Feedback from In-Person Workshops
I loved absolutely everything about the alternative workshop! I have never tried any of the techniques taught - I only knew them in theory. The fact that I had someone as knowledgeable and motivated as Chiara by my side every step of the way made me overcome the fear of technicalities and made me interested to experiment further. It was very rewarding technically but it was as rewarding personally since the atmosphere was purely magical - very creative, cooperative, a true sisterhood. I could not have asked for a better experience.
It was a beautiful experience! From the first breakfast to the last aperitif, I loved everything! Chiara is a very sweet person and a very knowledgeable teacher, so much that she made difficult things seem so simple! She is a true research-based artist and her spontaneity in sharing what she has learnt is remarkable. The explanations were full of information and very well conveyed, from theory to practice. Chiara's studio and the countryside context in which the workshop is set made it all the more magical! I was very lucky to be in a group of girls with a wonderful energy, experimenting together and being able to compare ideas and notes is an added value. I was happy to try all these techniques in such a short time, I would have liked to have more time to deepen the experimentation, maybe adding one more day?! A unique experience that I will carry in my heart forever. Thank you Chiara and Walter, you are truly the best! <3
Veronica Benedetti
It was a dream course honestly. Love how small it is and that it's just women. Love the variety of processes that we learnt about and how generous you are with your knowledge and materials. I left so so inspired to do more once I get home.
Paula Gonzalez
I absolutely loved the workshop. I can’t believe how much we covered - so many techniques covered, and the opportunity to see how others applied them too. The location and facilities were excellent. I liked that a lot was covered and although we had long days it still felt relaxed and a lot of fun. I’ve found the work really useful for my studies - and even if I have used some of the techniques before it was still really useful to repeat and learn new aspects of them, or spark new ideas. I hope I’ll be able to work with you again in the future. You - and Walter too - really made us feel welcome thank you so much for making it all so special.
Joan MacLeod
I absolutely LOVED getting to learn and try so many new techniques, especially ones I hadn't even heard of before! It was such a creative, welcoming and safe space to experiment and also learn from each other along the way. Everyone brought their own unique perspective to the group and came from a variety of different backgrounds, so there was lots to learn from one another. It felt so great to get back in touch with my creativity alongside such a wonderful group of talented people who were so open and willing to share their ideas and experiences!
I was also VERY impressed by the level of passion and knowledge Chiara has about each of the processes. She breaks it down in an easy-to-understand format, and is always open to questions and exploring your individual interests or projects further. It was amazing to have the opportunity to try new processes with her help and guidance along the way. There was no fear of "messing up" or something not going right, because even in those cases, it was always an opportunity to learn. Trying new alternative processes isn't always easy or perfect, but I feel I'm walking away with the confidence to explore the techniques we learned (and more) even deeper!
I came to the workshop looking to reconnect with my creative side and also be part of a new creative community, and I found exactly that and so much more! I'm leaving it with a full heart, tons of new ideas, so many new processes to continue exploring, and even more importantly, a group of amazing new kind, talented friends. :)
The small town where the workshop is hosted is also such a great way to experience the amazing Italian culture, food and people!! It's an incredible location in the hills of Tuscany, and the studio even overlooks a view that looks like it came right out of a postcard!
Brittany Macchiarola
It's difficult to choose any one element, but I'm thinking that if there's "something" that made "everything" actually possible and enjoyable, then it's certainly Chiara's mentorship, encouragement, attention, generously kind and friendly attitude and real willingness for us to experiment, unleash our creativity, use mistakes as guiding tools rather than signs that this is not for us. I was overwhelmed how the seamless the facilitation has been, how we would move from one technique to another, gliding rigorously and always with some art objects made in the meantime. And I feel so compelled to continue creating, if I don't think about it during the day, I even had dreams where, to be very specific, I was coating things with red cabbage juice, and then sprinkling them with citric acid:D and the rest I forgot now, but you get the idea, the impact is (sur)real!
Gabrielė Žukauskaitė
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Probably just being with so many lovely people who get just as much joy from alternative processes as I do, and in such a beautiful welcoming environment to boot! And of course learning from you in person, where I can ask questions as the arise and a) not feel judged for the question and more importantly b) know that the answer I receive is a reliable one! But like we have all said many times, this was probably the best workshop I have ever participated in, and if I could relive the experience again I would in a heartbeat! Thank you for everything ❤️
Maya Felder
Chiara is just the most fantastic teacher, and brought so much energy and excitement to each process, it was a pleasure to be taught by her. It honestly felt like being taught by a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. No question felt too silly to ask, and the sheer knowledge that she has and is willing to impart upon you is astounding. She created a completely safe, encouraging and creative space for us to work in for four days. Her love for alternative processes, her desire to discuss the environmental impacts of traditional darkroom photography and the ways in which she works to create prints with little/no environmental impact felt very important to me. The whole experience will stay with me, Chiara and Walter opened up their home to strangers, with open arms and an abundance of cake. It was a pleasure to get to do this workshop and I cannot wait to see what other ones Chiara runs in the future to see if I can do another! Thank you <3
Sorcha Norkett
Thank you everyone, I feel both, honoured and lucky to have been part of such an awesome group of gorgeous, inspiring, talented, funny and creatively determined women. It was a joy of witnessing how we all embraced the trial and error of our creativity and I truly hope our paths cross again in the future!🦋 Chiara, your mentorship has swirled my imagination and brought back the sense of feeling utterly overwhelmed at how gorgeous and playful is the abundance of shapes and forms that extend above and beyond our feet. I feel like with your contagious encouragement you pushed my mind to soak in the developer of wonder once again and now I keep noticing all kinds of interweaving patterns and admiring the plentitude of possible processes they can go through to define the pigmentation of life's glorious, painful, poetic and mundane varieties.🫶 I feel the Itchiness in my fingers to find a way of living that would include some space to practice what we learned with you together soon. Thank you so much, it's been the best decision to come learn and practice with you. I hope you have a resourceful rest and I cannot wait to see what we all create going forward!
Gabrielė Žukauskaitė
I think the structure of the workshop starting with the easy chlorophyll process and ending with the challenging polaroid lift was very well thought out. The information was in depth and I am right now trying to reconstruct all the methods from my scarcely taken notes. (Unfortunately I am not good at taking notes and absorbing what is said.) Workshop notes would be highly appreciated. Watergrams stayed with me. Today walking into the sea I observed and enjoyed all the different shades and forms like seeing them for the first time really and figuring out how to recreate them in the darkroom. Cyanotypies I will definitely go on creating and start working with toning, now that I learned how „easy“ it is. I also loved, that we were also able to create freely and independently when time allowed. Thr inspiration of all the participants was terrific. All in all it was a fantastic workshop, time and money well spent. I loved it!
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