The Lessons of Leonardo da Vinci

Sfumato – an open mind and playfulness allows for creative expression

Leonardo is famous for sfumato, an art technique creating a hazy quality (root word fumare, means to "go up in smoke, evaporate"). It also refers to his principle of embracing the unknown – an underlying theme of all of the Da Vinci Capers' experiences.

Sensazione – Leonardo felt that the average person looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling and eats without tasting…

• Hands-on, nose-alert cooking lesson – through taste and smell we learn to cook!
• Wine tasting and learning about olive oils
• Exquisite dining with award-winning wines
• Learn to draw and paint – to see objects by shapes, shadow and perspective
• Sculpting – in a famous artist studio
• An exclusive tour of a marble studio in Pietrasanta
• Creative Seeing photography workshop
• A private tour of the ancient city of Pompeii

Dimostrazione – learning through experience, and a willingness to make mistakes

• We have fun learning basic Italian expressions in an ancient palazzo in Lucca.
• We practice “quanto costa” in the market as we purchase gifts for family and friends.

Curiosità – An insatiable curiosity and quest for continuous learning

Leonardo's quest for understanding his world was revealed in the thousands of pages of his journals – his observations, illustrations, inventions — even jokes!

• A Necessity to Narrate – Julio demonstrates how writing not only illuminates our personal history, but also opens the valve to our imagination and creativity. We will have a creative writing experience in "how to build a character."
• A cultural "Cafè Moment" – an intimate and philosophical discussion of how we "fit" in the grand puzzle of the world.
• Understanding great music by learning how to listen: trusting our instincts, imagination of social, cultural and historical eras, and learning composer's "tricks" of expressive and technical objectives.

Grazie mille to Michael J. Gelb! His international best-selling book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, provides the springboard for Da Vinci Capers.

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