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Feedback on our workshops in 2024

It was a great week all round - great to have the live in environment with you & Jane as our terrific hosts & I appreciated the effort to accommodate my dietary requirements, the studio was fantastic and the accommodation was homely, the township was rather special & the people friendly & helpful. It was good to have access to the wifi especially because I hadn’t yet organised an eSIM. While Christine & I went to some beautiful places on our holiday, I think the first week in Barga was the best week & a great way to start our trip.

I have been home less than a fortnight now and only last night sharing with a sister how wonderful Barga was.I agree with Lilian that having yourself and Jane join in made for a very welcoming atmosphere . My room was a delight and availability of kitchen was a big plus allowing us to join each other to prepare collective or independent meals.
QA is a credit to you dream and capabilities 💖

I’m away in Brisbane doing embroidery classes. This has made me compare it to Barga. I liked the amount we socialised together in Barga - breakfast was a great start to the day for this (and delicious each day) and having the kitchen and terrace available for lunch and dinner was great. For me, travelling on my own I’ve decided this was an important part of why I enjoyed it so much. There was always someone on the terrace to stop and chat to. My classes this time don’t include that - we stay on site but there’s no opportunity to socialise casually outside the class. I liked the casual welcome meal we had on the terrace - a chance to meet everyone before classes started was great.
I loved my room and the view. I liked that you and Jane could share your local knowledge with us and enjoyed both the outings you organised.
I’m struggling to find any improvements to suggest! It was such a wonderful experience- living in QA, enjoying the location & fabulous tutor and classmates made for a very memorable

I loved the variety on the course and Jane's way of introducing us to new techniques and ideas. I agree with Trea that our main piece could have been restricted to less time so that we could try other techniques. I enjoyed my tetra pack printing challenge.
Well done to our hosts and thank you to my course ladies for your super company.

It was a fantastic experience in wonderful surroundings. J and M went far beyond their call of duty and provide us with 110 per cent

It is hard to think how anything could be improved. I really enjoyed the sketching outing and seeing Barga from a different angle. There really wasn’t anything I would change.

Everything is so well run and the course is spot on. The accommodation, breakfasts and hospitality is first class. Such an enjoyable week on so many aspects!

I enjoyed everything on the course. The location is perfect and Jane’s tuition, materials and studio facilities are first class. Your breakfasts were legendary. You both made us all very welcome and the recommended restaurants were ideal. I’d love to come back for another course.

Loved my time at Barga and enjoyed the sessions learning about Lino printing!

Michael and Jane - you are excellent host/hostess - so kind and considerate and it makes the stay-in course such a wonderful experience!

Enjoyed reading others feedback too!

1) wished I had known earlier about the inaccessibility of car to the apartment - I would have been more careful and clever about how I packed for this trip! Didn’t help that this was the last leg of my 5 weeks European trip of diverse activities - overpacking due to very cold weather in the Netherlands and warmer weather in Tuscany ! 😝 But your location is superb!! I left wishing I could stay longer ! The studio is an artist dream!! And oh the promise of more space ! That tour of the surprise rooms / dungeon (?) Michael & Jane you are so lucky!!

2) Italian train protest/stoppages - transfer costs mixed up - but Michael was very generous with his time to help explain and look for alternatives - so thank you!

3) Loved my room and the space and view! Had everything I needed ! But agree with Susie about the lock! Love the excellent breakfast, (in fact looked forward to each morning surprise element!) choices of tea and that lovely strong expresso coffee!!! The entire apartment with the facilities , veranda , garden was truly magical experience!

4) so lucky we have the combination of the participants we had and a smallish group - I feel we all get a lot of Jane’s attention and benefited from it !! Also to have someone in the group (Susie!!! 😉) with printmaking / print art experience sharing generously was a bonus!!

5) I learned not only from Jane but from each other and accelerated my learning and truly enjoyed the craft and could produce a third piece in an extremely compressed time! I actually also did “homework” by carving away at night in my room !

6) loved both the in studio time and outdoor time visiting sights, getting inspiration , experiencing the culture, food, art, music - I feel my artistic soul quite fulfilled during the short time at Barga! I feel my tourist needs also met and wanting more - more shopping time, sight seeing time - lol . So may be to include/ offering options to extend stay before or after the workshop (?) to be the tourist 😉

7) love the food - whether prepared by selves or dining out and restaurant options in the area are excellent! One feedback is that better to split the costs according to what we eat/drink - can be harder but at least clearer (?) so no unhappiness over the final bill! 🤪. Enjoyed our meals together whether in restaurant or at the veranda! And the tea and biscuits during workshop time - such a special touch but so so thoughtful and needed!! Thank you for catering to these - it made for such a wonderful experience!!

8) love that we could get the wine at the apartment itself (so reasonably priced - thank you Michael!) and that lovely garlic oil - my whole family enjoyed it - wished I had bought more! They also ask you went to Italy why no olive oil!!?? Maybe another option to offer?

9) oh and what a fantastic way to end the week with that exhibition!!! Thank you Jane !!! It’s my 1st ever I never felt so proud!!! And to talk about the pieces to the visitors - also so classy with the wine and cheese and conversation - loved it!!!

We experience sunshine, rain (even hail stones!) , firefly, hoopoe bird, a goat, an owl, chest nut tree, ….To me this was such a fantastic experience- close to being magical - so thank you Michael and Jane for giving us the opportunity to provide feedback and relive the magical days at your workshop and the town called Barga!!

If I were to rate 1-5 stars I will give it 10 diamonds! 💕

Loved my time at Barga and enjoyed the sessions learning about Lino printing!

Michael and Jane - you are excellent host/hostess - so kind and considerate and it makes the stay-in course such a wonderful experience!

Your location is superb!! I left wishing I could stay longer ! The studio is an artist dream!!

Loved my room and the space and view! Had everything I needed ! Love the excellent breakfast, (in fact looked forward to each morning surprise element!) choices of tea and that lovely strong expresso coffee!!! The entire apartment with the facilities , veranda , garden was truly magical experience!

I feel we all get a lot of Jane’s attention and benefited from it !!

We loved the collective tasty breakfasts and dinners together, the opportunities to explore a bit of Barga ( thanks to making the studio off limits after 5), the awesome accommodations and kitchen/laundry facilities, your well-equipped beautiful studio, the chance to participate in an exhibition, and the fantastic weather, views, and commmunity we created!
Thanks so much. 💕

You and Jane were such charming and entertaining hosts. The only thing I would change would be to stay longer ! 😁.

Apart from the beautiful location, what I liked very much was that you and Jane were part of our group outside of the workshop hours. As for your second question, I wouldn’t want you to change a thing 😊