Its about
time I posted about my time with JSS in Civita 2017, it was such an intense
experience its taken a while to process it all. It has also taken a while to
adjust back to 'normal' life, whatever that is. I spent seven weeks in total
with the program and it was all I'd hoped it would be and a whole lot more. I
chose it because it says on the website that its hard work and for serious
artists. I didn’t want an art themed holiday
with a bit of painting thrown in. I read
the small print.
The
Weather - The thing I was most trepidatious about was the heat as I dont work
well in it so of course this was the year there was a record breaking heatwave. It was OK though, sensible people listen to advice and work around
it and quite frankly in the end it was kind of empowering, if I can survive and
function on days that hit up to 108f I can do anything.
The Art -
What I wanted from the experience was a process, disciplines and a clearer
artistic direction because without having had any formal training I get a bit
overwhelmed at times. Now I have parameters and boundaries to work within, some
of which I will no doubt push against or disregard later, but for now they will
help me work in a more structured and organised way. I worked for three weeks with Sigal Tsabari
and I cannot praise her highly enough as a teacher, an artist and a human being.
She is uncompromising with her materials, methods and practices, her work ethic
and discipline is solid and her knowledge deep and broad. I turns out I am a long time admirer of her
work, copies of her exquisite drawings and paintings are in my cyber
inspiration file. The founder of the school Israel Hershberg directed me
towards tuition with Sigal rather than going straight into the Master Class and
he was absolutely right. With hardly any experience of the landscape I would
have been completely out of my depth going straight into it but armed with
Sigals instruction and an introduction to the artistic language of the school I
at least knew how to approach it. Civita Castellana is a wonderful base, there
is a wide variety of different motifs available all within easy reach. Having
said that plein air is very challenging, my figure work in no way prepared me
for all that one has to deal with in 'the nature' despite Corots viewpoint;
'The study of the nude is the best lesson that a landscape painter can have and
that if someone knows how to get down a figure, he is able to make a
landscape.' So like all the students I worked really hard, living and breathing
art all day every day. The sense of dissatisfaction and frustration with my
work is pretty normal for me (and totally justified) but I learned so much and
each day started full of excitement, hope and anticipation and I loved every
moment of the challenge of learning and growing. Whats not to love about
pushing paint around all day in the company of likeminded souls.
Mealtimes
- For those on the meal plan lunch and dinners were large group events and that
is one of the extracurricular benefits of the school, the discussions, the
advice and shared experiences were hugely helpful. it was very conducive to be
in such a fertile environment. I have met so many wonderful people from all
over the world, artists from all different backgrounds, training, ages and abilities
and many fine teachers. We all helped
and supported each other and many friendships were formed.
Weekly
excursions - A major highlight of the week and we had a presentation the prior
evening to help us get the most out of them.
For me by far the most significant and inspiring were the frescos in
Rome and Naples, particularly the painted garden in Livia's Villa at Palazzo
Massimo in Rome. Online picture don’t really do them justice, they have to been
seen and experienced in person. They are nothing less than astonishing in my
opinion.
The crits
- The clue is in the title, they are not called the The Praises for a reason
and as a major part of the Master program the weekly crit was a nerve wracking
affair for many. Its quite amazing how quickly your inner nervous child comes
to the surface. The presentation of a weeks hard graft, put before the experts
(and fellow students) for scrutiny and feedback felt hugely exposing but for all
those students whose only feedback from family and friends is 'thats nice', its
key to development. Every now and then though someone's work would hit the sweet
spot and get a glowing review, those were really good moments. I wanted the
guidance and not necessarily the audience but we all learned from each others
crits - they were always constructive and applied to us all. I was also struck
by what an incredible eye Israel has, he seems to have preternatural insights, quite
amazing and a bit spooky. He also has
very strong opinions but I never heard anything said to a student I didnt agree
with.
The
revelation - Sigal introduced monotypes to the group, I remember thinking as
she prepared the demo that I was going to love them and I wasnt wrong. The idea
was that they give us an opportunity to do a small quick study of the motif
using a printers plate, some oil paint leftovers and a spoon. They work a bit
like notan or a thumb nail sketch but are much more satisfying and versatile
and pieces of art in their own right. I dont quite understand why I couldnt
mentally translate the simplification process to an actual painting but I am
still working on that. I see so many possibilities and experiments with this
technique I have already incorporated it into my regular habits.
The effects - I have
new eyes, I see more and I see differently and I look really carefully
now. I have new artists to study and a
new aesthetic to consider. My new
knowledge is the tip of the iceberg but some of my loose ends have been tied
up, things I thought were conflicts and unrelated are in fact connected. Its all good but this summer is just part 1,
I need to go back…..
https://jssincivita.com/
http://www.sigaltsabari.com/
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