Art Convergence 2013 in Philmont, New York

Art Convergence 2013
 
For the past three years Free Columbia, in collaboration with the Arts Section of the School for Spiritual Science, has run a summer conference exploring the relation of current art to spiritual science. This year we have chosen a different format in which to work. In order to deepen the work, a small group of artists has been working during the year investigating descriptions of artistic process. This group will work together in late July and early August on various projects. There will be both individual work and collaborations. During the week of work we will share with each other the dynamics of our artistic process. In the evenings we will offer performances for the public and on Saturday August 3rd we will have a day, open to the public, in which we will invite conversation, presentation and interaction. 

The public day will be on Saturday, August 3 at 84 Main Street in Philmont. We will begin at 10 am but the form of the day will be developed during the convergence week. In some way it will include an exhibit of visual art, conversations and perhaps interactive performances. If you are interested in attending the public day please feel very warmly invited to do so. Donations will be gratefully accepted but there is not a charge for the public events. For more information you may call Laura Summer 518 672 7302. laurasummer@taconic.net
 
84 Main Street Philmont NY 7:30 pm
Schedule of evening performances:
Wednesday July 31, David Adams from Sacramento CA will present: The Artwork and Creative Process of Philp Guston and Robert Motherwell in the Context of the New York School (or Abstract Expressionism)
Thursday August 1, I Manual by Finnish performance artist Sampsa Pirtola
 
Friday August 2, Work with color, light, sound and movement, presented by Nathaniel Williams, Michael Howard and Katie Schwerin and others.
 
Saturday August 3, To be developed during the convergence.  

New Book by Van James: Drawing with Hand, Head and Heart

LInk to the cover of the book

Drawing with Hand, Head, and Heart is a comprehensive and practical guide to the art of drawing

and to the process of visual thinking that is part of our full human intelligence. More than 500 illustrated

exercises and examples, collected and developed over many years of Waldorf classroom experience, show

teachers, parents, and students how to learn to draw simply and naturally, as a child would learn to draw.

The introduction examines contemporary research on brain development and its relationship to learning,

showing how the process of picture-making contributes to the development of visual thinking. An overview

follows of how children learn to draw, and how their visual intelligence can be engaged through age-appropriate

drawing exercises. Many useful examples of form drawing, portraiture, and geometric and perspective

drawing illustrate the art and science of drawing for students of all ages and ability levels. Van James also

provides samples of inspiring blackboard drawings and main lesson book pages for teachers and students, and

includes an informative appendix on therapeutic drawing, a bibliography of resources, and an index.

New Expanded Essay by Van James

Painting Problems: Making Aesthetic Sense of Colour

    by Van James

 Fig. 1. In kindergarten and pre-school children paint for the sheer enjoyment, without the need of a

structured painting “lesson.”

Have you ever heard the complaint, "Why do all the children's paintings look

the same?" If you've asked yourself this question after having viewed the work of

students in the lower grades of a Steiner-Waldorf school (the question rarely

arises with regard to the work of the upper grades) you're not alone. Why is it that

particularly in grades one through four the artistic work done in painting classes

often appears so similar, so uniform? And, is this a problem?

READ WHOLE ESSAY