Category: Weekend Workshop

(ON SITE) Creative Acrylic Painting

Participants will enjoy a class where they will be introduced to basic techniques, experiment with the acrylic medium, and create an art piece in their own unique style!

In this class you will learn:
1. How to use acrylic paint and how to use water to make it as thick as oil painting or as thin as watercolor.
2. The advantages of working with acrylic paint
3.To play with Acrylic paints

Heejin Lee is based at the Tannery Arts Center and has an undergrad in Fine Arts, graduate work in Art History, and an Art Education certificate. Originally from Korea, Heejin fell in love with art as a kid and has since cultivated a lifelong life passion for creating deeply expressive paintings and teaching others how to do the same. Heejin enjoys to share art experiences with others: it’s satisfying to her to encourage and inspire people in their creative experiences.

ON SITE & OUTDOORS Urban Sketching

This will be a full day of learning urban sketching for fun. Urban sketching and sketch crawling are now being practiced worldwide. This enjoyable day should prepare you for a lifetime of outdoor drawing pleasure. It will give you great ideas for improving and practicing your drawing skills in public–here at home or when you travel to other urban settings in the world.  Most of the day will be spent practicing drawing outdoors. Bring your lunch to the class. We will eat our lunch when we are hungry giving us more time to practice our urban sketching skills.

 

Please plan to add watercolor you your drawings so bring a travel watercolor pan set. We will use my book, The Pocket Drawing Book, as a guide to the exercises presented. Bring your copy of this book to the workshop if you have it.

 

You will learn:

  • short and easy practice exercises for drawing urban subjects.
  • 22 tips on how to draw or paint in comfort in a public place
  • ways to add watercolor to your line drawings
  • how to draw quickly and easily with confidence
  • how to include people, trees and other outdoor things.
  • simple and impressive drawing techniques, including hatching and shading
  • which pens to use with watercolor

 

This day of urban sketching is designed to get you drawing anywhere and loving it.  No matter what your skill or background, this workshop will have you drawing more often.

Robert Regis Dvorák has been making drawing and watercolor fun and easy to learn for 35 years. He is an artist and popular speaker on subjects of creativity in education and business.  He has authored and illustrated six books on drawing and watercolor painting subjects:  Travel Drawing and Painting, Drawing without Fear, Experiential Drawing, The Practice of Drawing as Meditation, The Magic of Drawing, and The Pocket Drawing Book.

Materials List: Bring your lunch and wear comfortable clothes. If you can, bring a small stool or folding chair that is easy to carry. Bring a travel watercolor set so you can add color to your drawings. If you would like a copy of The Pocket Drawing Book it is $12.95 plus tax, The Pocket Drawing Pad is $7.95 plus tax. A $5 materials fee will cover two drawing pens and handouts materials.

 

(ON SITE) The Art of Selling Art

Just in time for Open Studios! Selling art, your own or other artists’ is easy when you know how!

This workshop will cover:

— prospecting for clients                   — referrals

— developing rapport                        — planning sales meetings and phone calls

— telephone techniques                   — emotions–how to use them

— what not to say or do                     — closing secrets

— what questions to ask                    — what words to use

— the body of work                             — artist’s statements

— presentations                                   — pricing the art

— portfolio on phone or pad           — art gallery selling

— internet selling                                 — studio selling

This is a comprehensive sales program oriented to the individual artist and art dealer.  Be prepared for an exciting, fun-filled day of lively lecture and in-class games.  You will learn how to sell art to individual clients, collectors, and corporations.  Robert Dvořák, a successful California artist, will demonstrate what works and what doesn’t work so that, by the end of the workshop, you can begin selling–and prospering–immediately, with confidence and self-assurance.

Please bring a pen and one artwork, which is framed or mounted and available for sale.  Frequently, sales take place in this class.

Materials: You will receive a comprehensive handout. Robert’s book SELLING ART 101 will be available for $20, until the last copy is sold. Just a few left.

Robert Regis Dvorák  is the author of the book, Selling Art 101.  He has been teaching The Art of Selling Art to artists, art representatives, and art gallery sales people for 35 years.  His paintings and prints and films are part of many individual, corporate, and institutional collections.

 

 

 

 

(ONSITE) Painting Abstract Watercolors

Have fun creating rich, colorful, abstract paintings. In this creative workshop you will learn the most important criteria for any successful painting. This could be the most valuable watercolor workshop you will ever take. It will make you see all your painting endeavors as abstract compositions, full of energy, drama, light, and color. Using a variety of creative watercolor techniques you will paint beautiful abstract paintings. You will learn:
  • how to create new ideas for paintings
  • exciting ways to experiment with watercolor
  • a variety of composition secrets
  • how to exaggerate your colors
  • how to create drama
  • masking, brush techniques, and alternatives to the brush
  • the correct use of sprays and spatters to create colorful textures.
You will watch step-by-step painting demonstrations, try them, and come away from the class with many new ways to create your own abstract watercolor paintings. Beginning students as well as those with previous watercolor instruction will find this class new, valuable and exciting with more content in one day than you have experienced before.
With a series of easy exercises you will paint beautiful abstract paintings. Painting in watercolor is easy when you trust your ability to create and find opportunities for personal discovery, expression, and invention. In a relaxed safe painting environment you will learn to use your imagination to deliberately paint abstract watercolors.
Bring your watercolor painting materials.  A materials fee of $15 will be collected when you register for the workshop for your watercolor paper, a mouth atomizer, a color handout, and other materials to be supplied.  Bring a cotton rag and a water-container to class.
MATERIALS
Required:
Binder clips—at least two medium size to hold watercolor paper steady.
A 9” x 12” backing board. I will have some for those who don’t have them.
Brushes–Watercolor brushes–recommend a small round and a large round and a large flat (A number 10 or 12 or a Chinese calligraphy brush. I will have some of these for $6)
Hake brush or a flat watercolor brush, 1” or larger. I will have these also for $4.
Two HB No. 2 yellow pencils that are sharp.
All your watercolor supplies
Watercolor palette filled with watercolor paint.  Ready to paint. Bring the colors you like to use.
Rag–absorbent cotton to control the amount of water on your brush. Don’t use a tissue for this.
Spray bottle for misting water onto a painting
Tissues for lightening colors or removing paint from the paper. Don’t use your rag for this.
Tooth brush for spattering paint
Water bottle for drinking.
Water container for painting—wide top with a water tight cover full to the top with water.
Watercolors—Robert will use: Permanent Rose or Quinacridone Rose, Vermilion, Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna, Aureolin or Azo Yellow, Viridian Green or Hookers Green, Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue or Phthalo Blue, Burnt Sienna. You do not have to use the same colors unless you want to. Have your palette ready. Bring colors you like to use.
Watercolor paper not be furnished—have one sheet 22” x 30” 140 lb cold press paper. You will tear the full sheet down to 7.5 x 11 inch sheet sizes.
Working clothes–please don’t wear white unless they are your painting clothes. Watercolor stains clothes.
Suggestions—not required:
Hair Drier–Only if you have one and would be willing to share it with the class.
Brushes–other brushes you might have such as different sizes of Hake brushes or Chinese brushes.
Support local business: purchase class supplies at Lenz Arts.

(ONSITE & OUTDOORS) Drawing Out & About

This will be a full day of learning to draw for fun. Urban sketching and sketch crawling are now being practiced worldwide. This enjoyable day should prepare you for a lifetime of outdoor drawing pleasure. It will give you great ideas for improving and practicing your drawing skills in public–when you travel or just when you are out and about at home.  Most of the day will be spent practicing drawing outdoors. Bring your lunch to the class. We will eat our lunch when we are hungry. The less time for lunch the more time we will have to practice our “drawing out and about” skills.
If you would like to add color to your drawings, bring a travel watercolor set, a brush and a small water container. We will use my book, The Pocket Drawing Book, as a guide to the exercises presented. Bring your copy of this book to the workshop if you have it.
You will learn:
  • short and easy practice exercises for drawing people and architecture
  • 22 tips on how to draw or paint in comfort in a public place
  • ways to add watercolor to your line drawings
  • how to draw quickly and easily with confidence
  • how to draw people, places, faces, spaces, trees and other outdoor things.
  • simple and impressive drawing techniques, including hatching and shading
  • which pens to use with watercolor
This day of hands-on drawing is designed to get you drawing daily anywhere and loving it.  No matter what your skill or background, this workshop will have you drawing more and often.
Materials:  Bring your lunch and wear comfortable clothes. If you can, bring a small stool or folding chair that is easy to carry. Bring a travel watercolor set if you want to add color to your drawings. The materials fee of $25 includes:  The Pocket Drawing Book, The Pocket Drawing Pad 4X5, handouts and drawing instruments. If you already have some or all of these items, bring them to the workshop and save some or all of the materials fee.
Instructor:  Robert Regis Dvorák has been making drawing and watercolor fun and easy to learn for 35 years. He is an artist and popular speaker on subjects of creativity in education and business.  He has authored and illustrated six books on drawing and watercolor painting subjects:  Travel Drawing and Painting, Drawing without Fear, Experiential Drawing, The Practice of Drawing as Meditation, The Magic of Drawing, and The Pocket Drawing Book.

(LIVE ONLINE) Cityscape Painting With A Palette Knife

In this workshop you are welcome to use oils or acrylics.
In this Zoom class students will paint a San Francisco cityscape from photographs along with the instructor. The use of a palette knife is encouraged but not required. Instructor will demonstrate each step of painting a cityscape in a loose and painterly style. Perspective,  atmosphere, color, brush strokes, paint application, composition and so much more will be discussed. Barbara ‘s class is guarenteed to be fun and informative.  Students have the opportunity to complete a small colorful painting in oil or acrylic.

(LIVE ONLINE) Saturday Oil Studio: Harbor Scene

Learn how to paint boats in the harbor in this fun and relaxing class. Editing out, atmosphere, color mixing, brush control, value choices, composition and much more will be discussed.  This is a simple, loose, and colorful approach to painting a boats and water with instructor demonstration. Lots of Q&A time. Feedback will be given throughout class time when needed. Students will be able to complete a small painting.  Barbara offers a critique via email after class is complete and students have had time to touch-up their painting.

Barbara Bailey-Porter holds a Masters of Fine Art Degree and is a lifelong oil painter.  She has taught painting at The Academy of Art University, Cabrillo College Extension program, DeAnza College, as well as at Santa Cruz City Schools. Barbara began seriously studying painting at age 17 with, then well-known, local plein air painter/instructor Jon Blanchette. Barbara is 5th generation Santa Cruzan.

(LIVE ONLINE 4YOUTH) Anatomy Sketching in Ink

Do you feel afraid of drawing in ink? What if you make a mistake? What if the drawing doesn’t turn out the way you wanted? These are all real struggles between experienced and novice artists alike, but there are ways to gain more confidence in drawing. And to acquire that strength, you need to take a plunge!

In this class, you will learn to:

  • Draw with more fluidity and expression
  • Abandon the dated notion of perfection
  • Start a drawing without the fear of starting
  • Draw from observation with more ease

In this hands-on class, all you need is a pen and paper. Of course you can bring in other types of ink media. Brush pens, fountain pens with different kinds of nibs, even brush and ink is acceptable. You will draw from a range of reference images provided by your instructor and practice drawing at different time intervals and build your confidence in drawing quickly and without fear.

This class will help you break out of the fear mentality and to embrace imperfection.

Beginners and more advanced students are welcomed. We will engage with a range of drawing exercises that acts as great practice for all stages.

Materials:

Canson XL mix media sketchbook, 11” by 14”. Available on Amazon

Sakura Pigma Micron 6 count pen set

Pentel

Pocket Brush Pen, Buy Local at Lenz Arts  or online if you are not in Santa Cruz County.

Instructor: Malisa Suchanya is an illustrator and teaching artist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her love for drawing and painting blossomed when she was a young teenager living in Singapore. She learned to draw by copying and practicing for many years before studying art formally. She has a Bachelors Degree in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Masters in Art Education from the Academy Of Art University in San Francisco.

(LIVE ONLINE) Oil Painting for Beginners

This is your opportunity to learn Barbara’s oil painting techniques from beginning to end.  Topics covered will include (but not limited to)  palette organization, color mixing, brush control, value, perspective, atmosphere, composition and so much more.  In the first session Barbara will demonstrate using a still life photograph as reference to learn the basic building blocks of composition, depth, value and color.  In the second class session Barbara will demonstrate again, this time using a landscape photograph.  Students either paint along during class or watch and listen to the demonstration, then paint on their own. Barbara will provide help and feedback during the demo as needed and offers a post-class email critique to all students. This class is guaranteed to be fun!

(LIVE ONLINE) Painting The Landscape With A Palette Knife

Painting with a palette knife is like sculpting with paint. Students should be prepared to use a lot of paint in a thick, loose, abstracted style, editing out a lot of detail. Atmosphere, color mixing, brush control, value choices, composition and much more will be discussed.  Instructor demonstration and Q&A. Feedback will be give if time permits. Students will be able to complete a small painting.

Barbara Bailey-Porter holds a Masters of Fine Art Degree and is a lifelong oil painter.  She has taught painting at The Academy of Art University, Cabrillo College Extension program, DeAnza College, as well as at Santa Cruz City Schools. Barbara is 5th generation Santa Cruzan and began seriously studying painting at age 17.