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Organising and running courses since 1997
Our new studio lies at the foot of the Apuane mountain range from which white marble (as used by Michelangelo to carve his famous Florentine sculpture of David) is still extracted from the quarries to the north of us above Carrara. The studios are equipped with easels and drawing boards for painters and turntable stands and tools for sculptors. There are both sunny and shady spaces to work in outside and we invite you to join us, as many others have done, for a healthy, relaxing and creative break away from it all. The secluded little valley that houses the studio is surrounded by wooded hills, some cultivated but most left wild. The peace and quiet is usually only broken by birdsong. A short walk up along a footpath through an olive grove takes you to the ruins of a medieval village and a panoramic view of the coastline. We have found a peaceful and harmonious place to live and work in. Our organically grown vegetable garden and the trees weighed down with fruit are untreated with chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Chickens wander freely around the large garden, and doves coo on the roof. Although in a secluded position, we are just 5 minutes drive away from the village of Camaiore, with all its ammenities, including hotels, shops, restaurants, bars, and banks. In nearby Pietrasanta, internationally renown for its bronze foundries and skilled craftsmen who assist in the creation of sculpture for artists such as Botero and Mitoraj, workshops are hidden away in the back streets. The numerous art galleries exhibit often thought provoking sculpture and painting, and each summer a major exhibition in the piazza is dedicated to one artist. We are also only 8km from the coast for a dip in the sea at the end of a productive day in the studio. The local beaches are a popular spot for Italian holiday makers. Along the sea front designer shops co-exist besides bars and seafood restaurants. Pisa is just 30 minutes drive away and, along with Lucca and Florence, easy to reach by public transport.
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Studio Dedalo is an open studio set up to which people from all walks of life can come and use for the period of time that is right for them, exchanging ideas along the way. We have created a place where individuals can come and explore their creativity, in a working studio. A place to make a mess in and not worry about it, a place to revitalise in, by stepping outside of everyday life. A place where artists can come and work, teach or talk about art, life or whatever, over a glass of wine and a plate of salami and fresh figs. We aim to provide a space to create and an experience to be enjoyed with other people with similar interests, in a harmonious atmosphere in a peaceful place. Experience over many years has shown that everyone brings something positive to the situation. The people that come on the summer courses bring a creative energy with them that we find continues to circulate in the air through the winter months. Studio Dedalo is the permanent home of artists Stefano Breschi and Sarah Baker, along with their 2 children and various animals.
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Studio Dedalo founded by Stefano Breschi and Sarah Baker |
Stefano Breschi
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A bit about Sarah I worked in London as a scenic sculptor for 10 years before meeting Stefano, moving to Italy, and co-founding Dedalo Arte in 1997. My particular passion is making figurative sculpture using the coiling technique, and my work is heavily influenced by my own life and Renaissance history. I have been researching the life of Leonardo da Vinci for about 5 years and am writing a factually based novel where I propose an alternative interpretation of his paintings and his life. I mainly take care of the hospitality side and administration of the studio but I also participate in the courses on an informal basis.
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A bit about Stefano After an art training, I worked in the film industry for many years, first drawing animations then creating special effects and lastly as an electrician. I lived in Milan. In 1982 I began a series of journeys in North and South America, China and India. Then I moved to the area of Siena and began to concentrate on making art, whilst collaborating as a restorer and with architects. I partecipated in the founding of Centro d’Arte Dedalo in '97 and began to teach drawing and sculpture (lost wax bronze casting).In this period I was interested in working in metal, and I moved to Camaiore. In 2009, when Sarah and I bought this property, I began to be interested in organic gardening, and to work the earth with my hands. At the moment I make sculpture in terracotta and grow organic vegetables. My current work is based on gravity, opposites as a unity, and the cycle of life. I teach drawing, painting and sculpture.
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From our forum "..and about making art""An essential step is finding a medium in which you can make something of those (your) experiences. A great artist’s work comes from using a material, a means, which he loves..."Ray Tallis, (poet and neuroscientist) in Grayson Perry on Creativity and Imagination on BBC Radio 4 broadcast Tuesday 06/07/2010 add a comment or a quote yourself |
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