Cet atelier m’a permis d’expérimenter le modelage d’une tête en argile. En suivant le processus du cours, cet exercice a apporté des réponses tangibles à mon questionnement sur les étapes à franchir en ce qui a trait aux volumes, à l’équilibre des formes, de l’ombre et de la lumière sur l’oeuvre finale. J’ai beaucoup apprécié!

Ça fait déjà plusieurs années que je fais de la sculpture sur argile; je travaillais surtout par modelage. Le cours de Philippe Coudari m’a permis de changer la perspective et de travailler par extraction comme si l’on taillait la pierre ou le bois. Je comprends mieux la forme et le volume. Le cours, qui est très conviviale, m’a fait vivre une expérience unique dans le monde merveilleux de la sculpture. Je le recommande fortement!

Mr. Coudari is a “master” in the manner he uses to explain this course. Knowing the art of visual form and color is not given to everyone. But the way he explains it, a simple form becomes a sculpture. Thank you for everything you taught me, it was very interesting and rewarding.

J’ai toujours voulu m’essayer à la sculpture mais j’ai toujours hésité à le faire parce que je n’ai jamais fait d’art. Je me suis sentie bien supportée. L’ambiance est détendue, il n’y a pas de compétitivité, et je ne me sentais pas intimidée par les autres participants plus expérimentés. Le professeur est patient et pédagogue. Je ne m’attendais pas à être capable de faire ce que j’ai fait en une fin de semaine. Ce cours m’a donné confiance dans ma capacité à réussir dans quelque chose de nouveau. Même ma façon de regarder les choses a changé. J’ai tellement aimé l’expérience que j’ai suivi le cours deux fois!

This course has been very rewarding and I recommend it to those who want to learn about sculpture. It allows not only to understand the essential notions of structure and plans but also to refine its sense of observation. You will not look at  sculptures the same way after this course!

This was a rewarding course, which enabled me to understand and see volumes, to forget old habits and to let myself be guided.
These three days have been full of valuable learning. My view of things will never be the same.
Philippe thank you for your patience and your humor! It was very pleasant!
I will always remember: firm yet relax.

He spoke, on his site, of a course off the beaten track. As a couple intrigued by this we began our adventure from Geneva to Montreal.
Everything started with a visit to the studio of the artist Philippe Coudari. We were immediately engaged in the process. There followed three days of dizzying battle, physical and mental, the nose and face sometimes covered with dust from this raw material to be harnessed under the tutelage of a master. He remained riveted on the purpose of the exercise keeping the students on track, always attentive to the progression of one and all, ready to support our unskilled hands. All the necessary explanations were given throughout the process.  It was a marathon of involvement and concentration.  One could ask where it all would end.  The answer is a new horizon opening toward all the prospects of creation, supported by a strong methodological approach. The icing on the cake? At the end of the course the master, based on the participants’ sketches made at the beginning, showed us in a few strokes how to apply the thinking behind the course.  In doing so he demonstrated the potential of the practical application of what we learned, reinforcing our understanding of the course and reminding us that the foundation is and remains the creative act, even when it is awkward.
So, quite simply, many thanks, Philippe, for this adventure and this great class.  Your approach is truly out of the ordinary and a fundamental key to the understanding of sculpture.

I enjoyed the light environment in which the course is given, surrounded by the works of Philippe Coudari. The course is well structured and well explained. The weekend passed very quickly and I was able to forget about everything else. I am very pleased with my sculpture I admire it everyday, sitting on my mantel.  Since this course I am more aware of what sculpture is. My way to look at one in a museum or in a landscape was enriched, I better appreciate the technical and artistic qualities. I recommend this course to anyone willing to devote the necessary time and energy. Finally the price / quality ratio is very worthwhile.

While searching on the net, I came across an art course which was perfect for me.  Being 72 years old and without any training but with a great interest for art in general, I was seduced by the description of a sculpture workshop proposed by the artist-sculptor Philippe Coudari established in Verdun.

I was informed up front that this event took place over 3 consecutive days, on weekends, and, that it was not a creative workshop per se, but a theoretical and practical course aimed at transmitting his method for developing a bust from a block of clay.

But what seduced me and attracted me in an irresistible way, and that decided me to take his workshop, was the work he presented in his website. And how much more moving was the discovery of his actual sculptures whether in bronze, acrylic, or plaster, completed or in development. What wonders, among them are his sculptures: the “Crucified” and the “Genocide.” All these creations are scattered in a vast luminous space in the middle of an orgy of plants, each more exotic than the other, and where there are also spaces used by other artists, painters or sculptors.

Mr. Coudari is an exceptional teacher. First of all, he defines what a sculpture is, then, with the help of screen projected images or with the examples of  his work distributed in the workshop, he explains how the different components of a bust are articulated and how a superb face with classical characteristics will emerge from a block of inert clay.

Then begins the project during which, gradually, according to his instructions and thanks to different instruments whose use he explains to us, we cut piece by piece, him on his block of clay and us on ours, until first a skull appears and then slowly the different parts of the face.                                                                                  

Don’t worry if you are having difficulty, he has extraordinary patience and empathy, repeating when necessary, forgotten or misunderstood information or instructions and sometimes refining an unsuccessful action.

In spite of all the difficulties I experienced, and sometimes a certain discouragement, he was attentive, calm and proved to be an exceptional teacher.

One does not become an artist with this workshop. However, one will understand not only all the work that it requires, but also and especially, the moments of doubt and those of great happiness that a true artist, such as Mr. Coudari, can experience in his creative process.

Thank you

Après avoir suivi le cours de sculpture de Coudari, je ne vois plus ce qui m’entoure de la même façon. J’avais bien touché à l’argile dans le passé … par le biais de la technique du modelage mais jamais à la sculpture. Quelle belle découverte ! J’ai adoré vivre cette expérience ! Peu importe le parcours de chacun, Coudari partage sa passion pour la sculpture et son savoir-faire en guidant chacun de ses élèves tout au long du projet. Tous à vos règles et à vos compas, concentration et écoute, notions anatomiques et mesures, tracés et coupes franches … partir d’un gros bloc et finir avec une tête … que c’est fascinant ! J’aurais aimé avoir la possibilité de suivre un tel cours à l’Université. Non, je ne vois plus les choses de la même façon depuis que j’ai suivi le cours de Coudari et cela va certainement influencer mon travail en peinture.

This course was for me an intense and rewarding experience. I learned as much about structure, volume and plane as I did about myself and my ability to reach a goal. This course made me reconsider my approach as I no longer see sculpture and sculpting in the same way.
Thanks Philippe for your generosity and your hospitality. You are very observant and you knew how to put me at ease. Even though I’ve only been sculpting for a very short time, I felt accepted within the group… This is an important detail given that we spent three consecutive days together.
Finally, I am well pleased to have come across Philippe, a sculptor who does an impressive job of both teaching and sculpting.

It was an intensive weekend for a first experience in sculpting clay. I am pleasantly surprised by the head I made. I especially thank you Philippe for your patience and sharing your passion. Yes, I would do the whole experience again with pleasure!

It’s been several years since I worked in clay by modeling. The course allowed me through Philippe Coudari’s teaching, to change my perspective and work by extracting as if we were carving stone or wood. Now I have a better understanding of shape and volume. The course, which is given in a warm and friendly manner, was for me a unique experience in the wonderful world of sculpture. I highly recommend it!

This 3 day course helped me a lot as I am studying 3D Character Art, the Coudari Method shows you how to understand and break down the 3D space very well! I recommend it to all 3D artists and anyone who is interested in learning 3D, as this helped simplify and give you techniques you can use to know forever in your work!

I always wanted to try my hand at sculpture but I’ve always hesitated to do so because I’ve never done art. I felt well supported. The atmosphere is relaxed, there is no competition, and I did not feel intimidated by the more experienced participants. The teacher is patient and an educator. I did not expect to be able to do what I have done in a weekend. This course gave me confidence in my ability to succeed in something new. Even my way of looking at things has changed. I so enjoyed the experience that I took the course twice!

I recently discover my passion for sculpting but I was intimidated by the perceived complexity of this art form. M. Coudari’s method to simplify lines and planes gave me a solid base and the confidence to start experimenting with more complex pieces.

Le cours avec Philippe Coudari a été un grand défi que je me suis lancée. M’ayant toujours considérée totalement incapable de faire quoi que ce soit avec mes mains, je n’aurais jamais imaginé être capable de faire ce que j’ai fait. En plus, mon sens de l’observation et ma perception des formes se sont développés. Cette fin de semaine intensive m’a donné beaucoup plus que ma belle tête en terre, posée sur mon bureau

I want to thank you for an excellent workshop focused on approaching sculpture of the head as a geometric form.
While you used guides to mark off the head into planes there was a constant emphasis that we were developing a way of looking at any part of the body or even an abstract figure.
You demonstrated how planes reflected light and could be used to draw our attention to specific features even after
the planes were rendered less obvious. Your constant reminders that I used good tool technique were needed. I still need practice. I continue to remind myself that I should stand as if practicing Tai Chi, integrating body, tool and vision.

Thank you very much for your skill, patience and the lunches we shared on your rooftop garden.

Having made a few non-figurative woodcarvings, this training allowed me to better understand the proportions of a face as well as to improve my sense of observation.
The method is very effective and the result surprising.
I recommend this course to anyone who likes the sculpture even if she has ever made.
It also allows me to better appreciate the works in Gallery and Museum.

What a great experience!
This studio, luminous and full of works by the artist, was the perfect setting for a beautiful experience. What a surprise to see my block of clay gradually transform into a splendid head! Thank you Philippe for your kindness, your patience, generosity and technical support.
Beyond the techniques, the shared expertise and passion, your teaching sharpened my perception of form, volume, shadow and light. It even enhanced my way of seeing things in three dimensions.