ARTIST IN RESIDENCE – Transylvania

If you like to explore endless meadows of Transylvania, look for sweet plants and paint them in the most amazing studio, I can offer you two options. First option is to join me for the master classes in October 2020, and I show you what I know about painting plants and the second option is to apply for the artist-in-residence programme if you are more advanced artist! 

Budding Botanical Artist in Residence

Exploring & drawing Spring flora of southern Transylvania

April 17-30th, 2021

The Copsa Mare botanical artist in residence will be a promising illustrator aged between 18 and 85, fit enough to explore on foot the high wood pasture landscape hereabouts.

You shall work in our art studio in the grounds of our house in Copsa Mare, a tiny farming settlement in the middle of tens of thousands of hectares of oak and beech forests, interspersed with farm grasslands exceptionally rich in flora and fauna. The studio is filled with North light and equipped with a light board, a slant board, a sitting and standing desk, daylight desk lamps, and an internet connection. Bring your own paper, paints and brushes!

We are a founding subscriber to the Transylvania Florilegium, and during your stay with us, you may study this two volume collection of over 120 illustrations of local plants drawn by 35 artists from all around the world, each accompanied by John Akeroyd's text giving scientific details.

You will fund your own travel to Sibiu in Transylvania, where we shall collect you. We shall provide you with food and accommodation. You can choose where you wish to sleep, either in BEE, a mobile bee wagon, or in 142, a village farmhouse within spitting distance of your art studio, or in our house, a former town hall. We shall all take turns in preparing meals. Vegans and vegetarians welcome but bring your own almond milk! We have two dogs (at the moment), a cat and five horses. You will require little money once you arrive in the village (perhaps 50 EUR for the two weeks) as there is almost nothing to buy here apart from eggs, buffalo milk and sheep cheese, and our neighbour's delicious homemade jams. For more details and pictures, please visit www.podart.space.

HOW TO APPLY

Your submission should include a short biography and 5 high quality images of recent illustrations, together with plant name, place, medium and date. In addition, the jurors shall require a statement of how you hope the time spent in Copsa Mare would benefit your art. The jurors will be keen to know how you intend to share the results of your work made here, which should be at least a series of sketches, and within a month of your return home, a completed painting. 

The deadline for submission is December 1st 2020. 

The winner will be announced in early January 2021. 

Our jurors in 2021 are Dorine Plantenga, Anita Walsmit Sachs, Pauline Goldsmith, Isik Guner and Lara Call Gastinger. If would like to apply, please contact James de Candole at james@copsamare.life for an application form. We look forward to your application! Stay well!

James & Rachel de Candole, April 2020