Artist
Some good news! My bronze sculpture Equos was selected a Finalist in the Animals as Subject Category at the 2018 Portrait Society of America’s Member’s Only Competition.
Equos is part of my Christmas sale. The piece is sold but orders will be accepted at the sale price until December 20th.
In a unique collaboration, artist Matthew James Collins and Maestro Fabrizio Cipriani will be offering a series of courses for sculpture, repoussé and metal chasing. Lessons will be held in the Collins’ historic 19th century studio, once the home of the Florentine master Michele Gordigiani.
Modelling the figure and portrait are available. The metalsmithing classes will introduce the student to the materials and techniques of the venerable art of metal working. Students of all levels are welcome.
In una collaborazione unica, l’artista Matthew James Collins e il Maestro Fabrizio Cipriani offriranno una serie di corsi per scultura, repoussé e cesello. Le lezioni si terranno nello storico studio del XIX secolo di Collins, un tempo dimora del maestro fiorentino Michele Gordigiani.
Sono disponibili lezioni per modellare la figura e il ritratto. Le lezioni di repoussé e cesello introdurranno lo studente ai materiali e alle tecniche della venerabile arte della lavorazione dei metalli. Gli studenti di tutti i livelli sono ben accetti.
For more information please fill out the contact form below:
From December 1st until the 15th, I will be holding a Christmas studio sale on the site. The available items are listed in the gallery below. Free national and international shipping until the 20th. Please click on the images below to learn more.
https://wp.me/PSSQD-14p
The show FACES: I Volti dell’Uomo is up and running. It was organized by the Independent Artists group and more information about the show can be found here. My painting Consolation of Philosophy is part of the show. If you happen to be in the Milan metropolitan area, please stop by and see the work. The show closes on December 16th.
I will be offering afternoon weekend figure drawing and painting in my north light studio in Florence, Italy starting in December. Poses will last a month. There will be the maximum of 6 places. Monthly and per session rates available. For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact me via email or the contact form below.
My painting of Joan of Arc is currently participating in the Saint Vincent Gallery’s Seventh Juried Catholic Arts Exhibition.
The Biennial Nationwide Juried Catholic Arts Competition and Exhibition was established in 2001 by the late Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B. His untiring pursuit to cultivate and revive the Sacred Arts was the catalyst for the creation of this Competition and Exhibition. Br. Nathan wanted to give artists who engage Catholic subject matter an opportunity to dialogue with the Church and pastors in the hope of creating new, original artworks for churches and liturgical spaces. For the third Competition and Exhibition, famed British art historian Sister Wendy Beckett served as judge. She praised Br. Nathan’s endeavors, noting that, “Artists often come to understand their faith by the actual creation of artworks. We need these artworks, these attempts by artists known or unknown, to share with us their understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Would that there were hundreds of Brother Nathans in all countries!”
Since its inception, the Competition and Exhibition has received national attention and has blossomed with global interest, spurring submissions and artworks for exhibition from South America to all across Europe. The competition has worked to foster a relationship between artists working in the Catholic Arts.
World-renowned and acclaimed jurors working in the areas of sacred art and art history have brought their expertise to the Competition and Exhibition. Past jurors include: Dr. Frima Fox Hofrichter, an art historian specializing in Baroque and Rococo; Duncan G. Stroik, an architect and professor working in classical and sacred architecture; Sr. Wendy Beckett, an art historian and BBC personality; Dr. John T. Spike, an expert in Renaissance and Baroque art who directs and curates the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary; Janet McKenzie, an artist working in sacred art; and Dr. Denis R. McNamara, an architectural historian specializing in the theology of liturgical art at the Liturgical Institute at the University of Saint Mary on the Lake, Mundelein.”
My painting show above will be participating in a group show near Milano. Organized by the Independent Artists group of Busto Garolfo (MI), the show Faces: I Volti dell’Uomo will explores the idea of identity related to portraiture and its relation to experience. It opens November 24th and runs until December 16th. Please stop by to see the work if you happen to be in the area. The Villa Brentano, where the show will be held, is very special as well.
To find the Facebook event click here.
An artist’s materials are an extension of him/her. They are the bridge that link the first creative impulse to the final work of art. Naturally, that is why artists can be very discerning about the supplies they use. I have spent years researching art materials and creating my own in order to reproduce the effects that I see in the Old Masters and, more importantly, enrich my own work.
Charcoal is one of the oldest drawing mediums still commonly used today. It is ideal for tonal drawing. Produced by pyrolysis, it is created by heating up wood in the absence of oxygen.
I make my own with a steel box that I designed especially for the purpose. After cutting select wood into a stick form, the pieces are placed in the box and closed. An single opening on the top allows the gas to escape. The box is heated up and eventually smoke comes out. The white smoke is largely water vapor and other some other substances. Eventually the smoke diminishes, stops and is replaced by a flame that is produced by different essences being expelled. Once the flame dies out, the charcoal is ready!
My friend and artist Darren Rousar also wrote an article on making charcoal and it can be found here.
I also have taught an artisan in Southern, Italy my method and he is now creating a small quantities for a commercial market. He uses reclaimed wood and selects the best pieces to for his production. The result is very high quality charcoal with a minimum environmental impact. If anyone is interested in trying some, please contact me.
I am pleased to be included among Daniel Maidman’s Instagram Picks for November on Poets & Artists Magazine’s website. A link to the collection can be found here.