March 5th, 2010 @ tybeevisit

It’s been thrilling having the China Painters here again on Tybee Island for the 3^rd annual GA Seminars by the Sea Porcelain Painter classes. With the seminar coming to a close on Sunday it’s been a great success this year with 160 students registered and 13 world renowned artists from Portugal, Brazil, Argentina and the U.S. here to teach the sessions. Session topics have included porcelain hand building, roses on vases, Dresden antique and gold plates and portrait painting.

Tybee has become the perfect setting for this seminar as it creates a peaceful and serene backdrop for these artists who are here to improve and learn more about this fascinating art form. The art of china painting also know as porcelain art or china decoration has an extensive history. With its roots going back to early China (hence the name) the China paintings are done with the same attention to design, pattern and visual texture as other forms of painting. The techniques used resemble those of a watercolor artist but the appearance is much like an oil painting. After firing the multiple layers do not bleed into each other as watercolors tend to do.

This year four scholarships were given out, two were given to the Savannah Arts Academy and the remaining two were given to Tybee Arts Association members. The Savannah Arts Academy chose Taylor Graham and Angel Ang while Mary Lou Vandenburg and Alice Gerber were the chosen recipients from the Tybee Arts Association. Congrats!

A special thank you goes out to Tybee Island business owner and resident- Stacye Jarrell with Oceanfront Cottages, the Tybee Arts Association and Suzanne Painter with GA Seminars by the Sea for helping to make this a memorable week for the participants here on Tybee.  Stacye graciously turned some of her Tybee rental properties into studios for the painters and has purchased several special kilns to fire the porcelain pieces so students were able to finish their pieces during the seminar.

Plans are already underway for the 2011 GA Seminars by the Sea Porcelain Painters classes here on Tybee Island so stayed tune. More information can be found at www.gaseminarsbythesea.com.