The Work
Large-scale work, made the way the studio makes it.
Original large-scale paintings by Elli and Dimitra Milan. This is the scale, surface, and finish you'll learn to build as part of the team.
A five-day collaborative studio apprenticeship creating large-scale work for the decorative art market, alongside Elli and Dimitra Milan.
By application / 15 artists only / August 24 to 28, 2026 / Sarasota, Florida
For five days you work shoulder to shoulder with Elli Milan and Dimitra Milan inside the studio, creating real large-scale paintings for the decorative art market under the Milan name. This is a behind-the-scenes experience of how a cohesive body of work actually gets made at a professional level, and you are part of the team that makes it.
You'll see how Elli and Dimitra paint at scale, build a consistent visual language across a collection, and hold their flow while creating multiple works inside a limited timeframe. The whole apprenticeship centers on collaboration, process, and real studio practice, where the goal is a repeatable way of working that allows both creativity and efficiency.
This is the rare chance to learn how professional decorative work gets made, from scale and surface to layering, palette, and the kind of finish that holds its own on a large wall, and to make it with your own hands as a working artist becoming the artist you are meant to be.
Throughout the apprenticeship, you'll gain real-world studio experience by contributing to collaborative paintings alongside Dimitra and Elli. The artwork created during the program is considered part of the studio's collective body of work and will be exhibited and sold under the Milan name. The apprenticeship is designed as an educational and immersive learning experience rather than paid employment, and participants do not retain ownership of the completed artworks.
Understand how to build a cohesive line of artwork in a collaborative, studio-based setting, the way the Milan studio actually does it.
Learn to move from a concept to a finished piece efficiently, painting at scale without losing your flow or your standard.
Develop a process you can return to again and again, one that holds both creativity and real efficiency together.
Understand what it really takes to produce work for the decorative art market, from scale and surface to finish.
Participate in creating a real, professional body of work, released under the Milan name, with your own hands on it.
Leave with a clear framework for building large, cohesive work at a professional standard in your own studio.
Original large-scale paintings by Elli and Dimitra Milan. This is the scale, surface, and finish you'll learn to build as part of the team.
EM
Headshot to add
Elli Milan is a contemporary artist, teacher, and the heart behind the Milan Art Institute. For decades she has painted large-scale, emotionally charged work and built a school that has helped thousands of artists find their own voice. She teaches the way she paints, with courage, conviction, and a deep belief that every artist has something true to say.
For this apprenticeship Elli works alongside Dimitra Milan, inviting you into the studio not as a student in a seat but as a working artist creating real pieces for the decorative art market under the Milan name. You'll learn the studio's process directly from the people who built it.
✦ Large-Scale Painters & Studio MentorsEach day runs 10am to 5pm. A working arc that moves from concept and visual language, through building the collection together, to refining and finishing the work.
From first-time oil painters to seasoned artists refining their voice, these are workshop artists in their own words.
“It’s the best art lessons I’ve had in thirty years.”
After 30 years of intermittent painting, Kimberly decided to make art her primary focus, and her skills skyrocketed. Life transitions pushed Kimberly to follow her passion for art full-time. The Mastery Program’s structured approach rapidly improved her skills, and in-person workshops brought major breakthroughs in each session. In Sarasota, she mastered skin tones, figures, and mystical backgrounds, areas she’d struggled with before. Kimberly now sees every painting as a step forward and proof that dedication beats “natural talent” every time.
“I have a BFA and a master’s degree, but I’ve learned more here than anywhere else.”
After 20 years in abstract, Kit wanted to master realism, and fill the gaps in her formal training. Kit’s journey took her from avoiding portraits to confidently painting them. The Mastery Program gave her the foundational skills to translate anything she sees onto canvas. At the Sarasota workshop, she pushed herself to create glowing, translucent effects she’d never achieved before. She left knowing exactly how to elevate her work, and the confidence to keep pushing.
“This is my very first oil painting… and now I know I can do it.”
Emily had been a practicing artist since 2012, but she had never touched oils. The Sarasota intensive became her “sink-or-swim” moment, and she discovered she could swim beautifully. Emily came to the workshop with years of acrylic experience but zero in oils. Apprehension melted into excitement as she learned the layered, step-by-step process of creating light-filled work. Her goldfinch painting, made for her husband, became a personal milestone. With the encouragement and guidance she received, Emily left ready to dive back into the Mastery Program and embrace oils without fear.
“I thought painting had to be agony… now I’m in a flow where I’ll always have ideas.”
Eight years into painting, Mary still felt something was missing, until she found her flow. A landscape architect by trade, Mary entered the Mastery Program seeking the art school education she never had. Through the process, she not only found her voice but also learned to work with lighter, more intentional strokes, a game-changer for her style. Inspired by her home in Baja, Mexico, her workshop piece captured the glow of jackrabbits and cacti at sunrise. She left with renewed energy and the tools to sustain her professional art career.
“Even if you’ve been painting for years, this program is transformative.”
Gillian found freedom and magic in her art by embracing mixed media and her “magician” archetype. A casual online workshop with Elli and Dimitra was Gillian’s gateway to the Mastery Program. Discovering alcohol inks with oil paints lit up her work, literally and figuratively. At the Sarasota in-person workshop, she created a glowing jar with a curious cat, bringing the “painting light” lesson to life. For Gillian, the program’s magic is matched only by the deep support from the Milan Art team.
“I was hesitant because of my age… but I just plugged in and kept going.”
Carole almost didn’t join because she feared the time commitment. Now she paints 30 hours a week. Carole had painted a little before joining the Mastery Program but wanted to take her skills seriously. A mentor’s accountability kept her consistent, and her love for mixed media flourished. The workshop challenged her to blend her whimsical style with realistic light, and she succeeded, creating a glowing floral piece that marked another milestone in her growth.
A working studio apprenticeship with Elli and Dimitra Milan and the team, across five full days. Participation is by application for Mastery Program Part 2 students and graduates, selected on skill.
August 24 to 28, 2026 / 10am to 5pm daily / In person at the Milan Art Studio in Sarasota, Florida
Extend the experience August 23 to 29 with the Milan Art House add-on. Details and availability shared on request.
By application for Mastery Program Part 2 students and graduates. Artists are selected on skill. Tuition is due on acceptance.
You'll leave having helped create a real, professional collection under the Milan name, and with a framework for building large, cohesive work in your own studio.
Apply to ParticipateBy application / 15 artists only / August 24 to 28, 2026
This is for serious artists in Mastery Program Part 2 and beyond, and for Mastery graduates ready to work at a professional level. Because the work is real and the scale is demanding, participation is by application and artists are selected on skill.
You'll work as part of the team, alongside Elli and Dimitra Milan, creating real large-scale paintings for the decorative art market under the Milan name. You'll learn how the studio builds a cohesive collection, from scale and surface to layering, palette, and finish.
No. Every art supply you need is included and waiting for you at the studio. Just bring yourself and any ideas, inspiration, or reference you’d like to work from.
In person at the Milan Art Studio in Sarasota, Florida. Full location and arrival details are sent to selected artists ahead of the apprenticeship.
All sales for in-person events, including workshops, retreats, intensives, and other experiences, are final. We do not offer refunds or credit for cancellations or no-shows. Funds can not be transferred to another event.
By registering for any in-person event, you are agreeing to this policy and helping us maintain a smooth and well-prepared event experience for all.