Painting, Drawing & Pastels

Date: Saturday, September 21

Time: 1 - 5 pm

Ages: 18+   # of Students: Min. 5 / Max. 12

Instructor: Laurie Basham 

Skill Level: Beginner-Advanced 

Cost*: $95 member / $115 nonmember

Supplies to Bring to Class: 

• 9x12 sanded paper Lux archival, Pastel Premier, or mounted Uart
• Soft pastels (hard and soft pastels), including neutrals
• Faber-Castell and Richeson Hand Rolled are decent brands to purchase

Registration Deadline: September 18 by 4 pm

Description:  Create a bold, powerful floral still life with pastelist Laurie Basham! During this one-day workshop, Laurie will share her floral pastel painting process and guide you in exploring color and intuitive mark-making to create your own floral still life. She will demonstrate a larger still-life painting using a value block-in technique with hard pastels. Laurie will also include a brief demo on pan-pastels.

Students can expect to: 

~Explore various techniques to experiment with composition and colors on a chosen still-life image. Laurie will pre-approve your image. 

~Create value thumbnails from their images and create several small, quick color studies in at least two color schemes.

~Learn the stages of the painting, developing the lights, darks, and midtones.

~Receive personal guidance from Laurie as she circulates the classroom.

~Share and discuss artwork created. 

*Students must enroll by the registration deadline. We do not accept walk-ins (no exceptions).

The price listed at registration is for non-members. Members must log in to the membership portal to receive the member discount. You will be prompted at registration. 

Date: Sat, Sep 28 and Sunday, Sep 29

Time: 4-6 pm each day

Ages: 18+  # of Students: Min. 5 / Max. 8

Instructor: Mark Stephenson 

Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Cost**: $95 member / $115 nonmember

*Includes live model

Registration Deadline: September 25 by 4 pm

Description:

From a distance, we recognize the people we know. This is not because we see their eyes or any other detail; it is that the overall form is recognized. By learning to establish the form using only middle values and color, the painter will be well on the way to creating a painting that is full of life yet still painterly.

The class will begin with a brief demo and discussion of the skills to be learned. The goal is to relax and enjoy seeing, understanding, and manipulating the paint. Striving to achieve a perfect likeness is unnecessary, which will liberate the artist. Aiming for accurate likeness will come much later, but it will not be the goal in the class. 

It will be shown that if the values and color are placed well, the underlying form will begin to emerge. We will not be afraid to wipe the canvas and start again many times if needed. John Singer Sargent was known to have wiped a canvas clean of a day’s work many times before he “got it.” This also keeps the freshness and illusion of spontaneity in the painting, things all painters need to allow of themselves. 

As a teacher, Mark’s biggest effort will be to encourage the students to allow themselves the freedom to take risks and realize the great reward that can be had, which is why we paint.

Mark will also bring some examples of paintings by others that indicate the methods demonstrated and learned in the class.

Supplies to bring to class: 

• A large wooded palette that has had a coat of shellac.
• Oil Paint- Large tubes: Reds can be a venetian red or cadmium red medium (pure or hue or similar). Blue can be ultramarine. Yellow can be yellow ochre or cadmium yellow medium (pure or hue or similar). White is titanium white.
• Canvases- No smaller than 20 x 16 and up to 24 x 20. Ideally, they should be toned to a thin bluish gray made with burnt umber and ultramarine blue and allowed to dry (usually overnight), but toning is not absolutely necessary. Expect to use one canvas each class session. You can use more if you need.
• Brushes: Long-handled brights or filberts, no smaller than a No. 6 or even an 8, but no larger than a 10. Use three or four brushes. The higher the quality of the brush, the easier it is to handle the paint.
• Gamsol paint thinner in a proper container.
• Old tee-shirts for rags. Paper towels if you prefer but rags are better for wiping brushes.

**Students must enroll by the registration deadline. We do not accept walk-ins (no exceptions).

The price listed at registration is for non-members. Members must log in to the membership portal to receive the member discount. You will be prompted at registration.

Date: Mon, Oct 7 and Wed, Oct 9

Time: 6- 8 pm each day

Ages: 18+  # of Students: Min. 5 / Max. 8

Instructor: Mark Stephenson 

Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Cost*: $95 member / $115 nonmembers.

*Includes live model.

Registration Deadline: October 4 by 4 pm

Description: 

The drawing artist will learn to see and find the overlapping volumes that give form, and with gestures, give movement and life to the drawing. In a drawing class, Mark will demonstrate, indicate, and encourage. He will emphasize that the goal is not to make a finished drawing but to explore, experiment, and create in a positive, safe environment. Seeing, understanding, and attempting to translate onto paper is what is important, with the ultimate goal in or out of class being not to reproduce a copy of what is seen but to create a unique work of art filled with life and energy.

Supplies to bring to class: 

• Willow/vine charcoal (round) of medium to large sizes (medium to extra thick)
• Newsprint
• Drawing board large enough to securely hold the paper.
• Kneaded eraser
• Come knowing that your hands will get dirty and will be part of the creative process, so bring a cloth to wipe your hands if needed.
• Optional: Compressed charcoal (large/square) if desired
• Optional: Strathmore 300 series drawing pad (18x24 inches)- or similar

*Students must enroll by the registration deadline. We do not accept walk-ins (no exceptions).

The price listed at registration is for non-members. Members must log in to the membership portal to receive the member discount. You will be prompted at registration.

Date: Saturday, October 19

Time: 1-5 pm

Ages: 18+  # of Students: Min. 5 / Max. 12

Instructor Name: Umayal Annamalai

Skill Level: Beginner - Intermediate

Cost*: $95 member / $115 nonmember

Supplies to Bring to Class: 

• Watercolor pencils or markers
• White pastel pencil, white posca markers
• Tracing sheets
• Canson Mixed media paper/pad 8 x 10”
• Sketchbook or journal to practice drawing kolams 
• Acrylic paint (your choice of colors) 
• Paint brushes (a couple of flat & round)
• Sponges

Description: 

This immersive experience combines the freedom of abstract painting with the precision

and spiritual resonance of sacred geometry, offering a unique journey of artistic and

personal exploration.

Students can expect to:

~ Explore  The world of sacred geometry, learning about its significance and how these timeless patterns can harmonize your mind, body, and spirit. 

~Create a dynamic abstract background. Using sponges and various tools, explore different textures and techniques, allowing your creative juices to flow freely. This initial step is about embracing spontaneity and expressing your emotions on canvas without inhibition.

~Add sacred geometry to their abstract painting for final completion.

~Engage in mindful practices that connect you deeper with your artistic process. Reflect on the harmony between the abstract and the geometric and how this mirrors your life's balance. 

*Students must enroll by the registration deadline. We do not accept walk-ins (no exceptions).

The price listed at registration is for non-members. Members must log in to the membership portal to receive the member discount. You will be prompted at registration. 

Date: Saturdays, Nov 2 and Nov 9 

Time: 11:30-3:30 pm

Ages: 18+    # of Students: Min. 5 / Max. 8 

Instructor: Felicia van Bork 

Skill Level: Beginner-Advanced 

Cost: $300 member / $320 nonmember

Supplies: The supply list will be shared via email after registration.

Registration Deadline: October 30 by 4 pm

Description: 

The Liberated Brush is a two-day acrylic painting workshop with portraits as the subject matter. Experienced artist and instructor Felicia van Bork leads artists of all levels through one "aha moment" after another during this very interactive workshop!

Felicia helps each student to find their unique path as an artist. She aims to create a safe, joyful environment in which participants bond as they help each other in the business of self-discovery. She believes nuggets are better than lectures, and students learn most from two things: each other's efforts and intelligent praise.

Don’t miss out on this unique learning experience! The workshop has consistently earned rave reviews: "Life changing!", “Beautifully and thoughtfully organized so activities flowed from one to another without a hitch."

*Students must enroll by the registration deadline. We do not accept walk-ins (no exceptions).

The price listed at registration is for non-members. Members must log in to the membership portal to receive the member discount. You will be prompted at registration.