Mediterranean Art Course 2009

Have you ever dreamt of painting in the Mediterranean?

Today the Mediterranean is best known as a place to relax by the sea during the summer months. Indeed, over a century ago many artists went there to do just that. Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Cezanne, even Van Gogh were all lured by the promise of fine weather and the opportunity to work close to the sea in the open air. Once there however, they fell under its spell and became hypnotized by its timeless charms.

For the Mediterranean is of course where antiquity meets the present, where tradition underpins modernity, where realism rubs shoulders with abstraction, where the ordinary melts into the surreal............... metaphorically, where Picasso could play in the sand with Michaelangelo or Matisse could take a stroll through the groves of a classical frieze!

The Mediterranean world is where our Western culture originates from and has been the inspiration for thousands of artists for thousands of years. We now offer a unique opportunity to absorb first-hand some of those influences in an eight day drawing and painting course on the magical island of Mallorca, set like a diamond in the centre of the Balearic archipelago in the western Mediterranean.

Home to the great Catalan masters Joan Miró and the contemporary Miquel Barceló, Mallorca is also where dozens of artists, professional and amateur, have chosen to live and work. Why? Primarily for the assortment of exquisite colours and ethereal light that are conjured each day from sunrise to sunset, and secondly, for the gentler pace of life that the island provides, away from the frenetic and turbulent world of the mainland.

The aim of the course will be to introduce the students to this Mediterranean culture and its artistic influences. By working alongside the students our tutors will help them unleash areas of their creative spirit which until now have been lying dormant and untapped. No matter what level of experience you have, the course is designed to enable each student to connect with their creative source (in Spanish, 'duende') and to release that energy in a new and dynamic way.

There will be 4-5 hours practical study each day, combining working from nature and life,and memory and the imagination. There will be excursions to other artists' studios, a visit to galleries in Palma and on four evenings either an artist will come to give a talk, or there will be a slide show or film concerning the work of a major artist, with a group discussion period afterwards.

To complete the week there will be an exhibition of the students' work at a studio gallery in Felanitx. The exhibition opening party will be on the Saturday evening. The gallery will then be open to the general public on Sunday morning, market day, when hundreds of people descend on the town. So you may even sell a work!

Whether you wish to connect with nature and your artistic muse in an olive grove or by the sea, or penetrate the wild catalan psyche (rauxa) that has produced Gaudí, Dalí and Miró, all will be available in this intense and stimulating week's course under the Mediterranean sun.

Saturday. Arrival day.

On Arrival at Palma airport you will be met and escorted to your rural hotel where there will be time to relax, take a walk or maybe a dip in the pool. Later in the afternoon the group will meet for an aperitif and a briefing of the week's activities. This will be followed by a twenty minute 'draw for your supper' session.

After supper on the terrace, sink into a deep slumber serenaded by the distant sound of sheep bells and cicadas.

Sunday.

We will start the day in the local town of Felanitx. There will be a short orientation before you embark on you first task; to capture an image from the vibrant market. Thread your way through the profusion of stalls and vendors, sketch and photograph something that strikes you as interesting or unusual. Speed is of the essence, we won't be looking for finished drawings but a gathering of information and impressions.

Lunch will be at the monastery of San Savador (famous for its paella) just above the town.

This afternoon there will be studio time to look through and discuss the morning's work followed by a session of life drawing.

After dinner there will be a talk and discussion on the origins of modern painting: Delacroix to Derain.

Monday.

An early start! Pre-breakfast sketching to capture the morning light among the surrounding orchards and almond groves. After breakfast we'll head down to the sea. Time to sketch the harbour and fishermen's village of Portocolom. There will also be a chance for a quick swim or coffee at one of the delighful little coves at the mouth of the harbour.

Lunch in Felanitx followed by a visit to the studio of the sculptor Jaume Canet.

The afternoon will be back in the studio to work from the images and information gathered so far.

After supper we will look at several works by Picasso and discuss their relevance and effect on painting in the 20th century.

Tuesday.

This morning: 'Life Drawing with a Difference'. We will employ various methods including recall and light reduction, to move away from the fixed image and ignite the imagination. Lunch will be in the village of Petra where we will visit the birthplace of Junipero Serra, the founder of California, and then spend the afternoon working around the beautiful hilltop church of Bonany.

Before dinner, we will go hunting! Capture that sunset!

Later there will be an optional viewing of a documentary on the work of Van Gogh during his time in Provence.

Wednesday.

Full day excursion to Palma and the north coast.

The exotic city centre of Palma has all the colour and penache of Barcelona but without the crowds. A walking tour of the medieval old town, winding our way down the Ramblas with its flower stalls and through the narrow alleys of the Jewish quarter, will bring us to the Cathedral, one of the wonders of the Mediterranean. The vast gothic interior was lovingly remodeled by Gaudí at the beginning of the 20th century and more recently Miquel Barceló has created an extraordinary ceramic chapel dedicated to St Peter. Next we will visit the fabulous Es Baluard, Palma's modern and contemporary art museum, displaying work by Rusiñol, Tàpies, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso and many more.

After lunch by the harbour, we will visit the Joan Miró Foundation where both his house and studio are open to the public. Next we will cross the Tramuntana mountains and spend the tail end of the afternoon sketching along the dramatic north coast. This evening we will have dinner in the mountains at the Es Verger shepherd's hut - hut delicacy lamb!

Thursday.

This morning we will sketch with a bird's eye view. Looking down from the vantage of San Salvador, we can witness the panoply of patterns, contours and colours created by the patchwork of fields and undulating hills. A picnic lunch and then back to the studio. Using a combination of sketches, memory and imagination, our objective this afternoon will be to create four images in two hours. Don't worry you can do it! Later in the afternoon there be will some free time to relax before dinner.

This evening the artist and illustrator, Andrew Pinder, will talk about, ' Releasing Images', as well as his own work and life as an artist in Mallorca.

Friday.

Today will be an open study day. We will try to accommodate each student's preferred choice of where to work. You may wish to return to the coast or San Salvador or possibly work on an image in the studio.

At the end of the day we will descend to Portocolom to enjoy the sunset by the sea. Maybe a swim or a drink at one of the relaxing chiringuitos (beach bars).

Dinner in Porto Colom.

Saturday.

We will begin the morning with a life drawing session in which you will be required to use a medium as yet unused. Next we will discuss and evaluate the weeks work and select images for the exhibition. The afternoon will be spent mounting, framing and hanging the show. The opening will start at 7.30 pm. Dinner afterwards will be at a local restaurant.

Sunday.

Gallery duty and time to enjoy the market. Time for some souvenir shopping or simply a chance to relax and chat with your fellow students at one of the cafes in the Plaza Palmeras ( Palm Tree Square). After dismantling the exhibition the afternoon will be free.

This evening there will be a farewell feast at one of your tutors homes, followed by a display of Mallorcan folk music, dancing optional!

Monday.

Early morning departure from Palma for your connecting flight in Madrid or Barcelona.

As your plane soars over the Tramuntana, you will be able to look down on the island and know with pride that you are taking home in your drawings and sketches your own unique record of a week in the Mediterranean.

Materials for the more experimental work will be supplied but sketch books, pencils, soft pastels and gouache paints should be brought with you or purchased on arrival. A digital camera will be useful but not essential. Light cotten clothes, sun hat and sun protection are essential. Warmer clothes for the evenings are advised. A light rain jacket or windbreaker could also come in handy. An aluminium walking stick with collapsible perch seat may help those who find sitting on the ground awkward or uncomfortable.

There will be two main tutors for the week: Jaume Prohens and Gavin Miller.

Jaume Prohens.

Native Mallorcan in his mid forties.

Studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Barcelona.

Stayed on in Barcelona after his studies for a further ten years.

Returned to Mallorca in the mid nineties.

Has exhibited in Barcelona, Girona, Blanes, Palma, Stroud (UK), Cologne (Germany) and Paris.

Two years ago Jaume set up his own gallery in the medieval centre of Felanitx.

As well as selling his own work Jaume teaches painting and drawing.

He has recently been awarded the commision to design nine fifteen foot high stained glass windows for 18th century church of St Michael in the heart of Felanitx.

Gavin Miller.

Born London, England.

Studied History of Art at Cambridge University and Fine Art at the London Institute (Camberwell) where he was awarded 1st prize for painting in his final year.

Has exhibited in group shows at the Royal Academy, Mall Galleries and Royal Festival Hall. Has had solo exhibitions at the Charlotte Lampard Gallery, London; Sredetz Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (sponsored by the British Council); Hintlesham Hall Gallery, Suffolk and Gurugú, Mallorca.

Moved to Mallorca in the late nineties where he now lives with his young family.

The renowned English art critic and historian Brian Sewell wrote in reference to a Royal Academy Summer show, "Gavin Miller offers small Turneresque lanscapes which knock some of his more distinguished neighbours off their perch".

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