GCA Blog

Reminder: Upcoming Deadlines!

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Mt. Washington by Gamaliel Beaman

Hudson River Fellowship Applications due January 31! (next Tuesday)
For details on the fellowship and it's move to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, click here!
To download an application, click here.

First year student, Adrienne Stanger, drawing a feature cast.

Water Street Atelier/Core Program Applications due April 1!
For details on our four-year, full-time program, click here! For an application, click here.
Scholarships: In addition to 4 annual scholarships awarded for academic excellence in cast drawing, block-in and figure works, one new full scholarship will be awarded to a promising incoming student.
Financial Assistance: Students may apply for any open work study positions after they have been at GCA at least 6 months. Positions are awarded balancing financial need with skill and seniority. The award is half tuition.
Questions/Visits: email Justine at grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

Finalist Lori Shorin sculpting on Competition Day 2, June 2011.

5th Annual Figure Sculpture Competition Applications are due April 1!
This year's competition takes place June 11-15, 2012 in the GCA Sculpture Studio.
For details and to apply, click here!

Peter Trippi Lecture Jan 25th at GCA

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Please join us on Wednesday, January 25 from 5-6 pm for a lecture by Fine Art Connoisseur editor Peter Trippi:

Not Just Impressionism: A Broader Look at European Painting 1880-1900

Almost everybody seems to admire Monet, Renoir, and theother French Impressionists, and well they should. Yet there was a whole lot more going on in Western Europeanpainting during the Imps’ heyday. Inthis illustrated talk, former Dahesh Museum of Art director Peter Trippi standsback to compare and contrast the disparate movements and schools thriving inthe very late 19^th century from Dublin to Moscow, from Helsinki to Valencia. Since it would be impossible to explore theseregions in any depth within one hour, his discussion will offer instead a contextualframework that today’s artists can use to better understand their 19th-centuryforerunners, then pursue their own in-depth investigations.

Photo caption

Wilhelm Leibl (German, 1844-1900)

Three Women in Church

1881, Oil on canvas, 44 ½ x 30 ½ in.

Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

GCA lectures are open and free to the public!
RSVP: grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

New Continuing Education Classes at the ICA

2012-01-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

A new schedule was just posted for the ICA's continuing education classes. To read the full class descriptions and to register, click here.

Theory of Proportion: A Perennial Pathway of Beauty

1 Session Intensive: Saturday, February 11, 2012; 10:00am–1:00pm; 2:30pm–5:30pm

Proportion in Practice

4 evening sessions: Wednesdays, February 29–March 21, 2012; 6:30pm–9:00pm

Introduction to Linear Perspective

1 weekend Session: Saturday, March 10, 2012; 10:00am–1:00pm; 2:00pm–5:00pm

Traditional Drafting by Hand

6 evening sessions: Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 13–29, 2012; 6:30–9:00pm

Reading Vitruvius

5 weekend sessions: Saturdays, March 24, 31, April 14, 21, 28, 2012; 10am–1pm

Overview of Molding Types and Drawing the Tuscan Order

1 weekend session: Saturday, May 19, 2012; 9am–2pm

Save the Date! Upcoming Group Show at Chelsea's Joshua Liner Gallery!

2012-01-19T14:13:00.003-05:00

Nouveau Red by Tony Curanaj, 2011, Oil on Canvas, 18 x 36 in.

Resolve, a group show curated by Tony Curanaj, opens on January 26 at the Joshua Liner Gallery in NYC! The show runs from January 26-February 25, 2012.

Opening reception: Thursday, January 26, 6–9 PM
Address: 548 West 28th Street, 3rd Fl.
To read the full press release, click here!
(Excerpt from press release...)
The show includes work by twenty-five artists (twenty-two painters, two sculptors and one photographer) " . . . whose work is rooted in classical art traditions and training . . . and expresses a collective interest in classical art forms with a variety of distinct and decidedly contemporary voices."

The artists:
Anthony Waichulis, Brad Kunkle, Christopher Gallego, Dan Thompson, David Kassan, Edward Minoff, Graydon Parrish, Jacob Collins, Jacob A. Pfeiffer, Jefferson Hayman, Jeremy Mann, Kate Lehman, Kim Cogan, Kris Kuksi, Kris Lewis, Lee Misenheimer, Michael Grimaldi, Rob Leecock, Scott Waddell, Shawn Smith, Shawn Barber, Steven Assael, Tony Curanaj, Travis Schlaht, and Will Wilson.

Note: Tony was at GCA teaching still life students, and reports that it's a thrill to see the actual pieces as they come in. He'll begin hanging the show soon & hopes to talk a student or two into helping him!

Scroll down to view a few of the works:

Studio Interior by Chris Gallego, 2009, Oil on Canvas, 51x49 in.

Interior III by Jacob Collins, Oil on Canvas, 12x16, 2009.

Untamed by Edward Minoff, Oil and Gold Leaf on Linen, 24x36.

Portrait of Trinette by Michael Grimaldi, 2011, Oil, Tempera on Canvas, 18x14 in.

New American Wing Opens at the MET

2012-01-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

While GCA studios were closed on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. - many students, faculty and staff were at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for the opening of it's New American Wing.

Some observations:

"The new main room with Washington Crossing the Delaware, and work by Frederic Edwin Church & Albert Bierstadt was breathtaking. I particularly enjoyed that they included some of Church's plein air studies next to the larger paintings."

Joshua LaRock

"I spent all morning with the landscape paintings, I love being able to see Church's plein air studies alongside his larger studio paintings. I also discovered some new favorites I haven't seen before."

Emilie Lee

"When I walked into a room with multiple life size John Singer Sargent paintings that have been hiding from NYC's proud painting population, I was shocked! The collection is stunning."

Liz Beard

Check Out Jacob Collins' Interview in The New Criterion!

2012-01-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

The New Criterion's David Yezzi interviewed Jacob Collins about his life, work and the world of figurative art. Here are some fun excerpts from the December 2011 issue:

(For the full interview, click here!)

On working from photographs:

Here's one thing that people say about using photographs: "It's just a tool, You should use all the tools...whatever tools there are you should use. You need to do this job and you want to do it as well as you can and you use all the tools." That then connects to the Old Masters, who used all the tools in the toolbox, any tools in their toolbox they would have used--that's a perfectly fine argument.

What I would say is this: They didn’t have the tools, andthat’s why they invented the form they invented. It would be a little bit likesaying that you’re deeply into kung fu, and you love kung fu so much. Yourevere its form, its practitioners, and its history. You show up at your kungfu match, and there’s the guy you think is so great. Then some other guy showsup, and he pulls out a revolver and he shoots your guy, and you say, “What thehell are you doing?” He says “Well, I won, didn’t I?” You say, “Well, thatwasn’t kung fu!” And he says, “Come on, it’s just the tools, and I’m using allthe tools at my disposal.”

It’s a ridiculous example, but you might say then “You can’tjust bring this in.” They might say, “Well, you’re so hidebound, caught up inyour idea of what the rules are; you need to let go and use whatever tools areat your disposal.” You say “That’s ridiculous, that’s not kung fu.” Then theymight say, “Look, the inventors of kung fu would have used the gun if they’dhad it,” and they would have. That’s a perfectly valid argument. What they weretrying to do was defeat the other guy. At that point you have to say, “What isit I love?” I don’t love beating the other guy up. I love the practice of theform, and the way that the guy I think is so great practices the form.

On photo-realism:
The aesthetic that arose from those old studio practices canstill be approached laterally by the use of photography. Inevitably, though,the new practices lead to a new aesthetic. For me, after a short time (and it’shappening fast), those pictures look more and more photo-ey. It’s not somethingthat I could even say is a bad thing. It’s interesting: it relates to magazineads. It feels modern; it feels like a traditionalist postmodernism. It doesn’thave that sort of stuffy feeling that I love so much, that stodgy,old-fashioned, awkward humanism. It feels like it’s sort of snappier, and I cansee why a lot of people like it. I can see why a lot of collectors like it andwhy a lot of dealers want to really go with it.

On painting self-portraits:

The funny thing about aself-portrait is: I’m always looking at my work and having a roller coaster ofanxiety about whether I’m doing something that’s really beautiful or reallysuccessful or powerful. And then, with the self-portrait, the problem is thatI’m looking at the work and I’m judging myself as well. I’m looking at the guywho did it. And so when I’m feeling like “This is just awful, what horribleperson would make something as debased and horrible-looking as this,” and thenthere he is!

Here's an older self-portrait we had on hand in the office. Looking forward to seeing the new one!

(For the full interview, click here!)

Bon Voyage Chris Waddell!

2012-01-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

Goodbye to Chris with Coffee & Donuts!

Chris Waddell, one of our beloved sculpture teachers, is leaving his teaching post at the GCA for a new job in Portland, Oregon. Chris, who has also been working at Studio Eis here in New York, was hired by Laika, one of the world's premier stop-motion animation studios. He is excited to for 'the breath of fresh air - literally, and for the space to set loose his three young boys. He will miss his eclectic work life in New York where the people, and the work, continually taught him new things.'

Chris has taught cast sculpture to four sets of first year students in our full-time program. He has served the GCA well, introducing our new students into the world of sculpting, and welcoming them to the school with his friendly sense of humor.

His students will continue their studies with our figure sculpture teacher, Jiwoong, Cheh. They will join third and fourth year students currently sculpting the figure. On a related note, as a result of Chris leaving, GCA alumn Angela Cunningham, has been hired by Studio Eis on a project basis.

Salmagundi Club Opening Reception Tonight

2012-01-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

"Laurelside Afternoon" 10"x8" oil on canvas, by Emilie Lee 2011

I hope you don't mind this shameless self-promotion, but I wanted to share that I have five paintings in a show that opens tonight at the Salmagundi Club. These plein air paintings were all done on last summer's Hudson River Fellowship. You can see all five on my personal blog here.

The opening reception is from 6-8 PM
The show runs until January 20th
The Salmagundi Club gallery is open to the public and it is located at 47 5th Ave, New York, NY. Regular Hours are Monday - Friday 1-6 PM and 1-5 PM on weekends.

ACOPAL Members Show!

2012-01-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

Paintings by three GCA teachers are on view through February 27 in an ACOPAL Members Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. Congratulations to Edward Minoff, Tony Curanaj, and Josh LaRock! ACOPAL stands for American China Oil Painting Artists League. The organization is a nonprofit dedicated to building a creative and philosophical exchange between artists living in the United States and those living in China. The exchange programs allow artists to travel to either place to share ideas, methods and techniques. Scroll down to view the paintings on view by Ted, Josh and Tony.

Tortured Sea, by Edward Minoff, Oil and Gold Leaf on Linen, 24 x 36"

Portrait of the Artist's Wife, by Joshua LaRock, Oil on Linen, 18 x 15"

Pop Art, by Tony Curanaj, Oil on Panel, 8 x 6"

November in the South Studio

2011-12-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

This past month we followed Patrick Byrnes as he created a figure drawing in the south studio. Although the month ended early for the Thanksgiving break, Patrick was still able to produce this beautiful piece. After the pose was completed Patrick shared some of his thoughts on the progression of his drawing throughout the month.

Week One

"Consistent with previous drawings, the first few days in November were marked by a nearly constant state of frenzy as I tried to establish Maria's basic proportions and the gesture of her pose. The advice from instructor Scott Waddell to imagine my drawing shifting or rotating on the page was especially helpful in troubleshooting poorly constructed areas. My goal is typically to have a fairly refined block-in after the fourth day, then proceed to the much slower process of modeling form."

Week Two

"With 'A.B.T.' (Always! Be! Turning!...nod to Glengarry Glen Ross) as an occasional mantra, I moved carefully across the figure. Frequently I would revert to a more optical approach and find myself trying to copy light/dark contrasts. The reminder to think of volumes rather than values helped me return to a more conceptual frame of mind, as did the advice from Josh LaRock to continue finessing those first few degrees out of a form shadow, i.e. the area in which the most gradation occurs."

Final Drawing

"I continued to move across and down the figure, stopping at one point with the aid of Ten Minoff to address a drawing issue in the right arm. Another illuminating (Literally! Zing!) critique from Jacob Collins helped me find more light in the model's face by considering the relative transparency of flesh around the nostril. It has become increasingly clear that these kinds of investigations in to the physical properties of light and surfaces completely underpin a deeper understanding of form."

"Although I wish I could have rendered more of the drawing, I feel that most of the volumes are generally round and that I have captured something of Maria's insouciant grace. I learned a great deal on this drawing and I'm looking forward to improving on the next one!"

Gregory Mortenson workshop in Utah

2011-12-20T13:50:00.002-05:00

GCA alum Gregory Mortenson will be teaching two workshops in January at the St. George Art Center. Here are the details:

Where: St. George Community Art Center 86 South Main Street St. George, UT 84770

When: January 17-21st And/or January 23-27th

Cost: $475 per week

Contact: email   greg@gregorymortenson.com
                phone 435 232 1481

Follow this link and use the following call numbers for sign up:

Portrait drawing # 61059
Portrait oil painting #61060

Class description: In these courses, the methods taught at the Water Street Atelier and Grand Central Academy of art will be explored. Students will be exposed to the entire process of drawing and painting a portrait from a single pose lasting ten days. The classes will include a full demonstration of techniques and concepts. The first week will consist of drawing on paper to establish accurate shapes, proportions, likeness and structure in a linear mode. When complete the drawing will be transferred to oil primed linen for painting, beginning with a monochrome wipeout to establish the overall light effect. The remainder of the class will progress carefully and rationally, applying paint incrementally through an understanding of the effects of light on form and creating this illusion of volume using values. This procedure will include lengthy discussions on the physical events that cause particular hue, value and chroma properties. Beginning to advanced artists are welcome.

Greg also teaches a portrait drawing and painting class at the GCA in New York City every saturday. Follow this link for more information

GCA Students Win ARC Scholarships!

2011-12-19T20:01:00.001-05:00

A big congratulations this holiday season to Katie Whipple, Carla Crawford and Adrienne Stanger -- who have all won ARC Scholarships! ARC announced today that Katie and Adrienne have both been awarded first place prizes of $4,000, and Carla has won a 2nd place prize of $2,400. Scroll down to see Katie and Adrienne's exquisite figure drawings, and Carla's elegant figure painting!

Note: Adrienne Stanger, who has enrolled in our summer workshops for several years, has been accepted rolling admission into our full-time, 4-year program. She joins us in the studios on January 3!


"John" by Katie Whipple, Graphite on Paper, 22x12"

"Jessica" by Carla Crawford, Oil on Linen, 25x17"

"Jackie" by Adrienne Stanger, Graphite & Chalk on Toned Paper, 24x18"

Hudson River Fellowship News!

2011-12-13T12:15:00.006-05:00

Mount Adams

We are pleased to announce that the 2012 Hudson River Fellowship is moving to the heart of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire! Based out of the village of Jackson, the Fellows will study and paint the landscapes that drew over 400 painters in the 19th Century including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, George Inness, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey, Albert Beirstadt, and the New Hampshire native credited with founding the White Mountain School, Benjamin Champney. To view historical paintings, click here!

The Fellowship runs for four weeks, July 16 - August 10. The HRF will provide all accepted students with full tuition and free housing. At the end of the Fellowship, the Jackson Historical Society will put on an exhibition of the Fellows' work.

Fellowship date: July 16 - August 10, 2012
Applications due date: January 31, 2012
Notification: February 15, 2012

To download an application, click here.

Also....we will shortly be announcing four instructed landscape workshops taught by Senior Fellows; two during the spring in NYC, and two running concurrently with the Fellowship in New Hampshire!

SCROLL down to view paintings of the landscape that awaits you!

Mount Washington by George Inness

Echo Lake by Jasper Cropsey

Mount Washington by Benjamin Champney

Crawford Notch by Thomas Cole


Mount Chocorua by Sanford Gifford


Mount Washington by Albert Bierstadt


Artists Sketching in the White Mountains by Winslow Homer, 1868


Mount Chocorua from Black Cap by Erik Koeppel, Sr. Fellow!

new video footage of the GCA & BAA

2011-12-07T15:15:00.001-05:00

A view into the cast hall and sculpture studio, where Beaux-Arts Atelier students work alongside those of the Grand Central Academy of Art, the ICAA's fine arts division. Instructors Angela Cunningham and Mason Sullivan guide students in the sister arts of drawing and sculpture as they work from the ICAA's historic plaster cast collection.

Student Work November 2011

2011-12-06T10:50:00.001-05:00

by Victoria Herrera

by Anthony Baus

by Brendan Johnston

by Challen Berg

by Devin Cecil-Wishing

by Katie Whipple

by Sally Cochrane

by Sam Hung

by Katie Whipple


by Emilie Lee

Jacob Collins Quick Portraits

2011-12-03T19:23:00.001-05:00

Each Tuesday afternoon Jacob takes a break from teaching to come join us in the south studio for a portrait session. We have a different model each week so we only have four hours to complete our drawing or painting. As a new feature of the blog we'll be posting Jacobs drawing each week for you all to see. Here's one of the most recent ones he completed.

Tony Curanaj in Miami PULSE art fair

2011-12-02T12:46:00.001-05:00


Tony Curanaj Nouveau Red, 2011 Oil on canvas 18 x 36 inches

Tony Curanaj is represented by the Joshua Liner Gallery at this year's PULSE Miami contemporary art fair, Dec 1-4 2011. For all the information check out the gallery website. Tony Curanaj studied at the Water Street Atelier and he teaches in the core program at the Grand Central Academy of Art.

Sarah Lamb at Spanierman Gallery

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-05:00


Fall Bounty, by Sarah Lamb, Oil on linen, 20 x 24 inches

Don't miss Sarah Lamb's solo show this month at Spanierman Gallery! The show runs from Nov 10 - Dec 10. Sarah Lamb studied at the Water Street Atelier before it merged with the Grand Central Academy of Art.

Arturo Garcia exhibition

2011-11-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

Please view this invitation from GCA alum Arturo Garcia. His exhibition is at 1206 Beverly Road in Brooklyn, NY. There will be receptions on December 2nd from 6:30-10PM and December 3 & 4 from 12-5 PM.

Lecture TODAY! 5-6 PM

2011-11-28T07:59:00.002-05:00

Please join us for a lecture in the cast hall Monday 11/28 (today) from 5-6 PM.

On Painting and Sculpture Completing Architecture:
The Tectonic Paradigm continues to bedevil the contemporary textbook presentation of the Renaissance's Return to the Antique in Architecture, and also haunts the practice of the Classical in Architecture today.

This talk shall revisit the emergence of a full re-engagement with the Ancient Manner in the Architecture of the early Fifteenth Century in Italy, and so confront out textbook myth with evidence.

Michael Djordjevitch is a faculty member at the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art.

Open Studio Figure - this Wednesday Night!

2011-11-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

For those of you not traveling or entertaining family this

Wednesday night, Nov. 22nd...

Come draw the figure in our South Studio!

6:30-9:30pm

$15 cash at door.

Reservations encouraged!

rsvp: gcafridays@gmail.com

Please note: The building is closed this coming Thursday-Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The next session of part-time classes begins on Monday, Nov. 28th.

Open Studio Fridays continue with a new model for Dec. 2, 9 & 16th.

Arantzazu Martinez new website

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000-05:00


Dracula, by Arantzazu Martinez 64” x 38”/ 162 x 97cm. Oil on linen. John Butler private collection

Arantzazu Martinez studied with Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier from 2002-2005 and at the Hudson River Fellowship. She is currently living in Vitoria, Spain. Please take a moment to check out her new website and learn about this exceptional young painter!

In the Studio with Edward Minoff

2011-11-19T08:37:00.001-05:00

GCA students and alumni visiting Edward Minoff's studio in late September 2011

Edward Minoff talking about a painting in progress. You can see the small plein air study he is using for the studio painting on the easel behind his shoulder

Edward (aka Ted) Minoff's studio is crammed with beautiful landscapes, portraits, figure, and still life studies.

Here he is showing us a small plein air sunset sketch he did on a trip to Italy. In this photo you can see the larger canvas with a loose sketch of the scene he plans to paint using the plein air sketch for color reference.

an important part of Ted's working process are the written notes and sketches he does on the beach while observing waves. You can read more about this in detail on his website

Edward Minoff's painting in progress as of October 27, 2011

The most important part of the process - being inspired by nature and getting the information down in a study painted from life!

Todd Casey in Whistler House Museum group show

2011-11-17T19:21:00.001-05:00


"Gorch Fock" by Todd Casey, oil on linen, 20 x 24.

Todd Casey has a painting in this group show that will be on view in Lowell Mass from November 19 - December 30. Reception is November 19 from 2-4 PM. Read more about it on Todd's blog here.

Expressing the Figure: Drawings from Life

2011-11-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

Upcoming group show at St. John's University in Queens.

Featured artists include: Robert Armetta, Juliette Aristides, Steven Assael, Colleen Barry, Jacob Collins, Jon deMartin, Leonid Gervits, Michael Grimaldi, Kate Lehman, Edward Minoff, Anthony J. Ryder, Travis Schlaht, Will St. John, Costa Vavagiakis, Dan Thompson, and Joshua LaRock.

Gallery: Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery
Dates: November 10, 2011 - January 5, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 17, 4:30-8:30pm

Directions

Gallery Hours: Tues - Thurs 10am-5pm; Fri 10 - 3pm; Sat 12-3pm (closed Sun/Mon)

Student Work, October 2011

2011-11-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

Seeram Mangroo, 4 hour portrait

Serram Mangroo, 2 week figure

Sarah Bird, 2 week figure

Patrick Byrnes, 2 week figure

Liz Beard, 2 week figure

Katie Whipple, 4 week portrait

Abigail Tulis, 4 week figure

Challen Berg

Connor DeJong, 4 hour portrait

Devin Cecil-Wishing, 4 week figure

Devin Cecil-Wishing, 4 hour portrait

Emilie Lee, 4 hour landscape

Joseph Loomis

Katie Whipple, 2 week portrait

Reconstructing Postmodernism Conference

2011-11-10T06:41:00.000-05:00

It isn't too late to register for the Reconstructing Postmodernism Conference held by the ICAA. This
event will gather leading scholars, practitioners, and critics for a rigorous round of lectures, film tributes, and panel discussions. The fully scheduled two-day conference coincides with the 30th anniversary of Tom Wolfe’s seminal publication From Bauhaus to Our House and the themes of the conference—historic significance, impact on design education and public taste, lessons learned and lessons rejected, theoretical underpinnings, and contemporary appraisal—all attempt to illuminate postmodernism’s overall cultural impact.

Friday 11/11 - Saturday 11/12 Click here for a full schedule, recommended reading list, and how to register.

October in the Sculpture Studio

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

The GCA is happy to introduce a new feature to our blog. Each month we'll follow the progress of one student in the core program as they complete a work of art over the course of that month. This month we watched as Abigail Marie Tulis, a second year sculpture student, sculpted the figure in clay. At the end of the month Abigail shared some thoughts on her process, goals and challenges in sculpture.

Abigail Tulis

"To prepare for and start a sculpture is both a daunting and exciting process. A few days before the new pose starts I go over classical painting and sculptures thinking of a pose. A French academic painting in the 19th century wing of the MET inspired this pose. I spent some time reminding myself of the importance of rules and proportion."

Day Three

"Day one is spent preparing the armature, setting the pose and giving the armature its correct gesture. In the first few days J. Cheh really stresses the importance of proportion and volume. The proportion of a 24 inch sculpture is determined by ideal head measurements as well as observation."

Day Three

"In building up the sculpture, I am trying to read the basic volumes and determine the important boney points as well as the large plane breaks that define where the forms go. These ideas carry me through until the end of the sculpture. By constantly seeing and fixing and then further understanding the gesture and forms I try to make everything as clear, thruthful and organic as possible. The whole point of the exercise is to train your eye to read three-dimensional form."

Day Five

"I spend more time on the hands, feet and portrait in the last week, trying to get their big composition in correctly, even if I don't get to all the polished details. It is easy to focus on polishing too soon instead of channeling energy in to more correct observation. I have gotten better at this but hope to improve more in the future. I am also beginning a thorough study of anatomy, which will be extremely helpful in determining insertions, muscle masses, joints and the general flow of the figure."

Day Fifteen

The Finished Sculpture:
"This month we had a great pose and model and it was a real joy and challenge to get in to all the complexities. I enjoyed sculpting the feet and lower back, but was very challenged by the knees and hands. I always enjoy the beginning the most. I look forward to the next month and improvement!"

Finished sculpture

Lauren Sansaricq solo show opens this Saturday!

2011-11-03T18:31:00.001-04:00

We can't wait to go out and support Lauren Sansaricq's first solo show this weekend! Lauren has been studying at the GCA since 2008 and has participated in the Hudson River Fellowship for the past three summers. She is the first living artist to be represented by this gallery. Go Lauren!

View of the Village Mostuejouls, 8"x12" by Lauren Sansaricq, 2011

Hawthorne Fine Art

requests the pleasure of your company

for the opening reception of

N A T U R E ‘ S P O E T R Y:

The Paintings of Lauren Sansaricq (b. 1990)

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

@ 74 east 79th street, suite 3A-B

New York, New York 10075

Come meet the artist and enjoy

a wine and cheese tasting all day.

RSVP to info@hawthornefineart.com or call 212.731.0550

Click here to view the exhibition catalog and price list.

Jiwoong Cheh sculptures unveiled at NYHS

2011-11-02T10:46:00.000-04:00

GCA sculpture teacher Jiwoong Cheh has two new sculptures that were recently installed at the New York Historical Society. This project was commissioned through Studio EIS in Brooklyn, NY, where Jiwoong Cheh is employed. Read more about these new sculptures in this New York Times article!


David W. Dunlap photo/The New York Times. A life-size sculpture of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass stands atop the staircase at the West 77th Street entrance to the New-York Historical Society. It was unveiled last Friday.

David W. Dunlap/The New York Times

upcoming deadline for ICAA winterim intensive applications

2011-11-01T13:58:00.000-04:00

Scheduled for January 2-8, 2012, the WINTERIM Professional Intensive is designed to provide current and future design professionals with the unique chance to receive in-depth training in the principles of classical design, in both its technical and artistic dimensions. Professionals and educators currently active in the field of traditional design instruct students in the following:

Traditional Drafting by Hand
Architectural Wash Rendering
Theory of Proportion
A Comparative Study of the Orders
Linear Perspective
Observational Drawing
Literature and Theory of Classical Architecture.

Classroom hours are balanced between time spent in the studio, time engaged in lecture or discussion, and guided site visits to various New York City landmarks. This program satisfies the core course requirements for the ICAA’s Certificate of Classical Architecture.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying applicants.
Location: ICAA, 20 West 44th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY
Application Deadline: December 1, 2011
Application Fee: $25 ($20 Members)
Cost/Learning Units: $1,595 ($1,435 Members) 40 (15 HSW) AIA/CES LUs

Download Application and learn more here

New! Open Studio Figure Fridays at GCA

2011-10-30T23:19:00.000-04:00


"Rachel" by Katie Whipple

Don’t hibernate this Autumn/Winter - Join us on Friday nights to draw the figure!

Come whenever you can or come weekly!

Same model/same pose: Nov. 4, & 18 (building is closed on Nov 11 for Veteran's day)

We continue in December with a new model for 3 Fridays in the same pose.

Dec. 2, 9, 16

6:30-9:30pm

South Studio

(entrance through the cast hall)

$15 cash at door/per day. (Please bring exact change.)

If you don’t pay, you can’t stay.

Reservations encouraged! Email: GCAFridays@gmail.com

If you make a reservation, please arrive by 6:25pm, otherwise someone who shows up at the door can potentially get your spot.

As a courtesy to the model and group, please arrive by 6:30pm.

You may not be admitted if the door is closed to the studio.

If there’s room, you may be admitted during a break, but there is no discount for latecomers.

Students already in the M-F class must let Jason, the monitor know by Thursday night if they will be attending on Friday, otherwise their spot can be released. There is no extra charge for students already taking the M-F class.

learn traditional drafting by hand with the ICAA

2011-10-30T13:53:00.000-04:00

This course engages the student in the practice of traditional architectural drafting. Many students have little or no knowledge of traditional drafting via manual and pencil technique due to the preponderance of drafting now done via machines (CAD)-and, for students in earlier decades, technical pens. Students embark on exercises to establish the basic skills that allow them to communicate their ideas clearly and cleanly, focusing on the ability to draw a line that is straight, unvarying in width, evenly dark, sharp. Achieving this sounds simple, but it is not-and it is worth the effort, for it is the foundation of a good drawing

Instructor: Seth Weine, Architectural Designer, ICAA Fellow
Location: ICAA, 20 West 44th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY
Cost/Learning Unit: $300 (250 Members); 12.5 AIA/CES LUs

5 sessions: Mondays and Wednesdays, November 14 – 30 (except Nov. 23); 6:30–9:00 pm

Register here

LECTURE: “A Proportional Approach to the Fine Arts and Architecture”

2011-10-29T13:37:00.000-04:00

Please join us for a lecture on Monday, October 31 from 5-6 PM in the cast hall.

Steven Bass will talk about proportion and the use of numbers and geometry as design tools. This traditional practice draws it's power from an ancient metaphysical world view often associated with the philosophies of Pythagoras and Plato. This presentation outlines such a view and attempts to relate it to the fine arts today. Topics included are: the difference between symbolic and mathematical number, the pursuit of beauty, the manifestation of numerical "powers" including the elusive Golden Section, and what these ideas imply for the role of the artist in society.

Steven Bass is an architect and Fellow of the ICAA He is a graduate of Pratt Institute and the Royal College of Art, in London. He is currently in practice and teaches courses on proportion in architecture, and instructs in ICAA's Beaux Arts Atelier.

Please RSVP to grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

GCA takes a field trip to CT

2011-10-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Today the entire GCA core program took the day off from our normal schedule to go landscape painting in western Connecticut. We had perfect weather and we were joined by several alumni and faculty, it was a great way to catch up and paint together. We don't have photos of any paintings yet, but we will try to post some as soon as they become available. For now, here are a few pics of the day:

The Grand Central Academy of Art!

Abigail Tulis

Gregory Mortenson

Andrea Clinton

Katie Whipple

Brendan Johnston, with Edward Minoff, Connor DeJong, and Katie Whipple in the background

Rodrigo Mateo

Liz Beard with Jacob Collins

Lauren Sansaricq and Jacob Collins

Rebecca C. Gray

Sarah Bird

Emilie Lee

Joshua LaRock and Brandon Beckstrom

lost in the woods, 2011

News from GCA Alumn Angela Cunningham

2011-10-19T19:40:00.001-04:00


"Stephany", by Angela Cunningham, graphite on paper

It's been great to have GCA alum Angela Cunningham back in the cast hall on Tuesday afternoons when she teaches a class for the Beaux-Arts Atelier. She also teaches evening cast drawing at GCA and is busy down in Philadelphia where she started her own school - Cambridge Street Studios. Here is some information on an upcoming workshop down there (click on flyer to enlarge).

Jennifer Fairbanks Show in NYC - Oct. 19th

2011-10-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

2011 Hudson River Fellow Jennifer Fairbanks has a new show opening at the Grace Institute in NYC. It opens tomorrow, October 19th, from 5:30 - 7:00, and will run until November 22nd. The Grace Institute is located at 1233 Second Avenue, between 64th and 65th.

With Teacup
by Jennifer Fairbanks

Please come view the artwork and have a chance to meet Jennifer as well as some of the NYC-based Fellows.

Still Life Show at Cavalier Gallery

2011-10-16T07:39:00.000-04:00


Todd Casey Globe with Pumpkin, 2011 oil on canvas 11 X 16 inches

October 14 - November 11, check out this excellent still life show at Cavalier Gallery in Greenwich CT. The show includes these paintings by GCA instructor Edward Minoff; GCA/Water Street core program alumni Carol Broman, Todd Casey and Danny Grant, as well as two works from Christina Mastrangelo, who has taken summer workshops at the GCA and Hudson River Fellowship.


Todd Casey Globe, 2011 oil on canvas 15 X 17 inches

Edward Minoff
Parmigiano, 2011
oil on linen
18 X 24 inches

Carol Broman
Frog Prince, 2010
oil on linen
14 X 18 inches

Carol Broman
Reverence, 2011
oil on linen
19 X 27 inches

Danny Grant
Beer and Brie, 2011
oil on linen
11 X 14 inches

Danny Grant
Sailors Tribute, 2010
oil on linen
16 X 24 inches

Christina Mastrangelo
Americas Cup - 1851, 2011
oil on canvas
30 X 50 inches

Christina Mastrangelo
Yellow Cloth in Darkness, 2009
oil on canvas on panel
20 X 11 inches

Recent Paintings from GCA Instructor Scott Waddell

2011-10-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

These two new paintings from Scott Waddell are together entitled "Half World". They both measure 24x20 inches.
Website: www.scottwaddellfinearts.com
Blog: www.scottssketchbook.blogspot.com

Student Work September 2011

2011-10-07T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here is the first batch of student work from the 2011-2012 school year! There are a few pieces from last spring/summer in there too.

by Rebecca C. Gray (not to be confused with the other Rebecca Gray who studied here two years ago)

by Matt Wiegle

by Patrick Byrnes

by Matt Wiegle

by Liz Beard

by Katie Whipple

by Joseph Loomis

by Devin Cecil-Wishing

by Anthony Baus

by Brendan Johnston

by Challen Berg

by Connor DeJong

by Anthony Baus

by Rodrigo Mateo

by Serram Mangroo

BAA is in the Wall St. Journal today!

2011-10-04T14:31:00.003-04:00

Ramin Talaie for The Wall Street Journal

Student Peter Spalding works on designs at the Beaux-Arts Atelier, which emphasizes the importance of knowing how to draw and paint the elements of classical architecture.

Our sister school, the Beaux Arts Atelier, is featured in the Wall Street Journal today! Read the entire article here.

Inside the Sculpture Atelier at GCA

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

While uploading the video for the last blog post, I noticed this one about our very own sculpture atelier at GCA. This is what you will find on any given day you might walk through the studio. Check out the other videos on Beaux Arts Atelier's youtube channel to discover more inspiration!

The Classical Ideal

2011-10-01T14:33:00.001-04:00

If you missed your chance to see "The Classical Ideal" which was on view from July-September 2011, at least you can get a virtual tour with this video. This exhibition included work from students at the Grand Central Academy and the Beaux Arts Atelier It was hosted by Gensler, the global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm, in New York. The show was curated by ICAA Fellows Briana Miller, Steve Bass, and Andy Taylor. GCA artists who contributed to the show were Anthony Baus, Joseph Herrmann Loomis, Katherine Whipple, Lauren Sansaricq, Niki Covington, Pierre Bombardier, Rodrigo Mateo, Sarah Bird, Will St. John, and Mason Sullivan.

Lauren Sansaricq: upcoming solo show at Hawthorne Fine Art

2011-09-27T08:03:00.000-04:00


"Sunrise Over the Hudson River, Early Autumn" by Lauren Sansaricq, 2011

"Natures Poetry" is the title of Lauren Sansaricq's first solo show in New York! You can see her landscape paintings from November 5th - January 13 at Hawthorne Fine Art. Lauren is a fourth year student at GCA and a dedicated landscape painter. She has participated in the Hudson River Fellowship for the past three summers. Lauren is the first living artist to be represented by Hawthorne Fine Art. To read the full press release and see more images of Lauren's work, follow this link. Or even better, come to the show!

Saturday Portrait Class starts in October!

2011-09-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

Joshua LaRock in Fine Art Connoisseur

2011-09-24T07:55:00.001-04:00


GCA alum and instructor Joshua LaRock is featured in the Sept/Oct 2011 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine in their "Three to Watch: Artists Making Their Mark" column. Pick up a copy to read the article!

An Interview with Artist Thomas Kegler

2011-09-20T21:18:00.002-04:00

With the coming of fall just around the corner, here is one last interview with a landscape artist connected to the Hudson River Fellowship. Over the summer I had a chance to sit down with the artist Thomas Kegler and talk about his views and understanding of the landscape and art. Kegler has been a part of the Fellowship almost since its inception, and his talent and knowledge of the landscape are widely admired in the classical art community. Kegler shows at John Pence Gallery in San Francisco and you can find more of his work at his website.

How did your attraction to landscape painting begin, and how did your relationship with nature evolve over these years of depicting the landscape?

I grew up in a family that was always doing something with the outdoors. My dad had a hunting and fishing shop, and I grew up working there. Our vacations usually consisted of going fishing or camping. So, I’ve had that [love for the outdoors] instilled in me when I was young. I’m towards the youngest of eight siblings and most of my older brothers were somehow involved in the arts, so I was exposed to that early on. I was always attracted to nature, whether it was wildlife art or otherwise - as a kid I would always copy and draw wildlife art. Eventually, in the ’80s, during the height of wildlife art, my father had his hunting and fishing store put in some wildlife prints. That ballooned and became a fairly productive stint in wildlife art that made a big impression on me. I met Robert Bateman a famous wildlife artist, and that had a big effect on me. I was also fortunate to live near Thomas Aquinas Daly (a living master landscape painter) (link: http://www.thomasaquinasdaly.com) and Bruce Kurland - both little known, but phenomenal artists and very generous. They have to this day been a profound inspiration and good friends.

Even as a child, I was always dabbling in drawing and painting nature; but because of the mainstream art community’s push for the modern art movement and expression, and being from Western New York where there wasn’t a lot else going on – I felt a bit “lost” and disillusioned. So, I pursued a degree in graphic design and worked for a few years in the industry. Eventually I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I quit and ended up going to Alaska for two summers as a fishing guide. That’s where I kind of found myself, and cleared my head. I came back, went into art education, and really loved it. That was a great move. All the while doing this, I was painting and drawing on my own. After teaching for a while, I decided to make a concerted effort to really study, through books, art that attracted me, which always was traditional realism. That’s when I became aware of all the ateliers that are out there, and Jacob Collins’ work. Most of what I was seeing out there was classical, mostly figurative and still life. I was looking for this approach, but for the landscape- because there wasn’t a whole lot out there, I was always resorting to photographs because I didn’t understand any of the process.

I came across the Fellowship… I can’t remember if it was on Jacob’s website, or American Artist… but when I saw it, I applied. I didn’t get in the first year, so I took that opportunity to reevaluate what I needed to learn, worked hard and eventually got in the following year. I walked into that setting of like-minded, insanely talented artists, and knew I had found my art home, if you will. It made a profound effect on my whole outlook, my process, and my appreciation for nature. I immersed myself in nature and then infused these experiences in my studio paintings.

Has your time at the Fellowship changed your perspective on art?

Absolutely. I think my appreciation of art, but perhaps, more importantly, my appreciation of nature has been affected. Ironically, when I grew up spending time hunting and fishing outdoors, I was certainly gaining an experience of interacting with nature, but I had been so focused on whatever I was doing out there that I never slowed down to really understand how nature reacts in itself; how a big tree can affect small trees in the area, how the soil can affect the water or terrain. I was always aware of it, but never really took the time to observe it in depth. I think that is the real beauty to this approach to the landscape and this approach to painting; you are really forced to slow down and analyze what is in front of you, and then interpret it in your own way. A big part of that is distilling – it’s so complicated out there you can’t possibly capture it all – it’s a matter of choosing what you want to capture, and everything else becomes sort of an impression. I don’t really like using that term because of what it connotates, or suggestion might be a better word. You are suggesting a lot, and specifying choice areas. That approach has helped me take what is visually very intimidating, and being able to pull out the essence of that scene or the essence of that object within the scene.

The focal point can come in many ways, whether it be with contrast, a jump in chroma, or impasto. A lot can be done with transparencies and veils of paint in the suggested areas, with thick impasto work on the center of focus.

How much do you identify with the 19^th century Hudson River School painters?

I identify with their process a lot, and their approach to going to nature as their education. If you look at the Letters on Landscape by Durand, where he is giving advice to a prospective student that wants to study with him, he says that the risk of studying with a master is that you could become to influenced by the artist, when ultimately, the best reference is nature and getting out there and struggling with it. That will teach you far more than painting alongside somebody and interpreting something the same way they do.

As far as their approach; I think it’s a great approach and it goes hand in hand with what’s going on in the ateliers and the resurgence in classical realism. Really understanding what you’re painting on a very intimate level, the structure and anatomy of the landscape – trees, plants, rocks – what they’re forms are, what they’re composed of, and how they all interact. It’s a matter of collecting all of that information in your field studies and trying to create a studio painting that encompasses and congeals all of that into one message that resonated with you when you were at that spot.

Do you have any tips or advice for aspiring landscape artists?

Advice is tough; it really depends on your goals. You have to ask yourself, what is it that I want to get out of this? The reason I say that is because I see a lot of people who are drawn to and connect with the impressionist approach to painting; and I think that a lot of people here at the Fellowship, and at the workshop, are looking for a lot more, a deeper intimate connection with the landscape. Certainly the impressionist methodology is a lot more like a photograph, and it’s not really immersing yourself in that location. I don’t want to be seen as bashing impressionists, because it certainly has validity (and I use some of their techniques and approaches); it’s just not the process that I chose. So as far as advice – if you find this process to be something that you’re interested in, then get out there and start drawing and dissecting it by the process that I outlined earlier. What is the big picture, what is it that you want to capture from that location? A large studio piece as your goal is a good way to think about it, because then you can start dissecting that location, or that composition into its elements, and then doing your data collection of each element individually. Drawing is the best way to do that, I think you really study something on a much deeper level through linear drawing. Slowly work your way up to tonal sketches, and transition that from dry to wet media in the form of a grisaille. Then transition that into a series of small intimate color studies as the components. Finally, figure out what you want to say about your particular spot – the time of day, the mood, the weather – and then keying all those studies into that concept somehow.

As far as advice, there are no shortcuts; it’s not an easy process. You’ve got to work hard, and work through the frustrations. If you think that this is something you will enjoy, be prepared for setbacks and frustration. Yet, when you have those successes, they’re very gratifying. You’ll always learn more from your failures than your successes, and that’s what builds that knowledge and confidence. From confidence comes efficiency. Then when you start going to new locations, you can be ready to just do it in a very efficient manner. The benefits of being efficient with your time are being able to deal with constantly changing weather and lighting conditions. It ensures that you’re not chasing a light or straying from your original concept.

If I can paint a landscape, anyone can. I am self taught – owing my current outlook and approach to a lot of reading, observation and the invaluable experiences related to the HR Fellowship: the mountains, the participants, its founders - Jacob, Ted, Travis, & Nick and the dear friends I have met through the group.

Will and Colleen Blog from Rome!

2011-09-20T15:47:00.005-04:00

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!)

The first week of class!

2011-09-14T01:02:00.003-04:00

We've just finished our first week of classes. There's already some great drawings, paintings, and sculpture coming to life in the studios and by the end of the month I'll have some new student work to share on the blog. For now, here are some photos from the past week:

Tony Curanaj doing a demonstration in still life class

Edward Minoff does a demo on Bargue drawing with the new core students

Josh LaRock teaching cast drawing

Jiwoong Cheh teaching in the sculpture studio

Jacob Collins does a demo in the figure drawing room

second year students mixing neutral values in preparation for painting the cast and figure in grisaille

Group Show in Brooklyn!

2011-09-12T14:00:00.003-04:00

Hyeseung Marriage-Song writes to say that she and some other Water Street alumni are participating in an upcoming Brooklyn group show called Paint Works at the Gowanus Ballroom! The opening is on September 16 at 6:00pm. The group exhibition will showcase emerging and established painters in and around Brooklyn.

Featured artists have expanded the traditional building blocks of painting and evolved them in varied and relevant directions--essentially taking the practice and pushing it in places it hasn't gone before. The works run the gamut from realism to abstraction, and are sometimes a surreal blend of both. The paintings explore dreamy, symbolic spaces; the body politic and self-reflection; and subversive carnal fantasies. Personal narratives are represented as well as more traditional themes relating to classical ideals.

Gowanus Ballroom is a vast alternative art space that gives the impression of a gritty cathedral, with 50-foot ceilings and more than 16,000 square feet of floor space. The artists, sculptors, performers, poets, and musicians who come together in this collaborative, underground community foster a shared commitment to artistic expression and exploration, whatever form it takes.

Past shows at Gowanus Ballroom have been extravaganzas with performances, art installations, live bands, and tons of artwork adorning the walls. Paint Works continues the tradition with a warehouse full of paintings, daily entertainment including local indie bands, keyed-up acrobatic performances, live group painting demonstrations, and more.

Doors open for the opening reception of Paint Works at 6pm on Friday, September 16, 2011.

***

Artists

Daniel Baltzer, Ben Fenske, Robyn Frank, Michael Gormley, Peter Halasz, James Herbert, Caitlin Hurd, Tim Kent, Kristin Künc, Oh Joon Kwon, Allison Maletz, Hyeseung Marriage-Song, Alyssa Monks, Alexandra Pacula, David Pettibone, Jennifer Presant, Matthew William Robinson, Bennett Vadnais, Jovan Karlo Villalba, Melanie Vote, Patricia Watwood, Aaron Yamada-Hanff, and Rob Zeller.

Opening Reception
Friday, September 16, 2011
Doors open at 6pm.

Location
GOWANUS BALLROOM
55 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Dates & Times
September 16-18 & 23-25
Fridays: Doors open at 6pm
Saturdays: Doors open at 12pm
Sundays: 12-6

Weekdays: Viewings available by appointment, 347.460.2687

New Core Students!

2011-09-07T13:17:00.003-04:00

We are pleased to welcome seven new students into our core program!
(Clockwise from bottom left corner)
Michelle Palatnik, Frank Valdez, Omar Alcazar, Will Jones, Carl-Martin Sandvold, Rebecca Gray and Sally Cochrane

Hudson River Fellowship featured in Plein Air Magazine

2011-09-02T15:33:00.004-04:00

Check out the the Fall 2011 issue of Plein Air Magazine to read an article about the Hudson River Fellowship!

We Survived Irene!

2011-08-30T20:34:00.002-04:00

The public transportation system in NYC got it's act together today and we were able to start cleaning up the studios for the start of the core program next tuesday. Fortunately, no damage was done by Irene, but our cast collection was prepared for wet weather!

Drawing Competition Cancelled

2011-08-29T07:39:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, we had to cancel the drawing competition because of hurricane Irene. Much of New York City and surrounding areas are still assessing the damage and public transportation is being resurrected but not expected to resume normal schedules by today.

Coming Up: 2011 Drawing Competition!

2011-08-14T12:37:00.007-04:00

2010 Drawing Competition

In two weeks, August 29 - September 2, GCA's 2nd annual Drawing Competition will take place in the South Studio! You are invited to drop by for daily viewings from 1-2pm, and on Friday for the Awards & Final Viewing!

The draftsman who executes the most beautiful drawing will be awarded the grand prize ($1,000), accompanied by the title Apelles. The second place prize ($500) includes the title Protogenes. The winning draftsmen will hold these titles until the next annual competition. For the first time, thanks to the generous support of American Painting Video Magazine, a third place prize ($250) will be awarded.

*We are taking suggestions for a title for the third place winner!

The 10 finalists selected to compete are:
Carol Broman, Victor Chong, Emanuela De Musis, Zoey Frank, Darren Kingsley - defending his title of Apelles, Carlos Lopez, Brian David MacNeil, Matthew Mancini, Katie G. Whipple, Justin Wood

Schedule of Events:

Daily Lunch Time Viewings: August 29 - September 2, Monday - Friday, 1-2pm
Awards & Final Viewing: Friday, September 2, 7-10pm

RSVP: grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

To see the work of last year's Apelles & Protogenes, (Darren Kingsley & Will St. John, respectively) see slide shows on the right side of the blog.

show opening tonight with Tony Curanaj paintings

2011-08-04T11:00:00.003-04:00

GCA instructor Tony Curanaj has some paintings in a show that opens tonight at Joshua Liner Gallery in New York City. The reception is at 6 PM and the address is 548 West 28th, 3rd Floor.

Nom De Plume by Tony Curanaj, oil on canvas, 39 x 24 in.

Fellowship report: new work and photos

2011-08-03T09:52:00.041-04:00

We just finished up our month at the Hudson River Fellowship a few days ago and I think we are all sad to be gone. It was an amazing month of focused painting, new friendships, and learning for everyone. Here are some photos I took at our last gathering. I'm sorry the quality of the photos aren't better, so please follow up with the individual artist's websites and blogs to see more images of their work in the coming weeks.

Note: Applications for the 2012 July Hudson River Fellowship will be due in the fall, with notification before the new year. Concurrent (instructed) workshops are being scheduled again. To be notified about 2012 Landscape Fellowship & Workshop details, email: grandcentralacademy@gmail.com!

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Lily Braff

by Lily Braff

by Lily Braff

by Lily Braff

by Nadia Porras

by Nadia Porras

by Connor de Jong

by Connor de Jong

by Emilie Lee

by Emilie Lee

by Peter Sakievich

by Peter Sakievich

by Peter Sakievich

by Peter Sakievich

by Peter Sakievich

by Louis Smith

by Louis Smith

by Sarah Bird

by Sarah Bird

by Sarah Bird

by Sarah Bird

by Liz Beard

by Liz Beard

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Erik Koeppel

by Erik Koeppel

Drawing Intensive Conclusion

2011-07-22T12:12:00.009-04:00

While we all bask in the sauna that is late July, I'll try and catch up with some reporting from our incredibly active studios. The following are some images from our Summer Drawing Intensive. Several participants continued/are continuing in other workshops and evening classes throughout the summer. Sally will join the full-time core program in the Fall!

Figure Drawing in the South Studio

John Campbell in the cast hall

by Pablo Altieri II

by Sally Cochrane

by Daniel Gamelas

by Wei-Wei Huang

by Angela Wang

Angela Cunningham with Sally Cochrane

Angela Wang and Pablo Altieri at work

Carla Crawford with Wladimir Filho

by Pablo Altieri II

by Gail Buxton

by Sally Cochrane

by Daniel Gamelas

by Nora Langon

by Nicky Van Son

by Angela Wang

by Steven Zapata

We hope to see familiar and new faces for the Intensive next summer!!!

Colleen Barry doing a demo on Day 1

Fellowship report: new work!

2011-07-21T20:05:00.045-04:00

Well, I took the whole evening off from painting tonight so I could take photos of work and make this blog post. It's been an amazing stretch of good weather up here (only an hour or two of rain all month!) and we're all trying to take advantage of every daylight hour. I wasn't able to track down everyone this evening, so I will try to catch up with the rest of the group soon to share some of their work with you.

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Lauren Sansaricq

by Allison Parker

by Brendan Johnston

by Brendan Johnston

by Brian MacNeil

by Brian MacNeil

by Brian MacNeil

by Brian MacNeil

by Connor deJong

by Connor deJong

by Connor deJong

by Sarah Bird

by Sarah Bird

by Sarah Bird

by Nadia Porras

by Nadia Porras

by Nadia Porras

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Jennifer Fairbanks

by Emilie Lee

by Emilie Lee

by Emilie Lee

by Emilie Lee

by Satoshi

by Satoshi

by Erik Koeppel

by Erik Koeppel

by Charles B

by Charles B

best lunch break ever!!!!

Fellowship report: pizza, bears, and cops!

2011-07-12T21:52:00.010-04:00

We've been having an amazing week up here at the Hudson River Fellowship! Tonight we had a really fun dinner with the workshop students and the fellows, and I forgot to take photos of the work because I was too busy stuffing my face with PIZZA and beer (see below, wow)

We spread out our work and spent some time talking about our different experiences out in the field. It was great to hear other people's triumphs and frustrations, hear advice, and share questions. We also got to swap some good stories. Although yesterday I began the day by knocking my breakfast off a cliff before I had a chance to eat it, Allison takes the cake with this one: She was engrossed in her drawing with her headphones on, when a smell startled her. She turned around to see a big, fresh pile of bear crap right behind her! Apparently a bear had been looking over her shoulder and she didn't even know it.

checking out the week's work

After dinner, Thomas Kegler gave a demo on glazing and showed us what you can do with transparent layers of paint. He demonstrated on a sunset painting and a forest scene.

Because the sun doesn't start setting until 8:30 PM, we had time after the dinner and the demo to paint the sunset! Cesar Santos just arrived today for a short visit and in this photo he is showing everyone a sketchbook with museum copies in it. Cesar was here for the fellowship last year and it's fun to have him join us for a few days.

This year, we have had such a large group of sunset painting enthusiasts that the cops were alerted! I asked the cop for a photo with him but he turned me down, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I mean, look how dangerous all these artists are.

until next time ...

The Spanish Still-Life with John Morra

2011-07-09T16:20:00.025-04:00

"Exploring a particular genre, in this case the Spanish still-life, is exciting because the style is so distinctive and powerful." John Morra

Christopher Rigney

(workshop monitor & GCA core student)

There was a soft, lyrical quality highlighting the atmosphere during this five day workshop. The lights in the North Studio glowed on the set-ups and easels as participants worked with such quiet focus. My Mom paid a visit to GCA for the first time and was in awe. A bottle of wine would signal end of day and some delicious Sangria greeted the closing hours on Friday. A few snapshots in words and in pictures below.

"John Morra is a unique teacher in his ability to explain visual concepts and techniques in an understandable, applicable and entertaining manner. He is a most engaging instructor and is able to convey skill and style without pretense or affectation. His knowledge of art history, painting techniques and his droll repartee make his workshops irresistible." - Lynn Reardon

"John is a truly inspiring, passionate, and very available teacher with tremendous insight. This was my very first still life painting - I had no idea how wonderfully challenging and meaningful the process and history would be! He helped me learn to see more accurately, wholly and convey my vision with gusto!" - Joanne Galanos

a grid over Cynthia Farris' set-up

"John's workshop was wonderful! He made it exciting and profoundly helpful. I learned all sorts of things: how to use a grid (really, this time, not sort of as in the past), even how to make a grid; as well as some art history about Spanish still life painting. Most importantly, he was always available to help refocus me when I couldn't "see" what I was looking at. He was reflective about art and artists, which especially appealed to me, as well as generous in sharing his considerable knowledge and personal views about painting. He was also supportive and encouraging. I felt very lucky to have this opportunity." - Cheryl Seaman

"I did my first precise still-life in this workshop. At first, I had positioned a plethora of ridiculous iridescent and oddly shaped objects from my grandmother's basement. John came over to help me and told me that my set-up was unpaintable. He then took everything out except for a white stone-like tea kettle and put in two additional objects of his own. At first I was shocked and afraid that my painting would be boring because I'm used to painting wild, colorful set-ups, but ultimately I was ecstatic to discover the results with which his advice provided me.

Solomon Bass

The method he used to help us start our drawings was masterful. He brought in grids that he had built to quicken the pace of determining measurements so we would have ample time to paint our objects in five days. For the rest of the workshop, he gave each person enough individual attention to demonstrate the techniques necessary for each person's unique objects. For example, I was faced with the challenge of creating the look of copper for one of the two tea kettles in my set-up. John advised me to paint a monochromatic grisaille and then glaze over with touches of transparent orange and indian yellow. After further refinement, this approach created a luminescent color effect. The likeness to the actual object was pleasantly surprising! In addition, every morning, his group demos were very helpful including basic form modeling, which has helped me in the current workshop I'm taking with Scott Waddell." -Solomon Bass

Cathy Beard

Cynthia Farris

Joanne Galanos

Sarah Gersten

Joan Hooker

Kevin Kosa

Lynn Reardon

Cheryl Seaman

Fellowship: day 3 & James Gurney Lecture!

2011-07-08T21:35:00.021-04:00

It threatened to rain all day today, but not enough to slow us down. Here is the report!

Gary perched above Platte Clove

Brendan, Connor, and I took shelter under a ledge all day

Satoshi and Brian staying dry under umbrellas

workshop students and fellowship participants shared dinner together tonight before enjoying a slide show by James Gurney, who is one of the most bad-ass artists in the illustration and painting world right now. Everyone should know about his blog Gurney Journey, it is the best resource out there for anyone interested in learning how to draw and paint!

We were all thrilled to have James Gurney visit and share some of his extensive knowledge with us! He gave an hour long lecture that addressed many technical concerns of landscape painting. Our heads were spinning after so much information was unloaded, but fortunately all of it can be studied in depth with his new book Color and Light, A Guide for the Realist Painter.

Tonight was our first chance to share the work we've done so far and talk about our different experiences tackling the landscape

Most of us have been warming up by focusing on drawing, as advised by Asher B. Durand in his Letters on Landscape Painting: "Form is the first subject to engage your attention. Take pencil and paper, not the palette and brushes, and draw with scrupulous fidelity the outline or contour of such objects as you shall select, and so far as your judgment goes, choose the most beautiful or characteristic of it's kind. If your subject be a tree, observe particularly wherein it differs from those of other species ... by this course you will also obtain the knowledge of that natural variety of form, so essential to protect you against frequent repetition and monotony. A moment's reflection will convince you of the vital importance of drawing, and the continual demand for it's exercise in the practice of outline, before you begin to paint." -- Asher B. Durand, 1855

Senior fellow Erik Koeppel answering questions about his impressive one-day plein air studies. Koeppel will be teaching a workshop here during the second half of the month.

by Brian MacNeil

by Brian MacNeil

by Thomas Kegler

by Brendan Johnston

by ?? if you know who, please let me know and I'll add it!

also by ??

by Mary Graham

by Mary Graham

by Connor DeJong

Hudson River Exhibition in Beacon, NY

2011-07-07T21:21:00.003-04:00

GCA students and Hudson River Fellows Carla Crawford, Lauren Sansaricq, Emilie Lee, and Kenneth Salaz all have paintings in this exhibit that opens on Saturday.

The Great Hudson River Exhibition Opening Reception

“The Great Hudson River Exhibition” Juried Fine Art Exhibition Opening Reception
July 9, 2011 • 4:00-6:00pm
Mill Street Loft ARTS, at the River Center
Red Flynn Road, Beacon, NY

Mill Street Loft ARTS new exhibition space located at the River Center on Red Flynn Road, at Long Dock Park on the Beacon Waterfront, is pleased to present The Great Hudson River Exhibition a fine art exhibition focusing on the majestic Hudson River opening on Saturday, July 9th.

This show will be the first art exhibition to open at the River Center. The show will remain on view through Sunday, September 4th. An Opening Reception for the artists and public will take place in the gallery on Saturday, July 9th from 4:00 – 6:00pm. A special awards ceremony featuring prizes and other recognition awards will be held during the opening reception.

Hudson River Fellowship 2011 has begun!

2011-07-07T20:50:00.008-04:00

We're off to a great start at the Hudson River Fellowship up in the Catskills! We've just finished day 2, with perfect weather so far. This year we have two groups working on landscape painting in the area. Taught by Thomas Kegler, the workshop students are spending two weeks in Catskill Park following a structured curriculum that includes daily critiques and demos. The other group, known as the Fellowship, is working independently and will be here for the month of July. We are staying in houses together and both groups have the opportunity to interact and get to know one another. Tomorrow night we have our first "show & tell" where we get to take a look at what everyone has been working on. Stay tuned!

the view from Huckleberry Point

Liz and Satoshi drawing on the first morning at Kaaterskill Falls

A view in Platte Clove

Brian and Peter painting the sunset

workshop students and fellowship participants painting the sunset together

Brendan had a rainbow beaming right over his head!

Jacob Collins Featured in the National Review Magazine!

2011-07-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

The National Review magazine (July 4^th issue) has printed a compelling review of Jacob Collins’s current show, Jacob Collins: New Works, on view at Adelson Galleries in New York City. The reviewer, Roger Kimball, publisher of Encounter Books, and co-publisher and co-editor of The New Criterion, writes of the 37 works in the exhibition,

"Here is work in which technical achievement and consummate taste unite in art that transcends the taxonomic labels of art-speak . . . one of my favorite works is a breathtaking still life called Glasses (2011). At first glance it looks like a grisaille study. But look again. Those eyeglasses glint and wink with gold. And that spot of light on the tablecloth to the right is a veritable rainbow of refracted light. This is the real thing."

"Consider Anna Nina, an oil for 2011. There are plenty of artist’s touches to savor—the visual rhyming of those climbing tree branches with the wrinkles on the woman’s cheek, for example. But what grabs hold of you instantly is the quiet if sorrowful dignity of this remarkable face.”

"There are probably more artists—that is, more people calling themselves artist—per square inch in Manhattan today than there have been anywhere at any time in history. But as this remarkable work by Jacob Collins reminds us, there are artists and then there are artists."

The show is on view until July 28 at Adelson Galleries, 19 East 82^nd Street. And if you're so-inspired, enroll in a class at the GCA and try your hand!

Color Theory Part 2

2011-06-29T19:27:00.014-04:00

Annually, Graydon Parrish teaches color theory for intermediate to advanced painting students. The workshop runs for three weeks. I spoke with Devin Cecil-Wishing, the workshop monitor who is entering his third year as a core student at GCA, about his experience:

"Graydon's class is amazing. He is more logical and systematic about his palette and how he mixes his colors than anyone I've met. He uses the Munsell system to completely explain what light and color do to our eyes in reality. He boils everything down to three major factors. It's all hue, value and chroma and there's nothing else. That's all that color is. That's all that painting is.

On the first Friday of the workshop, we went to the Met to analyze the Master Painters and to objectively evaluate how they were using color.

Back in the studio, Vivian uses the colormunki to scan the local of Greg's hair. We did not test the image on his t-shirt. We did test his arm, though.

This is a trompe l'oeil painting of high chroma paper strips done by a workshop participant. Everybody who takes this workshop for the first time does this exercise. It is meant to show how chroma and value decrease as light decreases.

A color wheel that shows each hue in its highest chroma. This is also an exercise for first time participants. This was my second time taking the workshop, and I worked on a more advanced project.

This is my palette. I have mapped out the various strings for different flesh tones in different ranges. From left to right it moves through value. From top to bottom it moves through chroma. All the colors were mixed to match the chips sitting on the right of the palette.

Graydon helped me to map out all the pigments in my paint file and figure out exactly what they were in terms of hue, value and chroma so that I can use them more effectively. We experimented with the ways that different brands and hues stacked up on the actual color wheel. This was the first time Graydon or I experimented with this in this way. We found this to be very enlightening to see the nuance of how different pigments shift as they move through different values and chromas.

What intrigues me so much about Graydon and his color theory, is the logic behind it and how he mixes so many different strings on his palette, which all result in a perfect representation of reality."

pix also by Devin Cecil-Wishing

Drawing Intensive Week 3 & Color Theory part 1

2011-06-24T19:33:00.025-04:00

Intensive student Steven Zapata works on a feature cast

I took the opportunity on this first official Summer Friday to interview a few workshop participants. I spoke with 3 students in the Drawing Intensive about their experiences in their first 3 weeks:

"I came here for the purpose of studying the method and I'm getting exactly what I wanted. This is one of the nicest academic places I've been to, everyone is super nice. The teachers are very good. They all speak the same language but with different accents-meaning they have different ways of seeing things but teach the same methods. So what I came here to learn, I've gotten and it will become more refined with more instruction. I'm very happy to be here."
-Daniel Gamelas from Portugal

"The workshop is really good. It's pretty much what I expected. I don't have much experience painting and I'm continuing with Cast Painting in July. I'm looking forward to relating it to drawing and how different it is. The teachers explain everything. I've learned about how light works, which I haven't received in training elsewhere."
-Nicky Van Son from the Netherlands

"The training is very structured and systematic. It's a scientific method that demystifies the technique in the art of drawing. The instructors tell you this comes first and this comes after. Anyone can learn it but you need to put in the time with the right teachers and that's what they have here." - Pablo Altieri, II from Puerto Rico/NYC

Graydon Parrish's three week Color Theory workshop for Intermediate to Advanced Students finished up today. We'll blog more about it next week but workshop participant Megan Moore came into the office and had this to share...

"There's an inherent isolation that comes with being an artist. That's all I know when I'm at home and to come here and spend every day with people, who share your vocabulary, who are trying to figure out similar issues, and who care about similar issues makes a giant difference. Humans don't tend to thrive in isolation and yet we've chosen an activity in which you need to have such solitude.

Here, people are focused on the craft, which is deeply important to me. Even the teachers feel the isolation when they work and talk about how important it is to come here and connect. I've come to realize how normal it is to feel this way. And then there's the actual information and it's been so important for me to focus on this, for my life. The information from the workshop has been worth the money spent on it. I came here to gain strength in what I've been weak in. There's so much you gain here, and then you get to continue to integrate it after."

More posts to come about Graydon's and other workshops in the recent past. Here's a little info about 2012: Graydon's workshop will be held in July again. We aren't taking sign-ups just yet...

pix by core student Devin Cecil-Wishing

Jacob Collins Featured in New Yorker Magazine

2011-06-21T12:20:00.008-04:00

Personal History

Life Studies

What I learned when I learned to draw.

by Adam Gopnik June 27, 2011

[Find a copy of the actual June 27th issue to read the entire 6 page article! A summary from the New Yorker website is printed below.]

ABSTRACT: PERSONAL HISTORY about how the writer learned to draw. When the writer was in the middle of the journey of his life, he decided to learn how to draw. He was at a midweek dinner party and he turned to his neighbor across the table. His name was Jacob Collins, and he explained to the writer that he supervised an “atelier” in midtown, called the Grand Central Academy of Art. The writer asked if he would teach him how to draw, and Collins said yes. The academy was in the same midtown building as the Mechanics Institute Library, and the atelier was a series of rooms that could have been found in Paris at the Académie in 1855. A cluster of students worked on their drawings. The writer held his pencil tight and began. He had a graduate degree in art history, and he liked to draw, though he did it badly. Jacob gave him a plaster cast of an eye and told him to try and copy it. The writer stabbed at the paper, and he was filled with feelings of helplessness and impotence. He bumped into Jacob later at their kids’ school and Jacob invited him over to his studio to watch him draw. It was an old renovated stable, and the writer liked it there. For the next year or so, he went often to the studio on Friday afternoons, and kept Jacob company as he drew. He would make a mark or two on his own easel as he watched him work. Over time, Jacob had assembled a group of teachers and enthusiasts, all given over to the practice of classical drawing from life and plaster casts, and from that nucleus came this studio and the Grand Central Academy. The best half-serious label Jacob could find for his approach was “traditional realist revivalism.” Jacob and the writer went to a show of Bronzino drawings at the Met. Over the years, the absence of true skill had unmanned the writer’s love for art. Later that week in the studio, there was a nude model named Nate. As the writer stared into the impossible landscape of ripples in Nate’s torso, Jacob said, “Look into his torso and find a new form, another shape to draw. Something outside your symbol set.” The way out was, homeopathically, the way back in: lose your schematic conventions by finding some surprising symbol or shape in the welter of shades, and draw that. After a few months, the writer produced some kind of recognizable rendering of the pattern of light in front of him. It was the best thing he’d ever drawn. He had made it up out of small, stale parts and constant reapplications of energy and observation. Drawing turned out to be like every other skill you acquire: skating, sauce-making, guitar playing. Describes sketching a female nude. The writer stepped away from the studio after the year. He still likes to draw, but the questions that he had come with were mostly answered, or at least quieted.

Portrait Sketch Workshop Added!

2011-06-18T12:23:00.008-04:00

"Maria" by Colleen Barry

6"x8"
oil on wood
2009

August is looking to be a popular month for taking portrait workshops at GCA! We've just added another 1 week session of Portrait Sketch which will be taught by Colleen Barry. The workshop will be held August 8 - 12, 2011. Registration is now open. Read the course description here. Send your registration form to gcaclasses@gmail.com.

Both of these portraits were completed in 4 hours.

"Adam" by Colleen Barry
8"x10"
oil on wood
2010