Fall Fairies & Gnomes
Fall is a wonderful season to explore the magical world of the bounty and beauty of the “earth sprites” that live all around us. Using many natural materials like acorn caps, moss, flowers, branches, bark, stones, shells, and grasses, budding artists will create fairy houses and t-pees, gnome abodes, clay animal companions, nature luminaries, magical “scrolls”, fairy wind chimes, wands, nature windows and more! Explore, painting, drawing, clay sculpture, and many mixed media applications along the way. We will venture outdoors collecting natural items to incorporate into our artworks. Please bring a water bottle and a small snack.
Please note: No class 10/13
Comics & Graphic Novelas for Teens
Interested in making comics or illustrated stories? Or maybe you've started a project but need dedicated time, motivation, and a creative community to help you complete it? This class will offer prompts and exercises for story writing, character design, and setting building, as well as flexible class time where you can choose what you work on. We'll get inspiration from a wide range of illustrators and graphic novelists, and we'll frequently share and discuss our projects with one another, collaborating to find playful solutions throughout our endeavors. Please note no class 9/29
Autumn Air Dry Clay: Animals & More
Come join the tactile fun of creating 3-dimensional clay animal sculptures, vessels, luminaries, boxes, castles, toad houses, 3-dimensional trees, and wind chimes. Children will explore methods to create fall animals such as birds, bats, owls, bugs, woodland animals, as well as mythical creatures! Students can explore their own ideas in clay and create all sorts of awesome beings and forms from the imagination. Young artists will learn how to work with high quality air-dry clay, by learning the techniques of slab, rolling, pinching, coiling, stamping. imprinting, joining, and carving patterns with special tools. We will finish our pieces with clay glaze paint and can embellish with a variety of mixed media such as beads, stones and shells.
Art & Literature Series: The Magical World of Harry Potter
Discover the enchanting, wizarding world of Harry Potter in this exciting new children’s art/literature series! Little wizards will be able to use the first book “The Sorcerer's Stone” as a springboard for their own magical and creative works. We will explore themes of Harry’s fantastical adventures through creating art in a wide range of mixed media materials, including; clay, sculpture, canvas, painting, drawing, printmaking, fabrics, and even found and natural objects. Children will be able to interpret the story with projects such as; 3-D Hogwarts castles, enchanted forests filled with mythical creatures, dioramas, clay character figures such as messenger owls, cats, flying dragons, and perhaps some “chocolate frogs”. We will also have opportunities to create our own personal wands, house banners, Quidditch game pieces, an “invisibility cloak”, castle map and even study potion-making with natural dyes.
Arcana in Acrylics: Painting the Tarot Session B
Painting the Tarot explores the age-old art of tarot card design through acrylic painting. Students will reimagine a card of their choice — either from their own deck or the instructor’s—interpreting its symbolism through color, form, and personal expression. The instructor offers a relaxed, supportive teaching style with fun and constructive group critiques.
Arcana in Acrylics: Painting the Tarot Session A
Painting the Tarot explores the age-old art of tarot card design through acrylic painting. Students will reimagine a card of their choice — either from their own deck or the instructor’s—interpreting its symbolism through color, form, and personal expression. The instructor offers a relaxed, supportive teaching style with fun and constructive group critiques.
Leather Halloween Masks Workshop
Every goblin and ghoul loves a good mask and what better time to make one than right around Halloween! In this class students will make a leather half mask that they have tooled, wet formed and dyed themselves. Each mask will be completely custom made and as unique as the individual making it. This course will focus on teaching tooling skills, the wet forming process, discussions about choosing the right leather materials, finishing skills and basic pattern concepts. Join us to make something truly spooktacular that will last you for decades of Halloweens (and masquerade parties) to come!
Potholder Weaving: Tabby Weaving on a Peg Loom
Using 100% cotton loop materials from a New England family-owned mill and a sturdy metal peg loom, create a coordinating pair of potholders with your choice of color ways in a classic tabby weave, featuring herringbone and gingham patterns. You’ll finish at least one potholder in class and be able to complete the other at home. You’ll also learn how to read a weaving chart and some time saving tips.
Encaustic: Layers, Texture, and Translucency
Encaustic, a beeswax-based paint, worked while heated and melted, has properties that no other medium possesses and it comes in the most gorgeous colors, both opaque and transparent. It hardens almost immediately, allowing each layer to remain intact so it can be excavated and revealed when carved or scraped. Texture can be built up very quickly without the need for drying between layers. It can be printed on, drawn on, and is compatible with oil paint, which is used to enhance surface textures. It is also naturally adhesive, perfect for collage. Theis two-day class will afford lots of time to experiment.
Come and try this ancient and still modern medium for yourself. Beginners and advanced are welcome.
Try Your Hand At Painting & Drawing Workshop: Session A
This workshop is geared towards the absolute adult beginner to come learn the basics of
painting and drawing in a supportive, judgement-free session. Spend the morning in the
GAC studios and learn about basic techniques, materials and approaches to working
creatively in two dimensions. Come discover your creative potential.
