University Level Art Programs on a Beautiful Aegean Island - for Artists from Beginner to Professional.

The Painting classes and Photography courses we offer are designed to allow you to immerse yourself in your artwork and in the life of a Greek Island.

At the Island Center you'll receive individualized instruction in small classes. Our experienced professors and instructors pride themselves on their warm, encouraging teaching style. We motivate our students to do their very best work, while the stunning visual surroundings and cultural differences provide inspiration for artistic exploration. Once you've experienced the Island Center's courses, you'll understand why so many program veterans have returned to Skopelos to continue exploring the paths they have discovered here.

The challenges and delights of exploring a new culture mean that learning at the Island Center is a process that goes beyond class time and fills every moment of the day. Our programs give artists of all levels the opportunity to expand their artistic vision in response to the legendary light and color of the Aegean.

Because the directors of the Island Center are residents of Skopelos, you'll be welcomed to the island not simply as a tourist, but as an invited guest. When you're invited to island festivals and welcomed into village homes, it becomes a doorway into another world and an experience to last a lifetime.

"The program was excellent! Well thought out, well organized and carried out in a warm and friendly manner - I had a wonderful time!"

"Every effort was made to provide for a great experience - and it succeeded!"

"The program was diverse in content, sites, workshops, activities - It was an outstanding, well organized experience."

"The studio portion was obviously fabulous, with a dozen possible paintings at every location; the only problem was figuring out what to paint!"

"An outstanding trip and cultural experience. I knew it would be fun - but never imagined how rewarding this program would be."

"Not only a rich painting experience with an excellent teacher..it more than fulfilled my expectations, especially with the lectures on Greek culture, meeting your friends and being treated like your personal guests."

"A wonderful experience, full of new ideas and new techniques, all enhanced by the beautiful surroundings."

"Highly rewarding and absorbing, one of my outstanding lifetime experiences."

"Full of joy, honor and inspirational for my art!"

"I envy the next group who will be heading over - theyíre in for a great treat!"

Explore the lusciously tactile medium of encaustic painting in a setting that echoes back to its ancient Greek originsÝand simultaneously inspires new directions - the beautiful island of Skopelos. We'll mix the travel experience of a lifetime with an intensive 2 week hands-on workshop that will introduce you to the wax-based painting method of encaustic, combining step-by-step demonstrations with plenty of time for experimentation.

Beginning with an inspiring 2 day visit to Athens that includes a tour the Acropolis and museums, you'll view masterpieces of Greek art and architecture and be introduced to the history of encaustic painting. Then, on the island of Skopelos, we'll dive into an interdisciplinary workshop where you'll master encaustic techniques and create multimedia works that incorporate drawing, painting,Ýcyanotype, digital photography and materials collected and found in Greece. You'll learn to work with painted and etched surfaces, transfers and collage, dipped, poured and assembled elements, as well as presentation techniques unique to the encaustic medium. The encaustic process will lend unusual dimension to your work, add translucent layers and alter the illusion of space. The Mediterranean light and stunning island scenery will transform your imagery and stretch the boundaries of your imagination.

In addition to daily classes from 9am to 1pm, we'll meet again in the evenings from 6pm to 8 pm, for slide presentations, critiques, discussions and a special series of workshops that will introduce you to Greek language, history, cultural and dance. Leave your old ideas behind and open the doors to new processes and a new level of creativity in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Tuition Fee includes double occupancy accommodations (an additional fee of $430 provides single occupancy), encaustic paint and materials, cultural workshops, land travel in Greece, field trips, museum admissions and two group dinners during the program.

Explore the celebrated architecture and art of Greece as you savour the charm of village life on the beautiful island of Skopelos. Weíll begin in Athens at the spectacular Acropolis and ancient Agora, observing firsthand the supreme examples of Classical Greek architecture. Weíll also examine Greek revival, the Neoclassical style that dominated European architecture in the early 19th century. Next, weíll explore the indigenous architecture of Skopelos, where ancient Greek and Byzantine traditions, local materials, and imagination combined to produce an enchanting, distinctive style of its own. Field trips to 16th-century Byzantine monasteries, churches, and traditional homes will enable you to compare the grand ecclesiastic and simple domestic architecture of the region. Youíll have opportunities to speak with local artisans and enjoy a special visit with our guest lecturer, internationally renowned architect/designer Marc Held, at his unique island residence, perched on the cliffs above the sea.

Weíll work to build a unit of study on Greek architecture as a model that can be adapted to fit the architecture of your own city, town, or region. In addition, youíll maintain a journal of sketches andÝwriting as well as create artwork in a variety of media including drawing, painting, photography, collage, and simple printmaking. Frequent cultural workshops will further enrich your experience by offering you an insight into the history, language, and traditions of Greece. Weíll conclude with a visit to the ancient sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, known for its stirring mountain setting and the beauty and diversity of its monuments. Donít miss this once in a lifetime opportunity!

3 college credits and 50 PDPs available

Join Bill Griffiths, master colorist and plein-air painter in the land where legendary Mediterranean light and color come together, on the stunning Greek island of Skopelos. Savour two weeks of painting in your favorite medium, oils, acrylics or watercolors, working on location in spectacular island settings. Field trips will bring you to mountain chapels, Byzantine monasteries and charming fishing ports, where after a day's painting you can enjoy fresh Greek cuisine in a seaside restaurant under the stars. Enjoy Bill's instruction and demonstrations in various media and learn the "Griffiths System", which provides both beginners and advanced students with a remarkably successful approach to rich effective color and a luminous feeling of light. Evening critiques follow the dayís painting session, and on alternate evenings, join in the camaraderie as you participate in a special series of workshops that offer you an insight into Greek history, language, traditions, music and dance. Daily classes begin at 9am and finish at 1pm. We meet again each evening at 6 pm for critique or cultural workshops.

This class begins with an inspiring 2 day visit to the city of Athens, including tours of the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum.ÝWeíll conclude our Greek sojourn with a visit to the ancient sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, known for its stirring mountain setting and the beauty and diversity of its monuments.

Immerse yourself in a hands-on workshop that will foster experimentation and creativity, as the breathtaking landscape of the Aegean offers you new sources of inspiration. We'll explore the latest, easy-to-master printmaking techniques, including photo-intaglio techniques using sunlight exposures and incorporating photographic and digital artwork in combination with hand drawn imagery. You'll be introduced to new, water-based acrylic-etch media that make etching safe and simple.

These innovative methods encourage freedom of expression, and we'll begin the process drawing directly outdoors, taking advantage of the beautiful island landscape. We'll experiment with printing techniques using traditional and water-based etching inks to introduce color to your images. Detailed course notes will provide you with information on equipment and materials, so you can organize your own studio and continue to work with these creative techniques. This workshop is ideal for artists with no previous etching experience and for those who want to master these truly revolutionary printmaking processes.

Daily class time will include practical workshops, demonstrations, lectures, individual and group critiques. A special series of cultural workshops will further enrich your experience by offering you an insight into Greek history, language and traditions. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Classes begin at 9 am and finish at 1 pm. We'll meet again at 6 pm for extra studio time, demonstrations, cultural workshops or organized social activities and field trips.