Old School Building
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All instruction is given in English and all skill levels are accommodated. Classes meet in small groups and students work individually with instructors.
The Art of SingingThree levels of vocal training are offered. Please see our introductory page for complete details.
Painting
Painting classes are developed around basics of oil painting. Because
oils allow a student to be most careful and attentive to color, and given
the fact that the structure of an oil painting is complex, we believe
it is an ideal teaching medium. We believe it is necessary for students
to learn these fundamentals before handling acrylics or other painting
media. With careful observation and attention to nature, the student will
proceed through a series of exercises designed to enlarge the painting
vocabulary, to expand vision, and increase technical ability. More advanced
students will develop a program which will be organized in conjunction
with the instructor. All students are exposed to the history of painting
through use of reproductions and will enter discussions on the technical
aspects of various past masters. Painting students will be assigned studios
in which they will be expected to put in many hours, aside from classroom
time. During the autumn Italian program, students will see and study great
masterworks first hand.
Drawing
In drawing classes, both with the model and in basic drawing, we strive
to teach the student to see three dimensional form clearly and to describe
it on a two dimensional surface using the traditional methodology of the
western world. Using various exercises we help our minds to sort out all
the incoming information into clear and readable lines, using known technical
means that help us to express the feeling which we gather on viewing the
world. We emphasize proportion, balance, weight and mass, seeking also
to find our own voice in translating from one world to the other. Much
of the work done is in the studio but there are also trips into the surrounding
countryside to discover what nature at her most exuberant can give us.
The student will use pencil, charcoal, pen and ink and perhaps pastel
and watercolor depending on the group. As all artists can improve their
drawing skills, no matter how advanced, we consider these classes a necessity
for all studio artists .
Photography
Introductory and advanced levels are offered. The introductory level comprises
the basics of camera, film, exposure control, and darkroom procedure including
the printing of black and white negatives in formats up to 5x5 inches.
Technique is emphasized as a means of developing a personal vision. Advanced
students are accepted on the basis of work samples which should be submitted
at the time of application. Advanced level work includes the fine-tuning
of techniques and understanding of materials which allow photographers
more fluency in their work. Our darkroom is equipped with the excellent
German Kaiser Enlarging Systems. Each black-and-white enlarger is appointed
with Kaiser dichroic multi-grade variable light source for unsurpassed
variable contrast control, as well as Nikon and Schneider Kreuznach Companon-S
enlarging lenses. Our lab system is designed to produce only archival
quality output. Advanced study is strictly individual. Color theory and
technique will be discussed.
Digital Photography / Digital
Darkroom
You do not need a digital camera to participate in this class. All image
processing is done on Macintosh computers using the most recent version of Adobe Photoshop. The core of the class revolves around the fundamentals of the 'digital work-flow' specific to digital photography. It is not a Photoshop tricks or how-to class. The
inkjet printers and ink sets the Center is currently using are what we
feel to be state-of-the-art systems. We are using Epson inkjet technology
with Generationsª pigmented archival color Inks, as well as the highest
quality black & white digital solution ever offered for digital processing,
carbon-black archival quad & hex-tone inks. The system we use increases
the optical resolution of our EPSON printers by replacing the EPSON software
in favor of our specialized proprietary broad-band microweave producing
continuous tone output without visible dots.
Color Photography
All color photography is taught using the digital darkroom and medium,
as mentioned above in Digital Photography. Color theory is heavily stressed
and addressed.
Photographic History
There are very special weekly seminars offered in the history of photography
Printmaking
All aspects of the intaglio print will be explored. Instruction includes
the application of hard and soft grounds and aquatint, scraping and burnishing,
drypoint, inking, wiping and printing the plate.
Literature
Courses in literature are designed and offered individually and in small
groups, ranging from Classical Greek to contemporary.
Creative Writing
Students submit samples of poetry or fiction to the instructor for discussion.
Assignments and technical exercises are given as needed, and appropriate
readings are discussed. Expository writing is also offered. The workshop
format is used for group discussion, readings, and analysis.
Art History / Greece
Slide lectures and seminars are presented on a regular basis by staff
members, with emphasis on Greek Art from the Cycladic through the Byzantine
period. Student requests for specific lecture topics are welcome, and
individual courses of study can also be arranged.
Art History / Italy
Slide lectures and seminars are presented on a regular basis to enhance
and support our tours of museums, churches and historic sites throughout
Italy, as well as Italian cities and landscape. Once back in Greece we address the history of art specific to Greece. Individual courses of study can also be arranged.
Sculpture
The primary emphasis is on evolving ideas with clay models and hands-on
work with the glowing white marble unique to Paros. Students will visit
the ancient quarries and bring back manageable pieces of marble to carve.