The first year of Cembra is over and we’re back from holidays, bearing the same feeling that many people are probably experiencing these times. A kind of enthusiasm mixed with the pressure to set things in motion. We don’t want new beginnings and we will not trace a boundary line between the last year and this one. We just want the story to go on and find the throughline that connects every stage of Cembra’s work.
In 2021 we witnessed the birth of a community around the school and we grew up together. We understood what brought you and kept you here with us, and we turned our attention to those subjects that would deserve a broader context to expand. We made a promise to ourselves that in 2022 we’ll bring more special guests to Cembra, artists whose stories of becoming can give voice and direction to all of you who come to us hoping to find themselves.
At the same time, we also want to welcome a different kind of public here, who has been waiting for us to clear out our agenda. We are talking about children and a series of painting and drawing courses dedicated to them. We know they deserve a special space for expression and appropriate methods to help them discover their creativity. We will start gradually, with short weekend workshops and hopefully we will manage to shape a group for a summer school program. We have already opened the pre-registration list and we are still awaiting feedback from parents who are interested in such activities for their children. The age group we are targeting, for now, is 10-14 years old. The e-mail address where you can contact us is contact@cembraartschool.com
Last year, although gentler than 2020, left us with cancelled or postponed projects. The botanical art retreat planned for autumn did not happen due to the pandemic situation. However, spring will come with a longing for nature escapades, so we hope to see you again in March, at Cincșor. This time, the retreat is dedicated to femininity and we will celebrate women accordingly, with flowers, through art, from the 7th to the 9th of March. And because we want to rejoice grace and femininity, through floral narratives, vellum will be our medium of choice this time.
Why vellum? Prior to printing, vellum was the primary medium for manuscripts, religious texts, or works of art. Sacred, translucent, delicate and versatile, the vellum is still loved by artists for its excellent archiving properties, but also for the lighting effects, the intensity and vitality rendered to the subjects. In the botanical illustration, all these features of vellum heighten the detail and elegance of the plants at a level incomparable to other mediums.
Inspired by femininity, literature and the poetry of nature, we will slide back in time to discover the experience of vellum painting. Our host will be Cincșor Transylvania Guest House with the old library as the main space of retreatment, inspiration and peace. The workshops will invite you to explore the definitions of femininity in relation to floral symbols and will propose, as a way of expression, the botanical illustration in watercolor, on vellum.
It is not too early to think about gifts for the loved women in your life, and we, at Cembra, always encourage the gift-giving based on experience and creative development. The registration for our botanical art retreat at Cincșor has already started. Reservations can be made directly to our host, here.
As for the other workshops and courses agenda, follow our website, here.
