FLORENCE WORKSHOP
"...You are invited to use your creative intuition to enter into the heart of the mystery of the Incarnate God and at the same time into the mystery of man."
HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II (1920-2005)
letter to Artists
There seems to be no end to the expressive capacity of the human imagination. One of the undisputed and absolute high points of this expression was born of genius in Florence in the 15th century. The likes of Brunelleschi, Da Vinci and Michelangelo defined that historic moment and forever changed the world of art.
The Florence workshop is an intensive 3 week session dedicated to the formation of artists in a number of different areas. Being situated in the artistic heart of Italy students will be exposed to some of the greatest works of art ever created by human hands. Visiting museums and churches in Florence and Rome students will be able to see first hand how Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio and innumerable others put into practice, with the highest degree of accomplishment what we will be learning to do in the studio. In addition to classes in drawing and painting there will be lectures and discussions on topics from Anatomy to Art History, Philosophy and Theology.
"Fine art is that in which the hand, the head,
and the heart of man go together. "
JOHN RUSKIN (1819-1900)
FIGURE PAINTING
In this class students will explore several approaches to layered oil painting as it applies to the figure. Historical techniques employed by the masters of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries as well as the basics of color theory will make up the main focus of this class. Students will learn to see and render all the complexities and subtleties of light and color on the form of the human body, working in direct observation from the nude model. Special attention will also be given to the portrait
FIGURE DRAWING
Drawing is the Foundation of all art-making. This class will focus on imparting to the student an understanding of the structure and anatomy of the human form as well as knowledge of the way light reveals form. Methods of observation and historical drawing techniques in a number of different media ranging from pencil to conte, chalk and charcoal on varied papers will be learned.
COMPOSITION AND DESIGN
In this class students will study the foundations of composition and design, whose various elements are the means by which artists make visible the idea or conceptual content of their work. Light, geometry, shapes, format, linear perspective and form sense can be a great source of visual metaphor contributing to and upholding the content which may be established by the narrative representation. Choice of medium, technique and the handling of the material inherently have expressive qualities as well, which will be discussed in this series of slide-show presentations.