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Cortona "Island in the Sky"
Meet Gemma Black
An Italic Journey in Tuscany with artist/instructor Gemma Black Cortona, Italy August 28 – September 4, 2010
Some of the most beautiful letters in history have come from the heart and hands of the Italian Writing Masters. During the Renaissance, that high period of fine art and culture, perfection in the form of the Italic Hand was executed by writing masters such as Niccoli, Palatino, Tagliente and Arrighi. Come with me and experience their homeland, be inspired by the landscape and create wonderful letter forms.
During this six day course in the heart of the Italian countryside we will explore the history of the elegant Italian hand and work a series of selective exercises leading to the understanding of the nuances of certain writing masters.We will use the Italic and its variations over the six days making use of black, white and colour exercises as well as introducing a touch of gold!
With Italy famous for its magnificent manuscripts among other things, we too shall create a small codex, either a single section binding or a concertina booklet and a protective pouch using contemporary calligraphy so you have an Italic variation exemplar to take with you at the end of your creative Tuscan journey. Regardless of your level of experience you will be very welcome on this Italic Journey in Tuscany!
Picture Yourself...
among the sights and sounds of beautiful and romantic Tuscany: olive groves, vineyards, centuries-old buildings, winding streets, texture and vibrant sunlight.
Feel Yourself...
in the warm ambiance of Cortona, overlooking the Val di Chiana, originally fortified by the Umbrians, claimed by the Etruscans, touched by the Renaissance, almost unchanged for centuries, one of Tuscany’s jewels.
Experience...
the joy of learning, creating, and gaining skills and confidence with the expert instruction of professional artist Gemma Black and the camaraderie of a small group of learners.
Enjoy...
great Italian food, delightful wines, new friends, breath-taking vistas, history and the hospitality of the people of Cortona.
All-inclusive* workshop includes: Escorted group travel Rome to Cortona August 28, 2010**** Instruction in the classroom and on location Seven nights accommodations in historic Cortona** (Private room & bath) Local Etruscan Museum & Museo Diocesano All meals*** (Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner) Daily wine tasting opportunities Day trip to Florence A farewell wine tasting dinner **Included with "Casa Betania" plans only. See details. ***Included with "Group Meal Plan" only. See details. ****Specific departure time only; to be announced *All-inclusive plans are Hotel plans A, C, E, G and Hostel plans I & K only. Air travel and ground transportation to/from Cortona is not included and is the responsibility of each participant.
Casa Betania proud partner of Toscana Americana Workshops since 2003
Visit Casa Betania online
About Cortona
Cortona is one of the true jewels of the Tuscan “hill towns.” Cortona, which is often called the “City of Art,” has its origin as an Etruscan city that pre-dates Roman times with sections of its walls dating back some 2500 years. As is typical of Tuscan hill-towns, Cortona is a walled city that, for purposes of defense, was built atop a prominent geographical point. The stone buildings and streets not only have the romance, style, and charm that are particular to Tuscany, but also speak of the lives and times Cortona has witnessed. An encounter with Cortona is an encounter with music & art, with history and with spirituality. Getting to know this timeless city is a real rediscovery of our past. Cortona offers testimony to its history as well as an enchanting view of the landscape enclosed by Lake Trasimeno and the Apennine mountains.
About this workshop...
Day One, Sunday:This will be our “getting to know” day.Firstly we will have introductions all round, pinpoint your calligraphic desires so I can work with you on your expectations and explore our expected outcomes. We will familiarize ourselves with writing tools and materials and start work on the elegant Classical Italic Hand after doing an 11 point analysis of its history.
Day Two, Monday:We will start with warming up our Italics and have a very strong focus today on “what make a really good Italian Hand”. This will be our serious hard working day but don’t let that turn you off … our day will be filled with much pleasure and enjoyment in the learning thrown in, I’ll make sure of that!
Day Three, Tuesday:Today will be our excursion day into Florence checking out the calligraphic pavements, the magnificent libraries, the artist suppliers, the bookshops and a special trip to the Uffizi.I will guide you through the artworks we encounter and generally take in the ambience so we can use our experiences in our work.
Day Four, Wednesday:Today we will draw our inspiration from the Cortona environment. In the Morning we will explore the local museums and street scenes as a group taking notes of certain calligraphic elements wherever we come across them. In the afternoon we will retire to the studio to explore collectively and prepare sketches of our findings for our special codex project to come. Today we will have a sprinkle of colour!
Day Five, Thursday: In the morning we will work again on our Italic but this time with a bit of a twist.The variations we explore will be fascinating as this hand allows us to show true expression.I will work with you on a series of weight and pen manipulative exercises taking Italic into a completely different realm.In the afternoon we will discuss our works or ideas in progress then move into the mock up for our codex.
Day Six, Friday: Today is our special project day as all of the hard work has been done, the letter learning,, the ideas, the expressive nature of Italic explored and the design potential.We will put all of these including a sprinkling of gold leaf into our special project, a codex booklet representing your creative Italic trip of a lifetime in Cortona to take with you into your calligraphic furutre.
Itinerary
Saturday – Arrival in Cortona
-Arrival and Check-in in Cortona at assigned three-star hotel or hostel.
-7:30p Welcome to Cortona wine and chocolate tasting at La Saletta.
-Evening dinner in Cortona at La Locanda nel Loggiato
Sunday - Cortona
-9:00a-1:00p Morning Session
-1:00p Lunch at Casa Betania
-3:00-7:00p Afternoon Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner in Cortona
Monday - Cortona
-9:00-1:00p Morning Session
-1:00p Lunch
-3:00-7:00p Afternoon Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner in Cortona
Tuesday - Florence
-Day trip to Florence with lunch provided
-8:00p Dinner
-Evening studio session
Wednesday - Cortona
-9:00-1:00p Morning Session
1:00p Lunch
-3:00-6:00p Afternoon Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner in Cortona
Thursday - Cortona
-9:00-1:00p Morning Session
-1:00p Lunch
-3:00-6:00p Afternoon Session
-7:30p Wine tasting
-8:00p Evening dinner in Cortona
Friday - Cortona
-9:00-1:00p Morning Session
-1:00p Lunch at
3:00-7:00p Afternoon Session
-8:00p Farewell wine-tasting dinner in Cortona
Saturday – Cortona
-Morning Check-out and departure from Cortona
Note: Toscana Americana reserves the right to alter this itinerary.
All times are approximate.
Participant Supply List
Remember to travel light, only bring what you can!
Large drawing board: approx. 400mm x 600mm. Make it as lightweight yet sturdy as possible (the board is optional for Italy but is recommended for posture). *Pens: a dip-in pen set of broad nibs (cut square across the end) either Brause (highly recommended and great for beginners), Speedball, William Mitchell or other equivalent and a couple of spare pen holders.Bring along any other pens you may already have including felt-tipped markers. *Water Jar – medium size (to stand pens in) *Ink: ink stick with grinding stone or a bottle of black non-waterproof ink or a bottle of Chinese ink and a small jar/film container to decant it into. Any gouaches you have. *Papers: Bond pad A3 (or A2 if you have one) plus one sheet of fine art paper ie. Arches, Canson, Fabriano etc. cut down for ease of travel.A couple of sheets of tracing paper A4 size. *Eraser: soft white pencil rubber *Ruler: a 400 or 500mm long see-through plastic ruler *Pencils: a couple of HB lead pencils. Couple of rubber bands. Some water colour pencils and watercolour brush … size anywhere from 000 to 0 *Also add in: tissues or rag, notebook, blu-tac, usual supplies and all your own classroom creature comforts including cushions, lights, CD’s!
