Sun, Sep 20
|Marsala, Sicily
HARSH AGRAWAL: PLEIN AIR PAINTING IN SICILY
Join a 7-day plein air art workshop in western Sicily led by Harsh Agrawal. Open to watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache, pastel, and drawing artists. Register by July 8.
Time & Location
Sep 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – Sep 26, 2026, 9:00 AM
Marsala, Sicily, 91025 Marsala, Free municipal consortium of Trapani, Italy
About the event
Plein Air Painting Retreat in Sicily with Harsh Agrawal
Paint Western Sicily with Harsh Agrawal
This September in western Sicily, Harsh Agrawal leads a plein air painting retreat for artists ready to work outdoors with more clarity, speed, and confidence — reading the light, simplifying the scene, and capturing the atmosphere before the moment is gone.
This field-based art workshop is set in one of the most stunning landscapes in the Mediterranean. You will discover Sicily's lagoon and salt flats, windmills, ancient temples, stone streets, harbors, vineyards, and sea light, with Harsh teaching you how to simplify, compose, and paint the moment in front of you.
Harsh is best known for watercolor, but this workshop welcomes watercolor, gouache, oil, acrylic, pastel, and drawing media. The teaching is built around plein air process, not a single medium: how to see clearly, edit boldly, organize values, and respond to changing light.
Bring whatever medium you paint in. Plein air is the point.
Spots are limited and registration closes July 8 — REGISTER NOW to hold your place.
What You'll Learn in This Art Workshop
This workshop is for artists who want to paint stronger, faster, and with more confidence outdoors. With Harsh's guidance, you'll work on:
Simplifying complex outdoor scenes
Building a strong composition before you start painting
Organizing values quickly on location
Preserving light and freshness in a piece
Controlling hard and soft edges
Using color temperature to create atmosphere
Suggesting architecture, water, sky, stone, and distance with economy
Making decisive choices before the light changes
This is active field painting will have daily instruction, direct feedback, and focused practice.
Why should I book an art retreat in Sicily?
Sicily is built for plein air painting. The light is strong, the shadows are clean, and the color is mineral and warm, ochre walls, salt-white flats, cobalt water, dusty greens, vineyard gold, sun-worn stone, and rose-colored sunsets over the lagoon.
For a plein air artist, it's close to an ideal classroom. The landscape forces simplification. The architecture demands structure. The light moves fast enough that you have to too.
Learn Harsh Agrawal's Field Process
Harsh Agrawal is a plein air landscape artist based in London, originally from Rairangpur, India. Before painting full-time, he spent years in the entertainment industry working on major international productions, including Coco, Toy Story 4, Avengers: Endgame, and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
That visual storytelling background, reading light, building structure, controlling atmosphere, is still at the core of how he paints today.
His plein air work is direct and disciplined: transparent washes, strong value structure, controlled edges, precise color temperature, and an economy of mark that captures not just what a place looks like, but what it feels like in that moment.
In Sicily, you'll watch that process up close, how Harsh chooses a subject, cuts complexity, organizes a painting, keeps it fresh, and builds mood without overworking it.
What Can I Expect From a Week in Sicily Artist Retreats?
Arrival day airport transfers, orientation, aperitif, and welcome dinner
Daily painting sessions with your instructor
Guided instruction, demonstrations, and individual feedback
Excursions to breathtaking painting sites such as: the Stagnone Lagoon, Mozia Island, Marsala Historic Center, ancient hill towns and Greek Temples and Archeological Parks
Boutique hotel accommodations at Baglio Custera Resort with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms
Most meals and all ground transportation included
Time for rest, conversation, poolside relaxation, cultural immersion, and unhurried exchange with your instructor and fellow artists.
Farewell event and airport transfer on departure day
Accommodations for my art workshop in Sicily
Hotel Baglio Custera, a boutique hotel in the heart of Marsala's countryside, renowned for its gardens, incredible views, and luxurious atmosphere. All rooms are private with en-suite bathrooms.
Sicilian Cuisine
In Sicily, food is part of the experience. Guests will enjoy fresh, seasonal, garden-to-table meals rooted in the flavors of western Sicily, with menus designed to be vegetarian or pescatarian. Dinners include meals at award winning Baglio Custera restaurant. Other meals may include local eateries, wine tastings and a farewell event with folkloric dancers.
Traveling with an Accompanying Guest
Accompanying guests are warmly welcome for an additional retreat fee. While studio instruction is reserved for registered workshop participants, guests may enjoy the beauty and comfort of the retreat experience, including shared accommodations at Baglio Custera, scheduled excursions, airport transfers, and time to relax by the pool or explore the surrounding area.
This is a wonderful option for a spouse, partner, or friend who would like to experience Sicily alongside you while you take part in the workshop. Guests will be included in group dinners, cultural outings, and excursions to sites such as Mozia, Marsala, Erice, Segesta, and Donna Franca Winery.
Payment Options
Retreats are paid in full at the time of booking. For guests who prefer to spread payments over time, flexible payment options such as Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm “book now, pay later” services are offered at checkout.
These payment options are provided through third-party payment platforms and are subject to their approval, terms, and availability. All bookings remain subject to Sicily Artist Retreats’ cancellation and refund policies outlined below.
More Information
For information on our Cancellation Policy and Travel Insurance recommendations see below. Should you have any questions contact us at info@artistretreats.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good fit if I usually search for "painting classes near me"? If you've been looking at painting classes near me and want more than a weekly local class, this is the next step — a full week of immersive, instructor-led plein air painting in a place built for it, not a studio session close to home.
Do I need to paint in watercolor to join? No. Harsh teaches plein air process, which applies across mediums. Artists working in oil, acrylic, gouache, pastel, and drawing media are all welcome alongside watercolorists.
What skill level is this art workshop for? This workshop suits artists who already have some painting experience and want to sharpen their plein air process, from composition, values, edges, and working fast under changing light.
When does registration close? July 8. Space is limited to keep the group small enough for direct, individual feedback from Harsh.
Where does the retreat take place? Western Sicily, based at Baglio Custera Resort near Marsala, with painting excursions to the Stagnone Lagoon, Mozia Island, Erice, and Segesta.
What's included in the price? Accommodations, most meals, all ground transportation, daily instruction, and excursions to painting locations and airport transfers. Airfare to Sicily is not included.
How do I get to the retreat? Guests should fly into Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO), the closest major airport for our Marsala-based retreats. Scheduled group transfers from Palermo Airport to Marsala are included on the official arrival day, with return transportation provided on departure day. We recommend arriving in Sicily one day early when possible, especially for international travelers, to allow time for flight delays, luggage issues, or rest before the workshop begins. Guests who wish to arrive early or stay after the retreat may arrange additional nights with the hotel, subject to availability.
Package
Artist Ticket
This ticket includes workshop instruction with Harsh, accommodations at Hotel Baglio Custera, meals, scheduled excursions, airport transfers, retreat transportation, and group activities. Join us in Marsala for a focused week of plein air watercolor, cultural immersion, and creative discovery.
$3,800.00
+$95.00 ticket service fee
Accompanying Guest
Full registration for an accompanying guest sharing a room with a registered workshop participant. This ticket includes accommodations, meals, scheduled excursions, airport transfers, retreat transportation, and group activities. Workshop instruction, materials, and studio participation are not included. During class time, guests may relax at the hotel or arrange optional self-pay activities, subject to availability.
$1,400.00
+$35.00 ticket service fee
Total
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