Day 5 on the Amalfi Coast—– Painting in Ravello

Title: Music, Mountains, and the Magic of Ravello

Another breathtaking day painting in Ravello — perched high above the Amalfi Coast, offering sweeping views of the Mediterranean. The light, the colors, the atmosphere... everything was pure inspiration. To top it off, we painted while an orchestra played nearby, the music drifting through the gardens. It felt like a movie scene — brushes moving in rhythm with violins and the occasional burst of applause from the concertgoers below.

The day ended, as the best ones do, with good food, good wine, and a little shopping.

My first experience in Ravello was many years ago as a child visiting my great aunt, who was a cloistered nun there. I had only ever seen the inside of the convent — quiet, simple, and enclosed. I had no idea what a spectacular place lay just outside those walls. Returning now as an artist, with my easel instead of my coloring book, I finally got to see Ravello in full color and sunlight.

While my group finished up their paintings, I decided to hunt for a restaurant off the beaten path — something away from the tourist bustle. But how does one find that in a place full of postcard-perfect trattorias? You ask a local, of course!

I spotted a few women cleaning in a nearby hotel and, still wearing my paint-smeared apron, asked in Italian where they would go for a nice meal away from the crowds. They smiled (probably amused that this paint-splattered lady was asking for dining advice) and sent me to a beautiful little family-run restaurant tucked in a garden.

It was everything I hoped for — fragrant lemon trees, homemade pasta, and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like you’ve been coming there for years. The owner’s daughter brought out a carafe of local wine, and I sat there listening to the cicadas, thinking how lucky I was to be in this moment — painting, eating, living, and remembering.

Ravello truly has a magic all its own — part music, part mountain air, part mystery. It’s the kind of place that stays with you long after you’ve packed up your brushes.

I’ll be returning to the Amalfi Coast next fall for another painting retreat, and Ravello will definitely be on our list of places to paint. If you’d like to be among the first to hear when the dates are set, just send me an email and I’ll add you to my early notification list.