sketchbook journey through northern Italy with teaching artist Koosje Koene. Spend four nights based in Padua, with day trips into Venice and Murano, then three nights in Parma. Days move by rail, ferry, private transfer and on foot. Wander canals and quiet Venetian alleyways. Discover a chapel filled with Giotto’s frescoes and relax along the cobbled streets of a car-free historic center in Parma.
Koosje’s approach is built on presence and looking closely, not perfection. A page that doesn’t turn out the way you hoped is still a page worth keeping. By the end of the week, your sketchbook holds an Italy most travelers never see, sketched in ink and watercolor, one honest page at a time.
The Creative Experience
This is a sketchbook program, worked on-location each day with drawing, watercolor, and occasional writing and ephemera. By the end of the week, your sketchbook holds a living record of people, places, and moments, richer than any photo roll could capture.
This Vacation Includes
- Art Workshop Program: Daily art classes with Koosje Koene
- Blue Walk Tour Program: Daily walks and excursions
- Hotel Padua: 4 nights at 4-star hotel in Padua, Italy
- Hotel Parma : 3 nights at 4-star hotel in Parma, Italy
- All transfers : per itinerary
- Daily buffet breakfast
- 2 Dinners
- Gelato!
- and more!
What's Not Included
- Airfare
- Porterage of luggage
- Tips
- Meals not mentioned
- Airport transfers
- Travel insurance
- Art Supplies
About YourArtist-Teacher
Koosje Koene
Koosje trained first in graphic design, then photography, spending about a decade as an award-winning professional photographer before drawing pulled her back in. For her, drawing is a form of meditation, a way of being fully present that captures a place more completely than any photograph.
She has been sharing free drawing tips through her weekly YouTube series Draw Tip Tuesday since 2013. Through her Patreon she offers even more guidance and inspiration. Koosje also co-founded Sketchbook Skool in 2014, an online art school with a global community of sketchbook keepers and creative habit builders. Her daily Instagram posts show how drawing can be fun, meditative, and genuinely life-changing.
Day by DayYour Itinerary
Programs are subject to change. Actual daily schedule may differ.
Day 1 · Arrival in Padua
Gather in the afternoon at the hotel in historic Padua for introductions and a program overview, followed by an orientation walk of the neighborhood. The evening brings an aperitivo and a casual warm-up sketching session.
Day 2 · Venice, Uncrowded
A short train ride to Venice for a private walking tour with a local guide, tracing quiet corners and artisan shops away from the crowds. A canal-side welcome lunch follows, then a sketchbook class inspired by the city. The rest of the day is free to wander, sketch, or explore at your own pace.
Day 3 · Murano Glass & Island Days
A vaporetto to the island of Murano, for a visit to a glassblowing workshop and a chance to meet master artisans at work. The included ferry pass allows free exploration of Murano, colorful Burano, or more of Venice, before the group reconvenes in the early evening for a sketchbook class.
Day 4 · Giotto's Chapel & Piazza Sketching
A morning visit to the Scrovegni Chapel to see Giotto’s frescoes, followed by a stroll through Padua’s historic streets to a lively piazza for a sketchbook class. The afternoon is free to explore the city’s hidden corners at your own pace.
Day 5 · Settling into Parma
A transfer to Parma, followed by an orientation walk of the neighborhood and an afternoon sketchbook class. Parma’s car-free historic center invites slow wandering, and the food here is exceptional.
Day 6 · Cheese, Vinegar & Countryside
A countryside excursion to visit a family-run Parmigiano-Reggiano producer, followed by a stop with one of the few remaining makers of traditional balsamic vinegar, with tastings along the way. The group returns to Parma for a final sketchbook class.
Day 7 · Villa Evening, Farewell Dinner
A morning sketchbook class, then an afternoon free to enjoy Parma at your own pace. In the evening, a scenic walk to a friend’s historic family villa for a welcome aperitivo, an optional hands-on cooking class, and a farewell dinner in the garden, one of the trip’s most memorable evenings.
Day 8 · Villa Evening, Farewell
Breakfast, then depart at your leisure. No group activities are planned.
A Note on Pace
View MapWhere in the World?
The trip begins in Padua and ends in Parma. Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is the most convenient for arrival, about 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes from Padua by car or public transport. For departure, Bologna offers the closest major airport from Parma, about 1.5 hours away.
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Traveled, Created, Loved It
“Spain was our second walking vacation with The Blue Walk, and it was delightful. Suzy and Jeannette are very organized, knowledgeable and friendly. They guided us for an overview of old Barcelona, and then onto Callela de Pallafrugel, the most beautiful fishing village. We walked along the coast and through farming areas to two medieval towns. Suzy and Jeannette are excellent tour guides, and we will join the Blue Walk again soon.”
Jackie and Mark Curley“They are INCREDIBLE!!! I’ve loved everything we’ve done together! An art journal workshop and a private tour with friends I met on the Art Walk & everything has been better and more fun than I ever dreamed! 5 Stars is only a beginning of how great they are!”
Sue Cogins“What a great way to get exercise and see the most incredible coast of the French Riviera with guides that cater to every personality and whim! My husband and I will definitely be on another walking tour in the near future. Thank you for an amazing experience!”
Chris & Julie Sochin“I love traveling with The Blue Walk. Our time is so special, and I’ve made wonderful friends. And your art teachers are the best! Thank you for the care you put into every aspect of our time. I can’t wait until my next trip.”
Norina Morris