FRENCH ART SCHOOL June 9-19, 2025
FULLY BOOKED - NEW DATES COMING SOON

PAINT & TOUR
IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
& ITALY
WITH JACQUELINE COATES
Max Guests 8 Enjoy 10 nights & 11 days
ONLY 1 BESPOKE TOUR AVAILABLE TO INCUDE MENTON
NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
Paint & Tour the Cote D’azure & Italian Riviera in the footsteps of Monet, Renoir, Matisse & Bonnard!
NICE, CIMIEZ, SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT, CERIANA, SAN REMO, BAIJARDO, DOLCEACQUA, MENTON, SAINT PAUL DE VENCE , CAGNES-SUR-MER, LE CANNET, EZE
French Art School visits the south of France & Italy!
Soak up the Mediterranean sunshine in France and Italy touring & gaining inspiration, painting and immersing in creativity in comfort with my full support, art supplies, and a painting studio, most of your meals supplied, a private driver and authentic accommodations.
Explore gardens, markets, the Mediterranean coastline, charming hill top towns in France and Italy, and enjoy our own dedicated painting studio and local authentic accommodation. Live like a local!

FULLY BOOKED - NEW DATES COMING SOON
Experience the places where Monet gained his inspiration

Follow the Monet trail from the South of France starting in Nice, then into Italy’s LIGURIA where Monet painted in the late 19th century, inspired by the Mediterranean vegetation, castellos, and coastline of Liguria.
And here’s another reason I want to take you there! Where we are staying is on the rim of the Rivieri dei Fiori, known for its stunning flowers exported around Europe!
We have access to the best and freshest summer flowers such as HYDRANGEAS, SUNFLOWERS, ROSES, LAVENDER, BOUGAINVILLEA, and we may just catch the PEONIES.

We meet in Nice and stay in hotel comfort at a fully renovated Belle Epoque hotel centrally located, then after touring gardens and art, and visiting a stunning garden and villa in Cap de Ferat, we travel to the ancient and peaceful village of Ceriana with traces of the Roman era where we have access to a painting studio and wonderful hospitality.
Live like a local and meet each day for our activities staying in unique and comfortable accommodations. Enjoy your own room and an Italian cook who prepares our meals.
Visit the stunning hilltop town and exotic garden of Eze Village, and the art galleries and charming winding street paths of Saint Paul de Vence.
From Ceriana we explore San Remo markets and enjoy the views from La Pigna, the old fishing village. We visit Dolceacqua where Monet painted. In the studio , we take inspiration from the techniques of the French Impressionist
and contemporary Blooms Freestyle techniques. Learn to free up your painting style. Take home a swag of paintings!
We tour from Ceriana to the spectacular Hanbury gardens overlooking the Mediterranean sea, where we paint cinematic style garden views and enjoy a picnic, taking our travel paint boxes with us.
We visit the Italian influenced architecture of Menton and we paint the sumptuous produce we find along the way as still lifes in our studio.
From our base in Ceriana we have our own Italian cook to look after us.

We finish in NICE for a fabulous 11 day/10 night painting immersion and touring experience.
Take home painting confidence having learned refreshing and freeing freestyle techniques exploring these themes;
- Flowers
- Citrus & Still life paintings
- Cote D’Azure & Italian Riviera Landscapes
- Italian & French Gardens and villas
- Hill top towns
- Monoprinting with Oils

When Claude Monet explored Italy from Bordighera, just over the French border, with Renoir, back in 1892, he fell in love with the coastline, colours, palms and the Mediterranean vibe. He then returned on his own and painted 30 canvases including at Dolceacqua.
Having fallen in love with the Cote D’Azure myself some time ago and taken many tours groups to the south, I discovered my painting icon Monet had visited Liguria, just over the border from France.
Already a fan of Matisse, Bonnard and Picasso who all lived and worked on the French Cote d’Azure, I have established a base and set up accommodation with the locals at nearby Ceriana, in an amazing and authentic Italian village with historic stone houses, some dating back to Roman times.
FULLY BOOKED - NEW DATES COMING SOON
Why visit Ceriana?
A mountain stream brings the spring waters down to the village pool. Fresh fruit and vegetables, and olive oil are produced locally on the nearby terraces. This is a town where everyone says Bon Giorno. You are likely to get to know the locals, and there is plenty of charm. It’s also a very musical community with four male polyphonic choirs.
‘This is exactly what I had hoped for on a tour like this… to be taken into a different world I wouldn’t be able to access myself as a tourist and to experience an authentic Italian village and way of life. Your knowledge and groundwork are amazing. It’s stunning. Your tour is exceeding my expectations!’
-Virgina, who came on the tour Aug/Sept 2024

Ceriana is surrounded by nature and just 15 minutes from San Remo on the Italian Riviera. Ceriana is a well kept secret. As well as the local population that goes way back, there is a good mix of internationals including Danish, Swedish, German, English and US locals. Every house is totally different and charming. No two are the same.
Each of the accommodations we have access to have something special. Two have valley views including over Roman churches and the church bell towers which sound the hour. Another has close proximity to the painting studio and additional entertaining areas. Another extends across an old arch and corrugio or pathway below and has a roof top terrace. All are charming. Get lost in time or a delicious aperitif at one of the three local bars after our painting day while our cook prepares a stunning meal.
After meeting up in fabulous Nice with its flower markets, and linen dresses in every colour imaginable, we visit the Matisse museum, the promenade des Anglais and the Villa Euphressi de Rothschild and garden. En route to Veriana where we then spend 8 nights, we will visit La Cannet to see the Bonnard Museum, and the hill top town of Eze.
From Ceriana, we will have our painting base to capture the inspiration of the region from flowers to landscapes.
,

Enjoy walks through landscaped terraces of olives, paint the azure sea from the old fishing town of La Pigna, and visit the Sanremo markets.
We enjoy an 8 course meal and stunning dusk valley views over the mountains from BAIARDO.
In Ceriana we have our space to paint and create our paintings, which begins with florals, and then explore coastal painting, still lifes of summer produce such as citrus and figs, all the while learning Impressionistic techniques and some contemporary Blooms freestyle techniques I will share with you.


Enjoy a holiday that takes you to the sunny Mediterranean and immerse yourself in abundance and creativity, gardens, colour and stunning coastline.
Explore monoprinting, then paint the hilltop towns and stunning Mediterranean gardens overlooking the Med.
Paint the famous lemons of Menton! We find inspiration when we visit these gardens;
-Queen Elena gardens at La Pigna, San Remo
-Hanbury Botanical gardens, Italy
-Cimiez Monastery Garden in Nice
-The ancient olive groves of Renoirs former residence now the Musee Renoir at Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France
-Jardin Exotique in Eze, France
-The gardens of Villa Euphressi de Rothschild , Cap de Ferrat, France
FULLY BOOKED - NEW DATES COMING SOON
If you have ever wanted to have paintings with movement, texture and lively colour, you will love the lessons & the painting results you will achieve.



We take a few influences from the French impressionists and I supersize the painting experience by showing you some additional contemporary freestyle techniques with some handy tools you will love. Loads of demos and because we are working at a managable scale, we can get through many of paintings.


Touch base creatively with the greats when we visit the Musee Matisse, Musee Renoir and Musee Bonnard.
Learn to capture the Mediterranean vibe in your work including the colours to choose, how to build the paint up and how to work productively.



Jojo is a wonderful local Italian cook who looks after us with her superb Italian cooking In Ceriana.
This is playful art with beautiful colour and subject matter, inspired by the French Impressionists, gorgeous colour combinations and contemporary techniques with alternative tools you will love. Infuse it with the holiday vibes and you have a recipe for an amazing holiday.
I cannot wait to fill the studio with our gorgeous paintings inspired by the French Impressionists and my contemporary freestyle techniques for luscious colourful painting results. There is the option to do some en plein air painting along the way with my portable equipment. You will love this.
Participants have their own rooms and join me to paint each day. Our cook prepares many of our beautiful meals. Wine and aperitifs are supplied. Unwind and meet lovely like minded others.
How much is the Italy France Tour?
Let’s recap some details mentioned earlier.
The land tour price starts when we meet in Nice and drop off in Nice, as per itinerary and these inclusions. Your airfares and how you get there are at your discretion and personal choice to suit your arrangements;


- 2 Nights at La Villa Nice Victor Hugo with standard room with double or queen bed plus breakfast included
- 8 Nights Accommodation inc breakfast in characterful, distinctive, well presented & comfortable accommodations in Ceriana with each client having their own room and usually shared bathroom but sometimes own bathroom. Max of three per accommodation, sometimes two people only, so you live like a local with home style facilities.
- access to laundry facilities in Ceriana either at your own accommodation or at Via Celio.
- Art supplies throughout
Aperitifs and wine supplied with our evening meals we prepare at Via Celio plus an aperitifs outing at the local bar one evening
Take home brushes pack including filberts, flat edge brushes, paddles brishes and small brushes plus additional freestyle tools to be revealed and a palette knife.
Portable sketchpad and pencils , canvas boards for a series and a larger canvas board to paint up as well
Stretched canvas portable size provided for the floral painting
Acrylic paints and oil paints supplied for your use during your time in the studio. Own pack of Reeves acrylics supplied for handy access plus small bottle of medium
Papers and templates and paints supplied for monoprinting and demos


TUITION and live demos, support and tips, assists, from Jacqueline Coates covering Freestyle and Impressionist approaches to painting, a variation on the Blooms Method for the San Remo studio painting, painting from life sessions, floriography sessions, monoprinting sessions and using the Blooms Travel Paint Boxes en plein air, drawing to capture inspiration whilst touring. All of this is provided in dedicated sessions and on tour. Do as much or as little as you like.
Bonus FRENCH ART SCHOOL PAINTING PACK ONLINE including MONOPRINT tuition with extra sequences related to our subject matter in the south so you can do more monoprints at home if you like after the tour plus three paintings. Total value of my gift pack access for 12 months $1250 plus 100 stunning photo references
Supply of equipment for your use such as easels, table easels, portable chairs for outdoor art, use of Blooms Travel Paint Boxes, clean up materials, monoprint art supplies
- Included catering during your tour ;
5 lunches, 4 picnics and refreshments, 7 dinners and 5 lunches prepared by our Italian cook ( dinners include wine 375ml pp ) ,1 x 8 course dining experience at Baiardo restaurant on eveing tour inc wine - 11 breakfasts which include Italiasn style coffee and pastry in the piazza at Ceriana, hotel breakfasts in Nice, and Italian cook prepared breakfasts including eggs, fruit, yoghurt, bread and pastries opetions
- Aperitifs during Ceriana evenings at least 5 evenings at Via Celio and 1 evening we take aperitifs at the local bar all included. ( Italian and French wines served with the meals) .

- Provision of refreshments and snacks for inbetween meals
- An inspiring Photopack of beautiful colour reference from our tour destinations which is yours to keep ( that I have taken earlier) for us to work from for our paintings and prints in the comfort of our studio or villa. Priceless! Great reference makes for great artwork! Many references are supplied and included digitally.
- Entries covered to Jardin Exotique in Eze, Villa Euphressi de Rothschild House and Garden at Cap de Ferat, Matisse Museum, , Hanbury Botanical Garden, The Castello at Dolceacqua, MUSEE RENOIR
- Coffee and breakfast pastry included on the days we enjoy breakfast at the piazza or cafes.
- Protective sleeve for your monoprints

FULLY BOOKED - NEW DATES COMING SOON
- A packing session for paintings and materials required supplied & included.
- Driver English and Italian speaking and van throughout the tour itinerary as outlined in the itinerary for our touring and transit days
- Renowned art teacher English Speaking and French speaking- Jacqueline Coates
- Our own Italian cook accompanying the tour from Ceriana
- Beach towels loaned for any swimming activities
- Visit the markets at San Remo and Nice

Visit 5 stunning gardens including
- Queen Elena gardens at La Pigna, San Remo
- Hanbury Botanical gardens, Italy
- Cimiez Monastery Garden in Nice
- Jardin Exotique in Eze
- The gardens of Villa Euphressi
- the Ancient olive groves and gardens at Musee Renoir at Cagnes-sur-mer
- Private Facebook page for the group to keep in touch
- Facebook messenger group
NB If any of our suppliers cannot supply as planned or there is a weather or event issue or a delay due to a student for whatever reason and we have to adjust the schedule we will do our best to replace the planned activity or visit with something you will enjoy.
This tour price is $10,897
Including all of the above pp.
PAYMENT 1
A deposit of $2000 is required to reserve one of 8 places available to these dates at time of booking.
Simply use the deposit facility on the sales page here to reserve a place. Please copy me in any direct deposit bank details and cc me in at this email; jacquelinecoates1@gmail.com or if you prefer contact me to proceed.
PAYMENT 2
$3000 is required by Dec 10, 2024
PAYMENT 3
$4000 is required by Feb 28, 2025
PAYMENT 4
Balance of $1897 is due by March 30, 2024
The brush art supplies to keep are given in Ceriana in Italy
The sketch art supplies are given in Nice
The Online Bonus Italy France lesson pack is given just after the tour
When you book in you are given access to the private FB tour group page
Allow for 4 kilos for your artwork ( yes you can arrange to post it home after the tour but we won’t have time during the tour. I have some advice on this to share to make it easy for you I will provide during the trip )
All accommodations have been secured in advance to ensure quality and stability during our tour and are known to me.
Group coordinator, researcher, tour designer, stylist for the tour and art tutor
Jacqueline Coates
FOR BLOOMS PAINTING WORKSHOPS PTY LTD
+61 429 100 929
Fb messenger

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Travel Insurance to cover medical or any other claimable event is mandatory for all participants.
Any part of the tour that is unused is non-refundable.
Before booking in please check the terms and conditions for when there are no refunds time lines. Participation assumes you agree to the sent terms and conditions.
Ceriana, Saint Paul de Vence and Eze are villages with hills and cobblestones requiring students wear non-slip shoes. Runners are perfect or supportive sandals with good grip. Menton and Nice are on the flat for the most part.
Ceriana has hills and steps which is natural in a place that has height and views. This is typical of a hill top town in Italy.
Participants in the last two tours has been able to manage it. Accommodations are chosen for ease of access for participants, comfort and charm, as much as possible so they are not far from the house where we meet up.
For Nice, it’s expected you are able to walk for at least 3km or are happy to catch an uber at own expense to meet at a destination if you don’t want to walk at times when we don’t have the driver with us. We see a lot of a locality and discover a great deal when we walk so it’s a pleasant option if you wear comfy shoes.
Consider a sun hat and sun glasses.
If you have any health issues or concerns please let us know so we can be sure we can meet your needs and be prepared to support you as best we can. Awesome!
Should you miss any art sessions for any reasons you will have the security and knowledge that you have an online bonus pack of Italy France art lessons to do at home afterwards



BONUS #1
These are my brand-new French Art School aprons designed especially by me, which are only available to students of French Art School.
They are in pale aqua, in a comfortable canvas cotton, have deep pockets in the front, cross over back with straps, a ring to hold your painting rag, and beautiful embroidery for French Art School.
BONUS 2
Your own set of studio brushes yours to keep worth $121
These are my favourite brushes to use for all stages of the painting suitable for the painting we are doing in the Studio. Take them home to continue your painting journey with!

BONUS #3

Your post tour value online teaching pack so you can continue painting confidently after the tour. And 100 stunning photo references total value $2000 plus.
Yours at no charge when you book and pay in full and participate in French Art School 2025
‘I saw the itinerary and thought ‘that’s me!’, I’m in! Its not a general tour, its niched for those loving beautiful things and art. I wanted to see France through Jac’s eyes having done a workshop with her before.’
Annie, Hunter Valley, NSW
$10,897 per person
JUNE 9-JUNE 19, 2025
PAY DEPOSIT $2000 Australian dollars
PAY IN FULL UPFRONT $10,897 Australian dollars
LIMITED TO MAXIMUM 8 STUDENT PLACES
Deposit of $2,000 required at time of booking to reserve your place.

FAQ’S
What spending money will I need?
The Nice and San Remo markets have lovely linen and leather, jewellery and more so it depends on what you want to take home with you.
Occasionally you will need to buy your own drink or purchase your lunch or dinner. Most meals are covered.
100 euros a day is more than enough. Some of the ladies enjoyed purchasing inexpensive vintage items on the last trip.
What’s the area like we visit in the south?
The Cote D’Azure is a light filled beautiful area in southern France overlooking the Mediterranean Sea which sparkles with colour and light and has long inspired artists.
It’s casual and relaxed, yet stylish.
There are palm trees, villas, gorgeous beaches and stone hilltop towns. It’s a great place to be inspired to paint.
Ceriana is a charming stone village in Italy which is 20 minutes or less from Sanremo. From here we explore Italy’s Liguria, the Riviera Dei Fiori, San Remo, the hill top town of Baijardo, and we visit Dolceacqua where Monet painted. Ceriana has the bonus of being slightly cooler than towns right on the coastline as we are higher up, which is perfect in summer.
Ceriana also enjoys refreshing valley breezes. In Menton we have nearby beach access, are close to the promenade areas and we are in the centre of Menton.
What is the accommodation like?
In Nice we stay at a fabulous Belle Epoque Hotel close to everything you can walk to in Nice. It’s five minutes to the beach or restaurants or shopping, twelve minutes to the markets.




In Ceriana we have independent accommodations where you will stay with part of the group, but are nearby as we have several accommodations in Ceriana with a general meeting place for painting and dinners at my place Via Celio.
Each student will have their own bedroom and bathrooms are shared.
Left; Bedrooms at Via Celio


What do I need to know about fitness for the tour?
We visit hill top towns and these usually come with hill climbs and cobblestones.
You will need a reasonable level of fitness and to wear non slip sandals or shoes. Runners are useful.
Will I get time off?
Knowing my students they like to paint as much as possible. Knowing my students I know they also need rest time! So, I have built in some rest time, walks in our surrounds, lounge time and enjoying our meal times, plus relaxing touring.
The work we do is very freed up and not intensely detailed so it’s productive and fun. We take the time to enjoy good meals. I encourage free time for walks or lazing with a good book. Some people need to keep in touch with home for family or their business from time to time.
If you want to slow your pace and take time out, that’s fine because you still have your bonus online art lessons to do when you get home.
Many students come along alone meeting other students and making great friends. There is lots of time for chatting and getting to know each other. I often have students from the USA, CANADA, SPAIN, GERMANY AND THE UK as well as AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND.


How can I keep in contact with home?
We have wifi in nearly all of our accommodations.It’s a good idea to get the whatsapp App so you can call home on wifi. Set up roaming on your phone don’t forget to pack your charger!
Why is this French Art School goes to Italy more expensive than the other French Art Schools?
For French Art School goes to Italy, there is more accommodation from providers supplied, as opposed to my providing the villas in France. We also have more touring, and more visits to gardens, villas and markets, hill top towns etc that require paid entries and a driver.
Your 2 night stay at an excellent Nice hotel is also included. This tour is also 10 nights and 11 days which is slightly longer than most other French Art Schools.
Where shall I fly or train to?
We start in Nice.
You can fly direct to Nice, or fly to Paris and take the train though the Olympics are on in Paris and this will be an expensive and busy time in Paris.
You can fly to Genoa then take the train to Nice.
We start our tour in Nice.
You can fly direct to Nice, or fly to Paris and take the train if you want to see see something of Paris as well before or after the tour or fly to Genoa, Italy, then take the train to Nice.
Check baggage allowances on the Rome to Genoa sector as it may be less than an international flight allows
Nice is a major international destination and most airlines can arrange a connection for you. I fly Qatar from Adelaide, Australia to Dohar to Nice.
What if I have dietary requirements?
We always ask you about this so we can cater for your health needs if you have a dietary requirement.


Is there anything I need to know?
As we explore some hilltop towns it will require walking on cobblestones so bring some runners with rubber soles.
How much will the paintings pack weigh?
Your packed paintings will weigh about 5 kilos. They will be wrapped to include a strap so it’s easy to carry over your shoulder.
What else should I bring?
Bring a charger, some cash, your smartphone, and comfortable casual gear for summer, rubber soled shoes and a pair of sandals.
$10,897 per person
JUNE 9-19, 2025
PAY DEPOSIT $2000 Australian dollars
PAY IN FULL UPFRONT $10,897 Australian dollars
LIMITED TO MAXIMUM 8 STUDENT PLACES
Deposit of $2,000 required at time of booking to reserve your place

FULL TRAVEL INSURANCE RECOMMENDED TO COVER ANY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES IF YOU GET ILL DURING YOUR HOLIDAY OR DISRUPTED FROM PARTICIPATING.
You will need to cover your own medical costs for any medicine from the pharmacy or doctor for helpful items such as cold and flu caps, throat gargle or throat spray, Panadol, doctr fees and prescriptions or whatever you regard as useful which you could bring with you as a precaution such as PCR test or tests ( approx 40 euros each in France ), transfers different to the tour transfers booked for you, and local transport outside of the tour offer to get supplies and manage any aspects that you may or may not need if we require a driver to assist, medicine and/or additional catering and accommodation for days after the tour if you require it- l which can be receipted so you can claim on your insurance if appropriate.There are pharmacists in Nice and in Ceriana.


DEPOSIT
Deposit is only refundable up to 48 hours after receipt of the tour terms and conditions.
Full payment is required 90 days prior to the tour start date. You can cancel up to 90 days before the start of the tour but the deposit will be forfeited. No cancellation within 90 days of tour start date.
In the event of emergency, we will call a pompier on your behalf and put you in the safe hands of medical professionals who in France is a fire brigade unit however they operate as the ambulance service or the ambulance service for Italy.
You will need your travel insurance details available for paperwork. Please ensure these details have been added to your client sheet.

MASKS OR NO MASKS?
Generally there are at present no rules in place for wearing masks indoors or outdoors in France. However, I recommend the wearing of masks if you are worried about being around coughing people, or if you yourself are coughing then please wear a mask around the other students and staff of the tour.
In the event that you have a cold please wear a mask to minimise the risk of anyone else catching it.( and spoiling their holiday!)
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET ILL BEFORE THE TOUR OR CAN’T JOIN US?
It’s mandatory to have travel insurance to cover you if you can’t make it for health reasons. Check if your policy covers your illness and alert your insurance company straight away. The unused and unattended part of the tour that may arise from not being able to join us are not refundable.
The Bonus online program is counted as value of $2000 and I’m happy to supply that even if you don’t attend the tour for any reason.

HOW LONG IS THE ACCESS TO THE BONUS TEN PACK OF LESSONS?
The bonus French Art School ten pack of lessons is yours to access for 12 months. These paintings you will create will match the style of what you paint on the tour.
$10,897 per person
JUNE 9-19, 2025
PAY DEPOSIT $2000 Australian dollars
PAY IN FULL UPFRONT $10,897 Australian dollars
Deposit of $2,000 required at time of booking to reserve your place.
