2016 Winter Class Descriptions-nu photos

 It’s that time of year again when it’s cold outside, the holidays are over, and the doldrums have arrived! This is your opportunity to take that art class you’ve always talked about. Karen Wray Fine Art Studios provides fun, information-­‐packed art classes for adults right here in beautiful Los Alamos. If you want to really learn how to paint, but don’t know where to start, we’re here for you. If you have never tried art or painting and are afraid to try, we can help! We’re located at 166 East Gate Drive, which is right off the Main Hill Road, as soon as you arrive in Los Alamos County. Look for the big gear painted with “Yeaman’s Machine Shop,” and you’re here. Contact Karen at 505-­‐660-­‐6382 or send an email to kewray40@comcast.net for details, registration, and any questions. Sign up today to start your adventure! This is your chance to do something wonderful for you!
Instructor, Karen Wray Saturdays, 9:30-­‐12:30 2/6-­‐4/9 (no class 2/20 & 3/5) $215/8 weeks Beginning I: This class is ideal for the absolute beginner or for those who want to learn the fundamentals of painting. We use oil as a medium because it is very forgivable, dries slowly, and blends easily. Students will learn about the materials, brushes, and surfaces/supports, how to mix paints to make the desired color, brush techniques, how to create the illusion of a 3D form on a 2D surface using values, basic drawing and simple composition, and some atmospheric perspective. Instructor will use demonstrations and discussion, in addition to student’s hands-­‐on experience to introduce basic concepts. You will never see everyday things the same way again! Beginning II: This class is for those students who have already taken the Beginning class or are already familiar with the concepts of values, color temperature, basic drawing, basic composition, and atmospheric perspective. Students will learn how to photograph their own subject or arrange a still life, how to prepare a canvas, work with toned or white canvases, make thumbnail and value studies, and paint! Students must use their own, not-­‐published, photographs. Demonstrations and more in-­‐depth discussions, in addition to lots of student practice, will be presented to reinforce and expand on basic fundamentals. Prepare to have fun, get excited about painting, and see the beauty in everything around you! Intermediate Painting-Oils
Instructor, Karen Wray Tuesdays 9:30-­‐12:30 2/2–3/22 $215/8 weeks More emphasis is placed in this class on building skills and confidence through practice and experimentation. Beginning I and II are highly recommended as prerequisites. Students should have a working knowledge and some experience with basic painting fundamentals. Students will use their own photographs and will work on several paintings at a time. Students will be encouraged to try different color schemes, try different formats, change elements to improve their design, and experiment with other subject matter and designs. I guarantee you will be hooked on painting after this! Watercolor Painting
Instructor, Allen Brown Sundays 1-­‐4pm 2/7-­‐4/8 (no class 3/27) $215/8 weeks As an art form, the application of water-­‐borne pigment to an absorbent paper surface is unique among art media. The concept that the paint will move around by itself is one that necessitates planning and anticipation, and this very often means help getting started. This class is about the techniques and methods that allow the painter to more easily achieve satisfying results, in spite of watercolor's quicksilver nature. Because beginning watercolorists are very often also beginning artists, the class also includes plenty of information about basic art concepts: composition and design, color theory, and how to recognize which images will translate into interesting paintings. Technical information about materials, and well as hints and tips about drawing will also be included. Watercolor is fun once a painter gets the basics, and that idea is why I like to teach this class. Yippee for Yupo
Instructor, Melissa Bartlett Saturday, 2/20 12:30-­‐5pm $75 + $20 supply fee Try a new medium in this fun afternoon workshop. Yupo is a plastic paper that doesn't absorb water-­‐based paint at all. Because of this, acrylic medium stays wet for several hours and there are many exciting effects that can be achieved, such as injecting color, painting wet on wet, heavy brush or finger painting. Textures can be achieved through scraping, or lifting with a sponge. The possibilities are endless. Best of all, if you are unhappy with an area of the painting you can just wipe it completely off and start over. Come join us for a happy afternoon of creative, anything goes experimentation. Jumping For Gelli™
Instructor, Melissa Bartlett Saturday, 3/5 12:30-­‐5pm $75 + $30 supply fee Gelli™ prints are the new creative way to make beautiful acrylic monoprints with very little fuss-­‐-­‐no heavy press, no lining up registers, print multiple colors at once and have a blast. A Gelli™ plate is made of heavy rubbery plastic on which you apply acrylic paint and whatever shapes, or found objects you like. By placing a paper on top and simply rubbing it with your hand you get an image. Paper can be re-­‐printed again and again. Ghost images and colors can appear. There are endless possibilities for creative prints and 'happy' accidents. Come join us for an amazing afternoon exploring this versatile medium. Creative Color/Dynamic Design
Instructor, Melissa Bartlett Wednesdays, 6-­‐8:30pm 4/6-­‐5/11 (6 weeks) $180 + $20 supply fee Melissa Bartlett, prize-­‐winning artist, shows how to get those amazing colors you’ve always dreamed of, how to make dynamic compositions that capture everyone’s attention. This class is the foundation for improving your art, any media, whether you’re a beginner or professional. Have fun, experiment with exercises designed to open your creative mind, learn the relationships between colors, form, and space, and get creative.