The Sketchbook Practice Workshop, $70

Six Sessions, Beginning April 4

A sketchbook can have many roles in an artist’s practice. In this workshop we are using it as a playground of visual ideas, a place to let your muse take over, and a workhorse for developing drawing, painting, and collage skills.  It is for nobody else’s eyes but your own, unless you choose to share. No matter what your level of experience is, give your inner artist a little breathing room beginning with The Sketchbook Practice Workshop.  You will get a creative workout, but in a relaxed, supportive setting, where experimentation and play are encouraged. Each of the six lessons offers drawing practice exercises, introduces a new material or technique, and challenges you to work on a particular theme.  The Sketchbook Practice Workshop will give you the tools and the confidence you need to keep creativity in your life!

This workshop is six sessions, one per week, each consisting of illustrated instructions in pdf format, and some including a video demonstration. For the duration of the workshop you will have access to a group blog in which you can post your work, comments, questions, etc. In addition, you can e-mail me at any time with questions and comments.

Please read the Policies before purchasing this workshop.

Exploring the Self-Portrait, $70

Six Sessions, Beginning June 6

There is something about self-portraits that is both compelling and intimidating. Have you ever thought about creating self-portraits but recoiled in fear of the idea?  Just what IS a self-portrait?  Does it have to be serious and introspective, revealing your innermost secrets?  Or can it be inquisitive, playful, experimental, or even silly?  In this workshop it can be all of the above.  We will explore the self-portrait through contour drawing, painting, and collage; we’ll deconstruct and reconstruct the self-portrait, create fantasy environments for it, layer one portrait over another, and generally use it as an anchor for discovering the expressive potential of our materials and imaginations.

This workshop is six sessions, one per week, each consisting of illustrated instructions in pdf format, and some including a video demonstration. For the duration of the workshop you will have access to a group blog in which you can post your work, comments, questions, etc. In addition, you can e-mail me at any time with questions and comments.

Please read the Policies before purchasing this workshop.

Six Sessions beginning June 6, $70

Color is one of the most immediate and emotionally affecting elements in visual art, packed with symbolic and cultural associations, personal meaning, and expressive potential. Your choice of colors can make or break a collage, painting, or mixed media piece; even a small change in color can be the key to transforming an otherwise so-so piece into a stunning work of art. In this workshop we will explore color through hands on exercises, learning how to mix them, and how they interact and relate to one another, and how they work in composition. After taking this workshop you will be on your way to making confident color choices and developing your personal color style.

This workshop is six sessions, one per week, each consisting of of illustrated instructions in pdf format, and a video demonstration. For the duration of the workshop you will have access to a group forum in which you can post your work, comments, questions, etc. In addition, you can e-mail me at any time with questions and comments.

Please read the Policies before purchasing this workshop.

Six Sessions, beginning February 15 $70

Composition means the arrangements of elements and their relationships to one another within the frame of your painting or collage (or any art form). You can have all the drawing or painting skill in the world, great subject matter and a fantastic sense of color, but a piece lacking in compositional integrity falls short of its full potential. In this six-session workshop we will explore the elements of composition, such as shape, line, color, value, symmetry, repetition, etc., and engage in creative exercises to discover how to use these elements to create balance and variety within a unified whole. We’ll be using acrylic paint and collage papers/fabrics primarily. All the same principles apply to watercolor, fiber arts, and mixed media, and so forth, but to keep it simple, all the demonstrations are done in acrylic and collage.

This workshop is six sessions, one per week, each consisting of of illustrated instructions in pdf format, and a video demonstration. For the duration of the workshop you will have access to a group forum in which you can post your work, comments, questions, etc. In addition, you can e-mail me at any time with questions and comments.

Please read the Policies before purchasing this workshop.

Text and Image: Telling Stories in Collage

Six Sessions beginning April 4, 2012, $70

Did you ever want to express yourself in words and images to make beautifully expressive collage? In this workshop we will explore the power of image-word relationships by pushing beyond traditional “illustrated text” or “photo with caption” formats into a world of complex layers of meaning, exciting surprises, and personal expression.  We will use found text as well as learn many ways of creating our own text.  Likewise, we’ll incorporate found images, personal photos, altered imagery (including transfers), and our own artwork. We’ll play with fanciful juxtapositions, create mood and atmosphere with color, explore new narrative possibilities, as well as learn basic techniques and principles of collage composition.

This workshop is six sessions, one per week, each consisting of illustrated instructions in pdf format, and some including a video demonstration. For the duration of the workshop you will have access to a group blog in which you can post your work, comments, questions, etc. In addition, you can e-mail me at any time with questions and comments.

Please read the Policies before purchasing this workshop.