The Umbrian Light: Mastering Color and Luminosity in Acrylics – with Robert Minervini
Minervini’s philosophy is rooted in the joy of discovery and the conviction that painting is a powerful way to engage with the world around us. In an inspiring setting like La Romita and the landscapes of Umbria, Minervini will function less as a lecturer and more of a guide—someone who helps artists translate the immense beauty they see into their own expressive visual language.
This workshop is structured around immersive practice: each day, artists will focus on a core concept, such as unlocking the vibrant potential of water-based acrylics, understanding color mixing in natural light, or composing a narrative from the architecture of a medieval town. Combining clear, practical demonstrations with ample time for on-site painting as a group and personalized work time and feedback sessions in the studio.
Demystify acrylic techniques, ensuring you gain confidence and versatility with this medium. Second, and most importantly, is to help you cultivate a robust and personal painting approach beyond the fundamentals. This involves creating a relationship between materials and intent, to tell a story through paint.
Come to explore, experiment, and embrace Italian culture throughout the workshop. Artists will leave this workshop not only with new techniques and a portfolio of paintings, but with a unique sense of observation that will enrich every future experience and journey.
Register before Feb 15, 2026 for early registration pricing.
(price thereafter: $3750)
Immerse yourself in the Umbrian “green heart” of Central Italy! Join Minervini, an experienced Italian-American professional artist and educator, for a unique painting workshop in the captivating region surrounding Terni, Umbria.This experience is designed to blend the slow, simple pace of the Italian lifestyle with an intense, insightful artistic journey.
Our primary focus is specifically on the transformative power of water-based acrylics—a versatile, non-toxic medium prized for its speed, rich layering capabilities, and ability to achieve brilliant luminosity.
Our color exploration begins outdoors. We will conduct daily excursions to sites in and around Terni and the Umbrian countryside, finding inspiration in everything from the ancient hill towns and sun-drenched olive groves to the dramatic effects of light on form. Technically, the workshop will center on advanced color mixing and theory, specifically how to translate the unique palette and natural atmosphere of Central Italy into powerful, harmonious paintings.
You will master new acrylic techniques in paint handling, including glazing and layering—essential for achieving both luminous color and rich texture in your work.
Instruction follows a unique, structured methodology. We will embrace a dual focus, using small, fast plein air studies to capture the fleeting effects of light outdoors. These serve as the fundamental basis for developing larger, more resolved pieces during our dedicated studio time at La Romita’s spacious chapel studio.
Crucially, we integrate structured instruction across subjects like still life, landscape, and figure to practice telling compelling visual stories. This component reinforces fundamental lessons of composition, form, depth, and how light interacts with objects—lessons that are vital and directly applicable to your broader painting journey.
Artists will come away with much more than memories. They will gain a tangible, refined methodology for composition and color, a deeper understanding of the possibilities of acrylics, and the confidence to interpret the world through their own unique artistic lens, grounded in the timeless beauty of Italy. All materials, local transportation, and delicious meals are included once you arrive on site, ensuring a seamless, focused, and immersive experience.
Robert Minervini received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and his BFA from Tyler School of Art. His work has been exhibited internationally, including solo shows with Hirschl & Adler Modern, NYC; Edward Cella Gallery, LA; Rena Bransten Gallery, SF; as well as group and two-person exhibitions with the San José Museum of Art, Torrance Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Palo Alto Art Center, Schneider Museum of Art, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Minervini has completed multiple murals and public art commissions nationally including through the San Francisco Arts Commission, The Alameda County Arts Commission, and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. He has been a resident artist at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the Headlands Center of the Arts, the Vermont Studio Center. His art has been published in New American Paintings (No. 91 and No. 109), Beautiful Decay, and Mural Art: Large Scale Art from Walls around the World. His work has been reviewed in the LA Times, Modern Painters, San Francisco Chronicle, Art ltd., and featured in ArtWeek LA, 7×7 Magazine, and The Huffington Post. Minervini’s work is in the collections of the San José Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, the City and County of San Francisco, and many private and corporate collections.
Robert Minervini currently lives and works in Florence, Italy & Oakland, California.
As La Romita School caters to multiple levels of instruction and various forms of the arts, prices will vary by session, season, instructor, and offerings.