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Transform Your Creative Concepts!
Unlock the full potential of your artistic vision by mastering the skills necessary to bring your ideas into reality. These curated workshops are designed to refine your technical abilities across a diverse range of mediums, empowering you to transform your creative concepts into tangible masterpieces.
Make It Pop: Abstraction in Acrylic with Rob Hill
June 3rd – 7th, 2024
Many artists struggle with making their imagery stand out, often feeling stuck in conventional approaches or unsure how to effectively use color and composition to convey their vision. Achieving vibrancy and depth can be especially challenging, particularly when experimenting with abstraction and different textures.
This dynamic painting workshop offers a solution by guiding participants through the exploration of acrylic on panel, focusing on an abstract approach to image-making. By diving into color theory, patterning methods, and the use of masking tape to achieve clean, sharp lines and angles, artists are equipped with the tools to enhance the vibrancy and impact of their work. The emphasis on hard/soft edge painting techniques and layering processes further allows artists to experiment with texture and depth, encouraging a bold departure from traditional methods.
As artists discover personal ways to shape composition and develop a sense of space, they are challenged to step out of their comfort zones, unlocking new possibilities for creativity and expression in their paintings. This workshop not only solves the problem of making imagery pop but also empowers artists to expand their techniques and embrace the versatility of acrylics, ultimately revitalizing their artistic practice.
Rob Hill, a distinguished geometric abstract painter based in Los Angeles, California, has made significant waves in the contemporary art scene. A proud holder of a BFA from the prestigious California College of the Arts, Hill’s innovative approach to art has not only captured the attention of art aficionados worldwide but also earned him features in esteemed publications such as Vogue and The New York Times, as well as prominent events like Art Basel.
For an exclusive peek into Hill’s creative process and to witness the magic of his freestyle painting, Click Here.
Adventures in Dimensional Paper: 3D Pop-Up Books with Simon Arizpe
June 17th – 21st, 2024
Get ready to embark on a crafting adventure, creating enchanting stories through pop-up books. Join Guest Faculty Simon Arizpe, best-selling author of “Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book” and recipient of the prestigious 2018–19 Meggendorfer Prize for pop-up design excellence. Under Simon’s expert guidance, you’ll learn to craft animated masterpieces through the art of pop-up books and paper engineering. Starting with basic materials like cardstock, scissors, tape, and glue, you’ll learn the mechanics of paper, enabling you to create books, foldable art pieces, and dynamic kinetic designs. This workshop is a unique opportunity to weave your personal tales into your projects, resulting in a unique pop-up book.
Get inspired by watching Simon Arizpe’s skill in action with “The Hearthstone Pop-Up Book” video. Imagine the incredible creations you can bring to life, and start your adventure in paper engineering today.
Color: Theory and Practice with Mary Laube
August 5th – 9th, 2024
Many artists find it difficult to accurately perceive, differentiate, and apply colors in a way that truly enhances their work. This can lead to frustration, a lack of depth in artwork, and an overall dissatisfaction with the color dynamics in their projects.
This fundamental painting class will heighten your color perception through the lens of Josef Albers’s color problems and the Munsell Color System. The goal of this workshop is for students to gain a deeper understanding of color relativity, a more efficient and heightened control of paint color, and a stronger appreciation for color as a visual phenomenon.
Mary Laube received her MFA from the University of Iowa. Her recent exhibitions include Ortega y Gasset Projects in New York City, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and Monaco in St. Louis, and her residencies have included Yaddo and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Mary is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee.
Elevate Your Ceramic Artistry: Post-Glaze Techniques with Melanie Sherman
September 2nd – 6th, 2024
In the realm of ceramic arts, the journey post-initial firing is often met with trepidation. Artists may feel stuck with conventional glazing methods that do not fully express their creative vision or personal style. The struggle lies in not only choosing the right techniques and materials to enhance the artwork but also in executing those methods to achieve the desired outcome without compromising the integrity of the piece.
If this sounds like you, perhaps it’s time to refine your work with master post-glaze artist, Melanie Sherman, whose work is celebrated for her patterns and decorative elements. This workshop blends ceramics with imagery, exploring surface decorations using overglazes, metallic lusters, flocking, gold leaf, and more. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to use their own designs with traditional image-transfer techniques. It’s a chance to personalize ceramics, whether they are one’s own creations or store-bought. This course fosters a playful approach, creating connections between two- and three-dimensional elements and engaging in diverse painting techniques, textures, and materials to craft unique works of art.
Discover the finesse of Melanie Sherman’s technique in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVoZ88_p2E8
Featured Workshops
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Reach Out
Are you overwhelmed by workshop options? Or do you know which workshop to take but are unsure about the skill level, faculty, or techniques? Our staff is ready to answer questions and assist in selecting the perfect workshop for your next creative journey. Please feel free to reach out any time and we can point you in the right direction!
Betsy Alwin
Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media
Call: 970-924-5054
Liz Ferrill
Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking
Call: 970-924-5076
Andrea Jenkins Wallace
Artistic Director of Photography and New Media
Call: 970-924-5044