Art Classes

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late summer - ongoing classes

Plein Air Oil Painting
Experience the thrill, exhilaration, and challenge of painting outdoors. This class is held on location with an instructor discussion and demo of subject matter, paint application, color, perspective and so much more! Instructor will guide students through the location painting process. 1st class meets on location at Arana Gulch. (See map at SCAL) Level: Some painting experience necessary. Offered: Wednesdays August 11, 18, 25 & Sept 1 Time: 9:30-12:30 Fee: $145 / $125 Members. Instructor: Barbara Bailey-Porter has been a painting instructor at S.F. Academy of Art (where she received a Masters in Fine Arts), Cabrillo and DeAnza. She taught through the Santa Cruz City School District and has been a Spectra Artist in the gifted and talented program in the past. An Open Studio artist, her work is found in many collections.

Painting Workshop
All painting media and levels of experience welcome. Learn the principles that will make your paintings come to life in a workshop filled with enthusiastic coaching. Using still life, discover what really matters and how to analyze and fix problems as they arise. Watch your work take on a new vibrancy and light. Level: All Offered: 6 Weds. starting August 11 Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm Fee: $145 / $125 Members. Students say “Bill is an absolute font of knowledge. Instructor: W. DOWNEY DYER. a fulltime professional artist with over 20 years experience as a gallery and frame shop owner, Bill studied 8 years privately with foremost impressionist Don Hatfield; an Open Studio artist who has exhibited widely.

Beyond Basic - Bead & Wire Jewelry
In this class we will explore jewelry techniques using wire, beads and found objects. Participants will learn wire-working techniques from basic loops and wraps to more complex patterned chain links and elements. Basic tools will be provided for use during the class. Materials Fee: $20.00 (collected 1st Class) Levels: All Offered: 3 Mondays beginning August 2 Time:1:00- 4:00pm Fee: $74/ $64 -Members Instructor: Melissa Offutt A list of additional recommended tools and materials will be provided, and some will be available for purchase from the instructor. You can leave this class with several finished jewelry pieces and the knowledge needed to create more. Instructor Melissa Offutt is a practicing jewelry designer with bachelor’s degrees in Fine Art and Art Education as well as an Art Teaching Credential from San Jose State University.

Jewelry - Metalwork Without Soldering!
Have you been making bead and wire jewelry and feel ready to move up to the next level? In this class we will explore jewelry techniques using mechanical and other cold connection fabrication. Working with copper and sterling silver sheet and wire, beads, found objects and collage, participants will learn basic metalworking techniques from sawing and drilling to connections made from rivets, bolts and various other mechanical (non-soldered) attachments. Basic tools will be provided for use during the class. Materials Fee: $20.00 (collected 1st Class) Levels: All Offered: 3 Mondays beginning August 23 Time:1:00- 4:00pm Fee: $74/ $64 -Members Instructor: Melissa Offutt A list of additional recommended tools and materials will be provided, and some will be available for purchase from the instructor. You will leave this class with the knowledge needed to go home and make jewelry as well as some finished pieces. Instructor Melissa Offutt is a practicing jewelry designer with bachelor’s degrees in Fine Art and Art Education as well as an Art Teaching Credential from San Jose State University.

Watercolor
This class is geared for all levels. The main objective is to improve your skills, while having fun. Guided projects are a portion of each class session. Also covered areas are: How not to make mud, mixing greens that sing, and what makes a good composition. Bring your materials, ready to paint, and a sense of humor.. Levels: All Offered: 6 Thursdays beginning August 12 Time:1:00- 4:00pm Fee: $145/ $125 -Members Instructor: LINDA LORD is a self-trained artist and illustrator with over 10 years teaching experience in her studio and via the SC Watercolor Society; an Open Studio artist whose exhibits include Cozumel, Mexico. Linda also publishes with a decorative art publisher.

Figure & Portrait Painting in Oil
Working from a model, the artist will explore a representational style of figure and portrait painting, with an emphasis on character, composition and color. Traditional oil, water based oil or acrylics may be used, and techniques of drawing, underpainting, and glazing will be demonstrated. Levels: All Offered: 4 Wednesdays beginning Sept. 8 Time:1:00- 4:00pm Fee: $120/ $100-Members Instructor: Dick Bennett painter and teacher, has facilitated MondayNight drawing at the art League for twenty years.

Weekend Workshops

Out in the Air with Watercolor
Join us as we immerse ourselves in a plein air (outdoors) watercolor weekend with instructor Bonni Carver. Bonni will demonstrate her watercolor painting techniques in an outdoor setting and offer personalized guidance throughout the process to each attendee. If you've never painted before or if you just want a fresh perspective, this class is geared to inspire . Offered: July 17&18  Level  All   Time: 9-3:30, please bring lunch Fee: $150 / $130-Members  Instructor: Bonni Carver An Open Studio artist, Bonni is as passionate about teaching others as she is about her own art.  She exhibits her work in the Bay Area and locally,has painted murals in Europe,and has recently composed books of watercolors.

Beginning Precious Metal Clay Workshop
In this 2 day workshop, you'll learn how to create unique jewelry with PMC+.  PMC+ is fine silver suspended in a non-toxic clay-like medium. During the class, Joyce will demonstrate how to work with the PMC+ emphasizing proper construction techniques. In the hands-on portion, you will be guided on the process of working with PMC+ including layering and adding textures, creating bails, setting cz's to fire in place, kiln firing and finishing techniques. You will leave the workshop with finished jewelry.   All necessary tools will be available for in class use, however tool kits for home use and additional PMC+ will be available for purchase from the instructor. Offered: July 24 & 25  Level  Beginners  Time: 9-3:30, please bring lunch Fee: $150 / $130-Members Material fee: $50  Instructor: Joyce Chadderdon is a Rio-certified PMC instructor with many years of PMC and jewelry fabrication experience. Class size limited to 10 participants.

Loose and Lively!  - Acrylic
This will be a fun inspiring and invigorating class to help you loosen up and paint freely and expressively in acrylics.  We will be working on small paintings to develop both skill and intuition in the painting process.Learn how to work with dynamic color and composition with lots of demos and hands on painting time.  Levels: All  Offered: August 14 & 15 Time: 9:30-3:30  Fee: $150/$130 Members  Instructor:  SUSAN DORF received her BFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco  She exhibits her work throughout California as well as internationally. She has been published in books, calendars, and posters, and she has taught painting workshops throughout the state and in Europe.

Having Fun Painting the Figure
We will approach the figure from an intuitive place, exploring ways of revealing the emotional nuance of our painting. We work on integrating the figure with the background, while maintaining a feeling of looseness and spontaneity. Whether you want to learn to paint the figure or broaden your skill with new approaches, this acrylic workshop is for you. Levels: All  Offered: August 21 & 22 Time: 9:30-3:30  Fee: $150/$130 Members  Instructor: Sefla Joesph is a full time professional artist and educator with over thirty years experience. She is an Open Studios artist whose work is collected locally and internationally.

Pastel Painting Exploration
Come discover the versatility of the chalk pastel medium. We will cover the basics including choosing surfaces, mark making, color use, pastel brands and their qualities, underpainting techniques and composition. Participants will work on many small studies over the two day period both outdoors and in the studio in this very hands on workshop.Offered: September 11 & 12  Level  All   Time: 9-3:30, please bring lunch Fee: $150 / $130-Members  Instructor: Erika Perloff is a local landscape painter who has been working with pastels for over 10 years. Her work hangs in private and corporate collection and she is a regular participant in Open Studios, the Plein Air Affair and other regional shows. When not outside painting the landscape she teaches classes and workshops to adults and children.

More About Pastel
Want to learn a lot about pastel in a short time? If so, this workshop is for you! It will cover the fundamentals and much more. All levels welcomed. Demos, exercises and critiques included. Claire will bring the reference material for you to work from. Offered: Nov. 6 & 7  Level  All   Time: 9-3:30, please bring lunch Fee: $150 / $130-Members  Instructor: Claire Verbiest’s work appear in national exhibits as well as in national publications such as Splash 4,6,7, The Best of Pastel, Pastel Artist International, Masterstrokes: Pastel and many more.

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