Will and Colleen Blog from Rome!

Follow Will St. John and Colleen Barry's Roman blog as they study and explore the beauty and bounty of the ancient city of Rome!

A Classic Point of View: A Blog About Studying Traditional Art in Europe

Will is the 2011 recipient of the Alma Schapiro Prize, a three-month affiliated fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. Previous prize recipients include Michael Grimaldi (2007) and Dr. Jeffrey Mims (2009.) After Rome, Will and Colleen plan to spend several months in Paris before heading back to New York early in 2012! (Have a great time guys, we miss you!)

Structure Drawing class with Colleen Barry & Will St. John

The first session of Structure Drawing taught by Colleen Barry and Will St. John starts tomorrow morning. The class runs from 10 AM to 2:00 PM. Visit our site for more information on signing up for a session.

With an emphasis on accurate observation, students will improve their understanding of the figure by incorporating the use of the skeleton, plaster casts (ecorche), and master drawings into their life studies. Each student will learn to complete a carefully rendered drawing from the live model, followed by a companion anatomical/structural drawing in the same pose. Instructors will dissect the pose from each position, illustrating anatomical landmarks, proportional systems, and structural conventions with the aid of masterworks from the Renaissance through Beaux-Arts. By developing their drawings alongside 2-D ecorches, students will develop a conceptual understanding of the body that may be applied to observational drawing as well as studies from memory and imagination.

both drawings by Colleen Barry

Ebauche workshop

A few weeks ago Will St. John taught a workshop on painting the ebauche, or initial stage of laying in a painting. This is the first time GCA has offered a workshop on this subject and it was a huge success! While breezing through facebook the other day I noticed Christienne Cuevas had posted photos and a glowing report about her experience in the workshop and I asked her if we could share them here:

"I am so grateful to Will for teaching what was a tremendously rewarding workshop. I learned so much! And in such a short span of time! I never painted a figure so quickly before and am overjoyed with the results. Will gave an overview of the procedures, provided visual examples of 19th century figure paintings and explained each step as we went along, critiquing as we progressed. But I think the most instructive part of the workshop was the teaching by example. Will and Colleen (our class monitor) were inspiring. It was a dream to have had this opportunity to paint alongside such esteemed and talented artists. Thank you!"


Will St. John doing a demo in class


19th century academic nude from the Academy Julien (if anyone knows who the artists is, let us know!)


Will St. John teaching in class


some examples to look at in class


Christienne Cuevas' painting right after the transfer stage


Will St. John demonstrating how he transfers the drawing to the canvas


Colleen Barry demonstrating the wipe-out stage

The French Academy officially defined the ebauche as:

“The initial stage of the realization of a projected painting; the careful preparation, on broad lines of emphasis, the characteristic masses, forms, action, effect and color-scheme of the scene to be represented.”

-Albert Boime, The Academy & French Painting in the 19th Century

In 19th Century academic practice, the ebauche or lay-in, was considered fundamental to the success of a finished work. With an emphasis on breadth of form, a vigorous handling, and the tout ensemble, a successful ebauche can provide a strong foundation for subsequent re-paintings or stand alone as a finished piece.

2009-2010 Core Scholarship Prizes Announced

We are very pleased to announce GCA’s 2009-2010 scholarship prize winners! The awards are applied towards the following year’s core tuition. In accepting the prize, each student is committing to remain in the core program for the full year.

This year, the Cast and Figure prize winners have tied for first place! Also, this year, a Director’s prize has been awarded for Interdisciplinary Excellence.

Figure Category – First place award of $10,000 to be shared
Angela Cunningham and Colleen Barry

Cast Category - First place award of $10,000 to be shared
David Troncoso and Katie Whipple

Director’s Prize for Interdisciplinary Excellence - $4,000
Will St. John

by Katie Whipple


by David Troncoso


by Angela Cunningham


by Colleen Barry


by Will St. John

The judging committee made up of Edward Minoff, Josh LaRock, Scott Waddell and Camie Davis engaged in fervent debate and had the edifying task of comparing finer points of beauty and excellence from a torrent of beauty and excellence gracing the walls of the South Studio. Here are specific notes from the judges:

Angela's painting and drawing each display an incredibly lifelike and human veneer which reflects a profound knowledge of the interaction between surface form and light. Her modeling has continued to develop aided by her sculptural conception of anatomy and form. Her drawing is subtle, reflecting the strength of her vast understanding of the human figure.

Colleen's penetrating eye seems to go beneath the surface, guided by a powerful command of anatomy: skeletal structure, proportion and balance. The result is apparent in her expert block-ins, which are simultaneously solid and delicate. Her paintings are supported by a masterful control of values, generating a warm glow and exhibiting a deep absorption of the classical aesthetic.

Both Katie and David have shown a tireless dedication to their work. Towards the end of the year, both were still at their easels when the last of the night students departed. Katie's drawings in particular seem to reflect the most thorough understanding of form modeling. David undertook perhaps the most ambitious cast drawing, considering the scale.

Will has done excellent drawings, paintings and sculptures this past year. He has brought a tireless work ethic, a keen eye and a questioning intelligence to these diverse pursuits, and has achieved excellence and subtlety in each of them. As the GCA continues to grow, we look forward to cultivating this spirit of interdisciplinary achievement.

Congratulations to the winners! Also, thank you to all the students who contributed their work to the Student Exhibit hanging in the South Studio during the month of June.

Beardsley Gallery Figure show

Julie With Gold Band by Jon DeMartin

"Esprit de Femme" at the Beardsley Gallery in Wilton, CT. June 1 - July 2 - The female spirit portrayed in painting and sculpture. This show includes work by Colleen Barry, Jon de Martin, Camie Davis, and Will St. John. Reception June 12, Sat. 4-6 pm

Grisaille figure study by Colleen Barry


Graphite figure study by Colleen Barry

new ebauche workshop offered in August

Santiago, by Will St. John, oil on linen, 16"x20", 2008

Painting the Ebauche: A Traditional Approach, taught by Will St. John
August 16 - 20 (5 days) • 10am - 5pm
$600 ($300 deposit)
Class open, accepting registrations.

The French Academy officially defined the ebauche as:

“The initial stage of the realization of a projected painting; the careful preparation, on broad lines of emphasis, the characteristic masses, forms, action, effect and color-scheme of the scene to be represented.”

-Albert Boime, The Academy & French Painting in the 19th Century

In 19th Century academic practice, the ebauche or lay-in, was considered fundamental to the success of a finished work. With an emphasis on breadth of form, a vigorous handling, and the tout ensemble, a successful ebauche can provide a strong foundation for subsequent re-paintings or stand alone as a finished piece.

Over the course of one week, students will complete a full-length figure painting working in this manner. Finishing area-by-area, students will be taught to observe correct proportion, anatomy, and color with a strong emphasis on form modeling. One-on-one instruction will be accompanied by demonstrations. Visual source material illustrating this technique will be provided.

Summer Workshop Schedule

Drawing and Painting workshops for summer 2010 are now open for registration! They range in length from 3-20 days. Go to our website to see all the details, read course descriptions, and find out about the instructors. Sculpture workshops will be posted soon.

Camie Davis will teach portrait painting (July 19-30)


Michael Klein offers flower painting (June 28,29,30)


The summer intensive (May 31-June 25) is taught by Jacob Collins, Colleen Barry, Angela Cunningham, & Will St. John

Scholarship Winners

We are very pleased to announce the winners of GCA Scholarship Awards for Academic Achievement in 2008 – 2009! The $7,500 and $2,500 prizes for first and second place, respectively, are applied towards the following year’s core tuition.

Figure Category:
1^st Place – Will St. John
2^nd Place – Angela Cunningham

Cast Category:
1^st Place – Carla Crawford
2^nd Place – Emilie Lee

This year’s awards in the figure category were based primarily on a group of figure works. Will’s figure painting over the last year displays a deep understanding of the human form and conveys a mood that transcends academic study while showing a commitment to a classical aesthetic. Angela’s figure drawings are a meditation on form, expertly supported by a foundation of solid anatomy. From her figure drawing to figure sculpture to cast painting, she is developing into the sort of well-rounded artist rarely seen over the past century.

This year’s awards in the cast category were based on the completion of a single spectacular piece. Carla displayed constant focus during class and did some of the best block in and form work seen this year. Emilie chose one of the most difficult casts and inspired us all with her patience and perseverance to bring her piece to successful completion.

Congratulations!
GCA Scholarship Committee

Santiago by Will St. John, 16x20, oil on linen, 2008


Ana Nina, by Angela Cunningham, graphite on paper, 2008


detail of figure sculpture by Angela Cunningham, 2008


Winged Victory by Carla Crawford, graphite on paper, 2008


Laocoon by Emilie Lee, graphite on paper, 2008

Leslie T. & Francis U. Posey Grant

Congratulations to Water Street / GCA student Will St. John for winning a grant from the Leslie T. & Francis U. Posey Foundation which makes scholarships to graduate level art students majoring in traditional figurative painting or sculpture. Below is Will's painting which won the grant. Nice job Will!


Santiago by Will St. John, oil on canvas

student work from March classes

Amelia Landes


Brandon Beckstrom


Brandon Beckstrom


Arturo Garcia


Gregory Mortenson


Carol Broman


Arturo Garcia


Gregory Mortenson


Carol Broman

Angela Cunningham

Final day of March Sculpture class

These photos are from the final day of the month-long pose for morning sculpture class.


Sculptures by Angela Cunningham (near left) & Mark Porter (next one to the right)




Danny Grant working on his sculpture


Will St. John & Rebecca Gray


Mark Porter's sculpture from the back


Mark Porter's sculpture from the front


Rebecca Gray and Will St. John


Angela Cunningham's sculpture

Student work - mid february

We're about half way through February, here's an update on some of the studies in progress. Theres about 8 days left on all the figure poses, so I'll post more photos at the end of the month.


Danny Grant


Angela Cunningham finishing the underpainting last week

Angela's cast painting at the end of today


Still life Demo in progress by instructor Tony Curanaj


Joshua LaRock


Angela Cunningham