Guest Lecturer Mina Rieur Weiner on E. H. Blashfield

Today we enjoyed a great lecutre and slide show about Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848–1936) who rose to prominence as a muralist during the “American Renaissance,” the period between the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and the United States’ entry into World War I. Blashfield’s monumental work can be viewed in courthouses, state capitols, churches, universities, museums, and other places across the United States. New scholarship highlights Blashfield’s contributions to the beauty of civic spaces and his lasting influence on public art in America.
Mina Rieur Weiner is the editor of the new book about Blashfied, and she shared with us many images and stories of Blashfield's life and work. Check out the new book!

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Studio Tour: Chris Pellettieri

Last weekend a group of GCA students visited the studio of stone mason Chris Pellettieri. Chris Pellettieri is both a skilled craftsman and consummate artist, his original designs are combined with a commitment to flawless execution. He specializes in free-hand sculpture, decorative design, portraiture and lettering in both public and private settings. After receiving his BA in mathematics from NYU in 1989, he began training at the Artida Atelier in New York in Italian techniques of sculpture and casting, before becoming in an apprentice 1990 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Much of his background is based on geometry which plays a major role in stonework, and he particularly appreciates the intellectual and physical challenges that stoneworking offers. He has numerous commissions for churches and individuals, and has taught workshops at The Museum of American Folk Art, the Cooper Hewitt and at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This year Chris won the Arthur Ross Award for Artisanship.


Chris Pellettieri in his studio


Chris Pellettieri splitting a block of limestone using tools that the ancient Egyptians would have used


Tools of the trade


Sculpture copyists use this tri-point tool to transfer measurements from original pieces to developing copies.




Angela Cunningham snapping a photo


GCA sculpture instructor Mason Sullivan


Some of the work the students saw in Chris Pellettieri's studio

Guest Lecturer Robert McDuffie

Last week we were honored to have world famous violinist Robert McDuffie visit our school and share his time with us. I'm looking at his bio online and trying to summarize his credentials, but his accomplishments are so numerous that it would take up this whole blog post to list them here. He is a leader and innovator in his field and we were all transfixed by his stories, advice, and music. He started out the hour by telling us an epic story about his quest for his violin, which was made by Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu in 1735 and is one of only about ten in the world. (you can read about that on his website) Following that story, he talked about how contemporary composers of classical music draw on historical pieces and the importance of being grounded in classical training. He played segments from about 5 different classical pieces, alongside contemporary music that was clearly inspired by the classical pieces. One of the pieces he played for us was a work in progress by Phillip Glass, called "The American Four Seasons" inspired by Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." This is a project Robert McDuffie has been working closely on with Phillip Glass and it comes to New York sometime in 2010, I really want to go!
At the end of his talk, McDuffie answered questions and one thing he said really stuck with me. One of the students asked for his advice in representing and marketing yourself as an artist. He said that if you speak from your heart and you are truly passionate about what you want to do, that people will listen and respond.


Robert McDuffie in the cast hall at GCA


knocking our socks off with some amazing music! It was so stunning to have this mini concert, up close and personal.

ICA&CA course offerings

The Institute of Clasical Architecture & Classical America has some great course offerings this year, including continuing education classes; studio-based seminars; lectures; conferences; travel; and walking tours. Check out all the options HERE. Some specific courses that may be useful to painters and illustrators are:

Introduction to Linear Perspective, taught by Patrick Connors

One All-Day Session: Saturday, October 24; 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

This course is an introduction to linear perspective, which is the intellectual basis for representational thought and spatial illusionism. The principal perspective system studied is based on Leonardo’s model aswell as that of eighteenth-century Englishman, Brook Taylor, and of nineteenth-century American, Thomas Eakins. The phenomenon of camera-conditioned thought, which includes camera obscura and photography, and its relationship to linear perspective, will also be investigated. At the end of the course students will have completed approximately four sets of plates covering such drawing exercises as one- and two-point perspective.

Basic Proportion: Geometrical Proportioning in Practice & Application taught by Richard Sammons

One All-Day Session: Saturday, November 7; 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Proportion is the most crucial, yet most misunderstood aspect of architectural design. It exists today as the last bastion of objective logic in the realm of aesthetics. Indeed, without an understanding of proportion and the closely related problem of scale, no architectural endeavor can be successful in the aesthetic sense. This course will present practical methods of geometrically describing the elements of classical architecture and how they relate to an overall architectural composition, as well as provide techniques and practice for applying proportion to design with special emphasis on the orders.

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

Tony Curanaj at the John Pence Gallery

Tony Curanaj, Red, Oil on Canvas, 32 x 54 inches, 2008-09

GCA instructor Tony Curanaj currently has a show at the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco, California. The show will be up from September 11 to October 10. Tony teaches still life painting and figure painting in the core program on a weekly basis. He also teaches a still life painting workshop in the summers.

New Casts

Classes are back in session and the studios are looking great. Over the summer our cast hall grew a bit, thanks to the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America. They have a really unique collection of nineteenth century casts of antique and Renaissance sculpture that were donated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Below are some photos of the new additions, we're feeling very lucky to have them!










instructor Camie Davis working with Challen Berg

portrait drawing/painting workshop with Camie Davis

Here are some photos from Camie Davis' portrait workshop that just finished. Workshops are over for the summer and we're spending the next week cleaning the studios so that fall classes can start on sept. 8th. Psyched to get back into it!

register for evening & weekend classes this fall

It's Time to Register for Fall!

Check out our new portrait classes!

FALL Class List

Evening Cast Drawing, Mon-Thurs, 6:30 - 9:30pm (meets all 4 nights)
Instructors: LaRock/Davis, $210/mo

Figure Drawing & Painting, Mon-Fri, 6:30 - 9:30pm (meets all 5 nights)
Instructors: Minoff/Schlaht, $210/mo

The Painted Sketch, Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Instructor: Rick Piloco, $125/mo



NEW*Long Pose Portrait, Tues/Thurs, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Instructors: Waddell/LaRock, $185/mo

Figure Drawing: Long & Short Pose, Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30pm
Instructor: Jon deMartin, $125/mo

Figure Sculpture, Mon/Wed, 6:30 - 9:30pm (starts in October)
Instructor: Mason Sullivan, $175/mo

NEW*Saturday Portrait, 12:30 - 4:30pm
Instructor: Camie Davis, $165/mo

Saturday Cast Drawing, 10:00 - 4:00pm
Instructor: Nick Hiltner, $150/mo

Saturday Figure Drawing, 12:30 - 4:30pm

Instructor: Sam Wisneski, $165/mo

Saturday Day of Drawing, 10:00 - 4:30pm

Make your own schedule from Saturday classes, $200/mo

Upcoming workshop*Still Life Painting w/ John Morra November 2 - 6, 10:00 - 5:00pm

FOR DETAILS, go to:

http://grandcentralacademy.classicist.org/

upcoming John Morra workshop

There is a still life painting workshop with John Morra November 2 - 6, 2009.

Course description TBA.

To register, email grandcentralacademy@gmail.com