Painting and Drawing in Southern France
Summer 2012: May 9 to May 31 (tentative dates)
Program Location
The hillside village of Auvillar provides expansive views for "plein air" painters of the landscape. The village abounds with events: concerts, exhibitions, poetry readings, open markets and indigenous folk musicians. Nearby are cathedrals, museums and monasteries among them, the Musee Ingres in Montauban and The Augustins in Toulouse. The Moulin à Nef is located in the charming village of Auvillar, recognized as one of "les plus beaux villages de France. " A village of 900 souls, it is situated between Toulouse and Bordeaux in a region rich with history and culture, both French and Occitan. Auvillar was once an important French ceramic center. A stopover on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Auvillar has a well-earned tradition of hospitality. One of France's "100 Most Beautiful Villages," Auvillar is set on the broad green Garonne River, with clearly visible remnants of ancient hilltop fortifications, monuments that go back centuries, nearby medieval cathedrals and museums to explore. The weekly market is a highlight. The village also has a butcher shop, bakery, pharmacy, tabac, post office and public email access, plus six eateries, ranging from a pizzeria to a four-star restaurant. The region is noted for medieval villages, Faience pottery, troubadour singing, cassoulet, foie gras, strawberries, exquisite wines and tantalizing cheeses.
See a short video about the program: http://youtu.be/RevGckhojCE
Upcoming Show at JMU ArtsWorks Gallery:
February 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.
"Truth and Tranquility: Figurative Works from Drawing and Landscapes from the French Painting Abroad Program"
JMU students produce life-size self portraits in drawing, painting, fabric and photo which explore personal content. Tranquil landscapes from southern France and the French Mediterranean showcase the Fauvist colors of JMU art students in the Southern France Painting Abroad Program led by Agnes Carbrey.
Academic Program
 The Painting/Drawing program will find housing in the friendly village of Auvillar, in southern France, in the Midi-Pyrenees region near Toulouse. The studios and housing for students, the Moulin à Nef, hosted by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, are ancient renovated port buildings located on the Garonne River and the pilgrimage route to Spain. We will learn about “The Way of St James” about the pilgrimage route, the Santiago de Compostella will include student interaction/interview of the contemporary pilgrims.
The courses will consist of intensive painting and rigorous drawing on the landscape and in the teaching studio-classroom Monday through Friday. There will be weekend excursions to nearby museums, such as Musee Ingres in Montauban and The Augustins in Toulouse.
Students will enroll for a total of 6 credit hours.
Landscape Drawing: An introductory to intermediate course with problems stressing the skills, approaches and concepts involved in drawing. Composed of problems in landscape, perspective, figure and still life with emphasis on composition and expressive possibilities. Basic skills will evolve into more complex problems utilizing a variety of media including pencil, conte, charcoal and experimental materials. Students will work in small groups with the instructor both indoors and in the field, ending each day with critiques in the studio facility. Outdoor on-site drawing sessions will encourage students to interact with the local community and build appreciation for the  culture. Evening and weekend sessions will be devoted to looking at the drawings of Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Dominique Ingres and others. The group will take weekend excursions to near by museums, Musee Ingres in Montauban and The Augustins in Toulouse.
Landscape Painting: This course extends previous practice with design and drawing through daily experiences in painting. Introduction of materials and techniques in oil or acrylic painting with attention given to composition, setting up a palette, color mixing and paint mediums. Daily on-site focused painting sessions, (“one-shots”), and will lead to more complex paintings built on longer sessions and repeated visits to one site. Attention will be given to compositional structure, value as color, use of space and re-drawing of form. The “plein air” experience will allow for interaction and connection with the local culture and build understanding with the inhabitants of the region. Weekend visits to regional museums will enhance appreciation for well-known leading artists such as Toulouse Lautrec, Dominique Ingres, Eugene Delacroix and others.
Instructional methods include lectures, field work, journal assignment and/or papers and tests/exams.
Tentative course offerings:
- ART 392— Art Elective: Landscape Drawing (3)
- ART 392— Art Elective: Landscape Painting (3)
Knowledge of the French language is not required, though of course it may be useful to you.
Accommodations
 Our accommodations will be in the beautiful village of Auvillar. For more information about the studios, please visit the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts web site at http://www.vcca.com/manstudios.html. French cuisine will be provided for lunch and dinner (included in the program cost). In addition to your course work, we will also take two guided train trips to nearby museums, also included in the program cost. Transportation will be provided for you to and from the Toulouse airport to the village of Auvillar.
Program Costs
For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.
Application
For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.
In addition to the application form, students should submit an essay and letter of recommendation from an instructor, and students must arrange a meeting with Professor Carbrey to show some examples of their artwork.
For More Information
For additional information about the Painting and Drawing in Southern France program, please contact the program director:
Agnes Carbrey
School of Art and Art History
Tel:
540-463-5747
E-mail: carbreax@jmu.edu
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