2010 Painting Classes
April 23 - 25
Spring Drawing Weekend
Bill Vrscak • All Levels • $195
Classes for those wanting to improve their drawing skills and at the same time enjoy the opportunity to work in the natural, relaxing environment of Touchstone. Basic drawing exercises will help students learn to see forms accurately. Design principles and expressive issues will be discussed, and personal expression will be encouraged. Work will be indoors and outdoors, so travels light, leave the brushes at home, and pack for a weekend of drawing enjoyment.
Minimum age requirement: 18 years old
Bill’s Instructor Page
April 30 - May 2
Painting from Observation
Patrick Lee • Beginner/Intermediate • $195
This weekend class will emphasize and encourage a direct, observational approach to painting and drawing. By working through direct observation, the artistic “eye” is exercised and developed. The small sketches and studies that are developed in this way can be used to build more finished pieces in the studio, and eventually, a body of work. Working in this manner is extremely helpful in the development of color and form memory, compositional ideas, and imagination. The information gained from studying life directly can be kept as a kind of notebook of visual information, impression, and memory which will eventually enhance the ability to develop works from other sources such as imagination and even photography. Using their chosen media (Oil, watercolor, pastel) students will work both indoors and outdoors and develop a finished piece using their studies and new powers of observation.
Patrick’s Instructor Page
May 14 - 16
Experimental Watercolor
Kathleen Zimbicki • All Levels • $195
Experiment with the wide variety of techniques available to the watercolor artist. Explore traditional and non-traditional methods like collage with watercolor, ink with watercolor, carbon drawings with watercolor, etc. Students will block watercolor paintings with objects, spray with provided paint, or work on several paintings at a time. Students will work in Touchstone’s painting studio or take advantage of the wonderful grounds, weather permitting.
Kathleen’s Instructor Page
May 21 - 23
Chinese Brush Painting
Donna Rockwell Hass • All Levels • $195
Materials Fee Payable to Instructor: $26
Traditional and contemporary techniques illuminate subject matter from nature while symbolism and philosophy brings balance to this ancient art form. This class will cover basics in calligraphy and the Four Gentlemen of Chinese painting, with focus on landscapes and nature.
Donna’s Instructor Page
June 6 - 12
Mastering the Essentials of Oil Painting
Harold Frontz • All Levels • $450
This class features a strong traditional approach and focuses on the five essential steps to creating a successful painting. These include: drawing, composition, values, color properties, and applying the paint. Each workshop day begins with a presentation or demonstration of various techniques in each of the five basic elements and then assists students in understanding and becoming more proficient in these elements. Once mastering these painting fundamentals, students are then free to adapt these principles to their own preferred methods of painting and to develop paintings that contain strong technical elements but also reflect the personal taste of each individual artist.
Minimum age requirement: 18 years old
Harold’s Instructor Page
June 20 - 26
Illustrators Boot Camp
Anni Matsick • Intermediate/Advanced • $475
Students will go through a succession of four assignments giving an overview of children's publishing. They will assume roles of illustrators working traditionally (non-digital) from individual studios and art directors in critiquing each others' work. Simulated assignments will come through their "reps," or "direct from a client" for a variety of projects. Strong drawing skills are essential for keeping up with the fast-paced daily projects.
Minimum age requirement: 13+ years old
Anni’s Instructor Page
June 27 - July 3
Watercolor: Painting Nature’s Garden
Karen Halpern • All Levels • $475
CLASS CANCELLED
July 4 - 10
Lively Portraiture
Marcene Glover • All Levels • $450
Experiment with all drawing media, or immerse yourself in your favorite. Use Pastel, conte, charcoal, graphite, ink, and color pencil, and bring your own materials too, if you like. Plus mix paint washes over resist drawing for exciting mixed-media effects. All levels of ability will benefit from this week. You’ll learn specific techniques to capture a likeness, and give a 3-D lifelike appearance with contour shading. Work from life and photos. Learn to take good reference photos to draw from, with artistic lighting and pose.
Minimum age requirement: 13+ years old
Marcene’s Instructor Page
July 11 - 17
Beginner’s Painting & Landscape Art
Bill Pfahl • Beginner • $425
This week-long class is a great way to begin exploring paint and landscape. Projects can be developed into serious paintings but can also be used to record the quickly passing “sweet light” of a summer’s evening in a quick sketch. Painterly techniques that will enable the student to work quickly and on a larger scale will be demonstrated. This class will show you the simple and fun way to “paint outdoors” as a second language for both established oil and watercolor painters, and as an introduction to painting for students new to color.
Bill’s Instructor Page
July 18 - 24
From the Soul of the Brush: Chinese Brush Painting
Donna Rockwell Haas • All Levels • $425
Materials Fee Payable to the Instructor: $26
The ancient art form Chinese Brush Painting has symbolism and grace in the movement of the brush. Experiencing traditional basic strokes and contemporary techniques gives an appreciation for the beauty of nature seen through an enlightened vision of the mind. The touch of the ink-loaded brush to rice paper is pure ”Chi.” Students are encouraged to develop a personal style, and critiques take place throughout the week.
Donna’s Instructor Page
July 25 - 31
The Painter’s Experience
Patrick Daugherty • All Levels • $450
A painting course designed for all levels, from beginners wanting to learn the basics to advanced artists seeking individual instruction. Emphasis is on understanding color and traditional painting techniques. All school styles and approaches are welcome. A step-by-step program is included for those new to painting. Painters are encouraged to take advantage of Touchstone’s setting by experiencing “plein air” painting. One session with a model is scheduled. Students are expected to arrive with necessary materials. A list of recommended materials is available upon request or registration.
Patrick’s Instructor Page
August 1 - 7
Abstract Watercolor
Sue Pollins • All Levels • $450
Using water media, transparent or opaque watercolors, gouache, water soluble pastels, pencils or crayons, alone or any combination of the above, to divide the picture plane( papers or watercolor canvas), we’ll study, push, and play with a plan to create paintings of any subject matter. Techniques will be taught along with compositional theory. Adventurous beginners are invited to join intermediate explorers to find images beyond the same old, same old. Emphasis will be on better compositions-accompanied by demonstrations, dialogue, critique, individual attention, and studio time.
Minimum age requirement: 15 years old
Sue’s Instructor Page
August 8 - 14
Cold Wax Encaustic Painting
Joseph Shepler • All Levels • $450
This workshop will investigate the properties of saponified beeswax as a binder and painting medium. Encaustic is one of the oldest and durable of all paints. It is extremely "clean" and simple to work with. Traditionally, the wax is liquified by applying heat. Rapid cooling causes the wax to harden. The was is then fused by reapplying heat over the whole surface of the painting. In the cold wax process, the wax is first made water soluble so that it can be brushed on paper or fabric. The wax sets by evaporation of the water. With the exception of a final heat infusion, the painting procedure is indentical to working with any water soluble paint. The first three days of the session will include an introduction to the materials and demonstrations on how to convert beeswax to a water soluble medium, mixing dry pigments into the wax medium and various applications of the paint on a variety of grounds and supports. The remainder of the session is open to experimentation and to freely explore individual interests.
*Joe will accept student registrations last minute and after the start of class
Joseph's Instructor Page
August 15 - 21
Textured Painting
Adrienne Heinrich • All Levels • $460
Break free of traditional approaches to painting by allowing happy accidents, risk taking, and personal explorations. Relax and put fun into your work. More of you may emerge by allowing whatever happens to take place. There are no mistakes!
Adrienne’s Instructor Page
August 22 - 28
Watercolor: A Painting Adventure
Ron Thurston • All Levels • $450
Let’s all open our bag of design tools, find our creative muse, and maybe even break a few rules. Ron will take his students on an adventure of exploring mysterious, controlled accidents, lost and found shapes, and color temperature. Just playful art-making is OK, too. Learn to combine spontaneity with a few basic techniques. Each day a different approach will be represented. Demos will be given indoors and outdoors (weather permitting), along with their own Water Authority Badge as you come away with fresh ideas and new stimulation for your watercolor painting.
Ron’s Instructor Page
September 10 - 12
Experimental Watercolor
Kathleen Zimbicki • All Levels • $195
Experiment with the wide variety of techniques available to the watercolor artist. Explore traditional and non-traditional methods like collage with watercolor, ink with watercolor, carbon drawings with watercolor, etc. Students will block watercolor paintings with objects, spray with provided paint, or work on several paintings at a time. Students will work in Touchstone’s painting studio or take advantage of the wonderful grounds, weather permitting.
Kathleen’s Instructor Page
September 17- 19
Fall Watercolor Weekend
Donna Rockwell Haas • All Levels • $200
Experience the beauty of the mountains in the fall, traditional and experimental instruction offered with common and unusual techniques in water media. This will be a weekend sure to please all who enjoy painting.
Donna’s Instructor Page
September 24- 26
Fall Drawing Weekend
Bill Vrscak • All Levels • $200
Classes for those wanting to improve their drawing skills and at the same time enjoy the opportunity to work in the natural, relaxing environment of Touchstone. Basic drawing exercises will help students learn to see forms accurately. Design principles and expressive issues will be discussed, and personal expression will be encouraged. Work will be indoors and outdoors, so travels light, leave the brushes at home, and pack for a weekend of drawing enjoyment.
Minimum age requirement: 18 years old
Bill’s Instructor Page
October 1- 3
Introductory Theorem Painting
Linda Brubaker • All Levels • $200
Complete information not yet available
Linda’s Instructor Page