The term “spiritual” education might suggest an approach lacking practical substance, leaning more towards mystical or philosophical speculation than technical training, as can be observed in many educational settings.
At our Institute, we seek to teach the practical and expressive procedures associated with each medium of communication and expression. These techniques aim to produce an artwork that first meets the challenges of its execution. Creating a work of art cannot be separated from the craft required to give it form. Yet craftsmanship must be accompanied by the development of a particular personal sensitivity, which we consider far more complex than technical skill alone. We call this sensitivity the artist-craftsperson’s ability to bring their creations to life.
In addition to passing on craft techniques and working methods, our teaching helps students learn to use them as a language. We know that becoming a good writer requires more than correct spelling and grammar: one must also develop a personal language, a unique and unrepeatable form of expression. Learning techniques is only the first step towards an artistic profession. What follows is a journey, more inward than outward, in which the aspiring artist discovers their own expressive character.
The aim, therefore, is to understand not only the alphabet of painting but also how to use it appropriately in the service of one’s personality.
For this reason, our courses and seminars provide knowledge that helps participants understand:
1. the media (pastels, charcoal, oils, etc.) and their nature;
2. how these media can be used, including what they can and cannot achieve for representational purposes;
3. visual language (form, space, colour, light and textures);
4. expressive and communicative motivations (what one wishes to convey through this language);
5. the inseparable relationship between forms and content.
Art cannot be reduced to theory: experimentation is essential. The more a person experiments, the more their knowledge grows. The more attentively they experiment, the faster they learn. And the more opportunities they have to compare their experience with that of others, the more their growth takes place through communication as well as personal expression.
Our courses are not purely theoretical. Through a wide variety of exercises, supported by theoretical insights, students are guided to discover the foundations of art within themselves. We hope that these experiences will foster not only technical, linguistic and expressive development, but also the spiritual growth of each person and of their works.
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