Past Lessons

Multimedia Still Life Drawing

Part IV of a IV-part lesson

Using Pencil, Watercolor Pencils, Pen and Ink (Calligraphy and Micron Pens)
Watercolor and Ink Washes

This is an opportunity to experiment with many different materials and techniques

(March 2025)

Part III of a IV-part lesson

Learning to “draw what you see” with calligraphy and micron pens

(January 2025)

Pen and Ink

Part II of a IV-part lesson

Playful use of light and contrast, Glass and Grapes

(December 2024)

Charcoal

Part I of a IV-part lesson

Learn to draw what you see using line, shape, and value.

(November 2024)

Graphite Drawing

Linoleum block printing is a form of relief block printing

This was a 2-part study

(August + September 2024)

Linoleum Block Printing

Linoleum is an easily cut, inexpensive material where simple tools and a sense of adventure can create successful relief prints. Relief printing means removing material so that the remaining raised surface is then rolled with ink. The ink is transferred to the paper using pressure. The image is made by what remains, or what is not cut away from the surface. Multiple colors are achieved by layering individually carved “plates”. There are few limits regarding designs when making linocuts. They can be as simple or detailed as the artist chooses.

Understanding Color Theory

Using Watercolors

(June 2024)

Graphite Botanical Drawing

Using graphite pencils

(April 2024)

We will be creating a study of spring plants and bulbs using professional quality graphite pencils. This is the first of a two part lesson. The second lesson, In May, will be using these drawings to create a Botanical Illustration in watercolors.

Using acrylic paints and mediums

(March 2024)

Acrylic Still Life Painting

Students focused on a using a single object to create a simple still life. This allowed for a quick 3 - 4 hour study using acrylic paints and mediums.

Botanical Illustration

Using Graphite Pencils

(October 2023)

Students learned to create artwork using a set of high quality graphite pencils in 12 degrees of hardness. This set is ideal for learning a fundamental understanding and techniques for dynamic graphite drawings.

Linoleum Block Printing

Learn to design and carve a linoleum block

(July & August 2023)

Linoleum block printing is a form of relief block printing. The artist carves an image into the linoleum block, what is left on the surface is rolled in ink and printed.

Floriography

The Language of Flowers

(June 2023)

Dating back to the Victorian times floriography was used as a means of coded communication through various flowers and floral arrangements, allowing people to express their feelings which otherwise could not be spoken.

Japanese Brush Painting
”Writing a Picture”

(May 2023)

The Art of Sumi-e

Japanese brush paintings are created using brushstrokes that are made to produce a likeness or impression of plants and animals, landscapes and skies, birds, fish and insects. Each brushstroke is unique to the artist. The painting will be in your own “handwriting.” Poetry, philosophy, spirituality and harmony play a significant role in the hidden meanings and symbols found in each painting.

Understanding basic Color Theory
Using Acrylic Paints

(April 2023)

“Sweet” Color Theory

Inspired by Artist Wayne Thiebaud
Wayne Thiebaud was an American painter best known for his still lifes of edible treats and everyday objects in his singular illustrative style. His most popular subject matter includes colorful cakes, slices of pie, candy pieces, such as lollipops, and the winding streets of San Francisco.
Similarly to Edward Hopper, Theibaud's paintings capture a uniquely American sensibility, and critics have compared his penchant for still life to painters like Chardin and Giorgio Morandi.
"A conscious decision to eliminate certain details and include selective bits of personal experiences or perceptual nuances, gives the painting more of a multi-dimension than when it is done directly as a visual recording," he reflected.

"This results in a kind of abstraction, and thus avoids the pitfalls of mere decoration."
-Artnet.com

Watercolor Painting Using Masking Fluid

(Capturing The Fall Foliage)
November 2022

In watercolor painting, the whites are not added as paint but are reserved areas of the paper that are not painted on, so the white is the color of the paper. Masking fluid is a liquid latex-based product that is very effective at keeping areas and thin lines white when watercolor paints are applied. The masking fluid prevents the paint from reaching the paper and is later peeled off leaving the white paper beneath untouched.

Linoleum Block Printing

September 2022

Linoleum is an easily cut, inexpensive material where simple tools and a sense of adventure can create successful relief prints. Relief printing means removing material so that the remaining raised surface is then rolled with ink. The ink is transferred to the paper using pressure. The image is made by what remains, or what is not cut away from the surface. Multiple colors are achieved by layering individually carved “plates.” There are few limits regarding designs when making linocuts. They can be as simple or detailed as the artist chooses.

Glazing with Acrylics
A Floral Study

August 2022

Using the compositional and value understanding gained by the “ Grisialle” underpainting color is applied with “Glazing”- meaning using thin layers of color, each allowing the color below to exist adding to the depth and contrast of colors within the painting. “Glazing” is a technique oil painters use to create a transparent layer of paint that usually contains a single pigment. A high portion of medium is used to create the transparent effect. This will alter the colors of the painting and increase luminosity.