Archives: Past-workshops

Wednesday January 3, 2018

The Painter’s Process

Are you a painter who sometimes can’t figure out what to paint? Or, feel that your paintings could be more interesting? This is a course for painters looking to renew their practice and take it to the next level. Through discussions and daily visual presentations of historical and contemporary painting we will look at effective strategies and creative problem solving for painters. Through painting projects that include collage studies and paint sketches you will learn ways to stimulate creative ideas and then develop them. Throughout the course emphasis will be on your own personal imagery/subject matter and concerns. Together we will explore the rich variety of painting processes that can inspire you and help you move forward in your painting practice. Technical instruction will be available when needed. This course will help you become a more self-sufficient painter in terms of finding your way and generating a body of work.   Note: this class is open to students working in acrylics or oils.

All classes are 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are open after hours.

Course cost: $665     Class fee: $0 

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes.

 

RENEE DUVAL  has maintained a full-time painting practice for over 30 years. Her work is influenced by her passionate engagement with the language of paint, her extensive knowledge of art history and her fascination with the natural world.  She graduated with honours from Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver and received her M.F.A. from Concordia University in Montreal. She has exhibited throughout Canada as well as in the US and France and her work is included in many public and corporate collections.  Her work was included in Carte Blanche Vol. 2 – Painting (a survey of contemporary Canadian painting) and a catalogue of her work was published in 2014. She lives and works in Montreal where she has been a painting instructor for over 20 years.

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Wednesday January 3, 2018

Mixed Media Encaustics

Discover the wonderful opportunities mixed media encaustic has to offer. This 2,000 year old process uses refined white beeswax and damar crystals melted together to form a strong archival compound that can be used to fuse and transfer images to its surface. You’ll be amazed by its limitless flexibility and creative potentials using photography and mixed media. This class will focus on creative exploration and innovative mixed media techniques using encaustic medium and paints; image transfer techniques; plaster and joint compounds; sprayed stencils and masks; oil rubs and stains; incising; and much more!

Push your encaustic art up to the next level with this upbeat, technique-rich class. Relax and have fun. The class is suitable for all experience levels.

Classes run from 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are open after hours.

 

Encaustic board generously provided by Ampersand

 

 

 

 

Pan pastels generously provided by PANPASTEL

 

 

Course cost:   $665       Supply fee:  $43

Tuition includes lunches and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes. 

 

 

TONY BOUNSALL has been working professionally as a commercial photographer/graphic designer for thirty years and is a photo arts graduate (BAPA) from Ryerson Polytechnical University.

He is currently on the Faculty of The Vancouver Island School of Art teaching Collage, Alternative Photography, Photo-Based Mixed Media and Printmaking

Tony has also taught classes and workshops at The Coast Collective, The Denman Island Arts Centre, The Old School House in Qualicum Beach, MISSA ( Metchosin International summer School of the Arts) and UVIC-Continuing Studies, Camosun College-Continuing Studies and Red Deer College Series Summer Arts School and Leading Edge Workshops in Calgary. Tony is also past board president and participating Board member of MISSA.

Over the last 14 years, Tony has worked in several different mediums, including digital artwork, iphoneography, alternative based photography, mixed media, collage, printmaking and encaustics. His classes are innovative, relaxed and inclusive.

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Wednesday January 3, 2018

Storytelling for Everyone

This workshop has been cancelled. Thank you for your interest.

Have you got a tale to tell? Come explore the art of storytelling, including personal stories, tall tales, folk tales, and stories for little children.

This workshop will engage with the technical side of storytelling including character, voice, audience participation, and narrative structure. The workshop will also look at the meaning of stories and how we use them. Participants will explore the research and writing (or rewriting) of stories, and learn how to make a story their own no matter where it came from. This course will include performance opportunities within the group, but no one will be pushed out of their comfort zone.

Course cost: $285     Supply fee: $0    STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes.

CAT THOM is a professional storyteller and writer who was worked in museums, nature centres, schools, and libraries, and has performed throughout western Canada. She frequently combines her storytelling with music as part of the band Juniper Tree.

She has previously served on the board of Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada and spent seven years working with children through the nonprofit artsReach program.

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Wednesday January 3, 2018

Clay Sculpture: Starting from a Cylinder

The intention of this class is to learn how to articulate a form or figure using slab structures.  The student should come to the class with ideas of the form or figure they wish to pursue.  It is possible that within two days a defined and fluid sculpture can be achieved.  This process usually starts with a cylinder and, with instructor assistance, the form is mapped out on the surface. Then the artist starts to shape the cylinder from within. Eventually, the shaping moves back and forth between the inside and the outside of the form.  This is a versatile and liberating way to work with the plasticity and expressivity of clay, and can lead to expressionistic or quite controlled results. The instructor works one to one, and will bring simple coloured slips for final surface treatments. Open to all levels.

Classes run from 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are open after hours.

Course fee:  $285   Supply fee:  $3 

Tuition is listed in Canadian Dollars and includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes.

DEBRA SLOAN’s practice started as a 6-year self-directed apprenticeship in 1973. She attended VSA from 1979 – 82, and in 2005 achieved her BFA at ECUAD. She works with earthenware, stoneware and porcelain, using electric and gas kilns, and occasionally wood. She has attended six international residencies. Her work has been in many international survey exhibitions, and represented in six LARK 500 publications. She has presented many talks, most recently at the Tate St Ives, UK and received grants and awards from the BC Arts Council, the Craft Council of BC, and the Mayor’s Arts Award (Vancouver). Debra has taught sculptural ceramics for over 40 years, most recently at the Leach Pottery, UK. She includes students at all levels of experience and embraces a wide range of ceramic methodology. Debra prefers to problem solve with each student, within a broad theme. She views the ceramic material as a palette for expression.

 

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

Mixing It Up: Mixed Media Explorations

In a playful exploration of mixed media students will create a series of pieces.  Drawing, painting, stenciling and collage will be applied to paper and wood surfaces. A process from sketchbook, onto papers and wood cradles combining soft pastel, acrylic, drawing materials, collage elements and stenciling will be used.  Students will provide their own preferred subject and have fun creating variations on the theme. Each new piece will involve being influenced by the previous one and changing things up for the next. All levels welcome.

Nancy invites you to stretch your imagination and ideas to add to your existing practice or provide you a first-time experience.

Classes run 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are also open after hours.

Course cost: $285         Supply fee: $10

Tuition includes lunches and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes. 

 

NANCY SLAGHT reflects on everyday things like witnessing the birth of her grand-niece, music and ballroom dance, walks on the waterfront and watching bird antics from her home/studio in search of a metaphor that leads to inspiration resulting in whimsical notions.

After decades of working in soft pastel on paper she began a playful exploration on wooden cradles using pastel with acrylic, collage, created and found objects.  Adding new techniques to what she knew has been refreshing.  Nancy also began collaboration work with another artist to further stretch her imagination.

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

Intaglio Printmaking with Tetrapaks

In this course students will learn how to use a Tetrapak surface to make drypoint prints. Students will be taken through the steps of how to open and cut juice boxes to expose the Tetrapak lining. They will then be introduced to a variety of mark making tools used to incise the Tetrapak surface.

Day 1 will consist of making plates and then drawing on them with a variety of tools and from a variety of sources; still life, plein air, etc. Students will have the opportunity to make a minimum of five plates to really explore what the surface can give them. Students will finish the day learning about printmaking paper and how to prepare it as well being given demonstrations on how to ink and wipe a plate and how to use the press.

Day 2 will consist of working in studio at the press. Students will learn how to dry their paper, register their images, adjust pressure on the press, and how to ink and wipe their plates for optimal results.  Good studio practice and cooperative work flow will be emphasized so that each student produces a well printed, small edition of each of their plates.

Course cost:  $285      Supply fee: $25  STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes. 

 

ALAIN COSTAZ is a visual artist, art instructor and co-director of GZPS Ground Zero Printmakers Studio in Victoria. He is a BFA graduate of Concordia University in Montréal, studied at Université Laval in Québec City and Northwest Coast Institute of the Arts (NCIA) in Victoria. Currently Alain teaches drawing, painting and printmaking at the GZPS studio, in community classes, and as a diploma instructor at Victoria College of Art (VCA). In his Chinatown studio Alain works on printmaking and multi-media two & three dimensional pieces combining drawing, painting and collage.

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

Exploring an Aesthetic

The foundation of strong artwork is working with a clear personal voice in any given medium: finding that voice can take a lifetime. This workshop will be a series of structured exercises using photography, reflective writing, material exploration, and discussion to develop or redefine an aesthetic. Participants will work through each level of exploration in a guided and safe environment to uncover meaning and the worldview underpinning their studio practice. This workshop will provide participants at any stage of their career with the tools and framework for further aesthetic development in any medium. A journal for writing and a camera or phone with photography capacity are required for this course. Open to artists in any medium.

Course cost: $285   Supply fee: $5        STUDENT SUPPLY LIST
Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes. 

 

RACHELLE CHINNERY is a ceramic and mixed media artist living and working on Hornby Island. Her studio practice is a blend of ceramics, photography, and writing with a special interest in the phenomenology of craft and the way ecological identity can be cultivated through craft practice.

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

SAORI Weaving: Weaving without Boundaries

In this 2-day workshop students will be introduced to the SAORI Philosophy of Weaving where there are no rules and no mistakes:

  1. Consider the differences between machines and people
  2. Let’s adventure beyond our imagination
  3. Let’s look out through eyes that shine
  4. Let’s learn from each other in the group

This beautiful philosophy from Japan opens doors to new ways of exploring weaving, whether you have never woven before or have been weaving for many years.

SAORI looms ready to weave on will be provided and we will explore creativity, colour, texture and interesting freestyle techniques.  During the 2 days, students will be able to complete a weaving while learning about the philosophy of SAORI.  Students will have use of looms; weaving materials will be provided.

Course cost: $285     Supply fee: $50  STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes.

TERRI BIBBY is a SAORI freestyle weaver and designer, creating one-of-a-kind asymmetric clothing, scarves, wraps, bags and wall hangings in the SAORI style. Her weaving is inspired by the ever changing colours and textures of nature that surround her.

In her studio in the woods on Salt Spring Island, Terri offers classes, workshops and retreats on weaving, warping and clothing design for all ages. She has had over 1,800 people “Weave for Peace” on beautiful peace banners that have been displayed around the world.

Since first seeing SAORI weaving in 2005, Terri has immersed herself in the philosophy and practice of SAORI weaving. She opened her registered SAORI studio on Salt Spring Island in 2007 and is a member of the SAORI Leader’s Committee based in Japan. SAORI Salt Spring is part of the SAORI Global Network.

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

Pastel Painting En Plein Air

Where better to develop your en plein air painting skills than in this idyllic location?

Painting “en plein air” means being fully present to the experience of painting on location. As you observe and paint, every sight, sound, smell, and experience in the environment becomes part of your painting. That’s part of the joy that comes with working from life rather than a photo.

In this workshop, you’ll explore the process of painting on location, from how to choose what to paint, to simplifying the scene, to drawing up a thumbnail (a getting-to-know-you tool and one which will stand you in good stead in this process), to creating quick colour studies, to blocking in the big shapes, and then to moving towards more detail. We’ll go over the importance of understanding values and how this knowledge can liberate your colour choices and interpretation of a scene. All aspects of a successful painting will be covered including perspective (linear and aerial), composition, colour temperature, and edges.

The workshop will be held both in the studio and outdoors. Gail will provide demos, guide students individually as they work, and conduct group critiques at the end of each day. All levels welcome.

Gail says of her teaching style: “It’s to pass on all I know while at the same time encouraging the complete emergence of your own artistic voice and vision. It’s serious work with plenty of room for laughter and fun!”

Classes run 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are also open after hours.

Course Cost:  $685   Class fee: $55   

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks and is inclusive of all applicable taxes. 

 

GAIL SIBLEY, Born and brought up in Jamaica, completed a BFA (Fine Arts) and a Masters in Art History. Following university, she returned to her creative side. Experimenting with a small box of pastels, Gail was hooked by their vibrancy, immediacy, and luminosity. She takes pleasure in painting work inspired by our magnificent world, with subjects ranging from still life and figures, to landscapes and abstracts.

Gail loves teaching and offers workshops around the world. She has also begun offering courses online. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, winning awards along the way; collectors of her work can be found world-wide. Gail is a Signature Member with the Pastel Society of America and Pastel Artists Canada. Gail was a primary contributor to the recently published book, DK’s Artist’s Drawing Techniques (August 2017). She also writes a highly-regarded blog at HowToPastel.com and can be seen on YouTube.

 

 

 

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Tuesday January 2, 2018

Painting with Wool

In this workshop students will explore the diversity of using wool fibers as a “painting” medium by diving into the world of two-dimensional needle felting.  Needle felting is a process that uses barbed needles to attach fibers to a base textile, often wool felt or linen. Dani will introduce techniques to help students learn how to create different effects with wool fibers, including how to blend, layer, and create different textures to compose beautiful fiber art.  Students will also explore how to use color in impactful ways.  Other topics will include useful tools for felting, exploring different materials and textiles, the forgiving nature and breadth of the medium, and framing and presentation techniques for wool paintings.  Demonstrations and various exercises will be available for those keen on practicing techniques.

Workshops run 9 – 4 pm each day. Studios are also open after hours.

Course cost: $665    Course fee:$12 

Tuition includes lunch and daily snacks. All prices are in Canadian Dollars and are inclusive of applicable taxes.

 

DANI IVES is a self-taught fiber artist based in Northwest Arkansas. Her inspiration comes from a love of nature, science and a past career as a conservation educator and working with animals. After indulging in needle felting as a hobby and creating hundreds of three-dimensional pieces, Dani discovered the thrill of felting two-dimensional images in 2014. She found this style more challenging yet more artistically fulfilling.  Over the course of a few years, Dani has developed a distinct style of needle felting that she calls painting with wool.  She attempts to mimic traditional painting and drawing practices with nontraditional materials like fibers and textiles and loves sharing these techniques with her students.  Dani has taught hundreds of students in workshops, classrooms and online courses across the US and internationally.

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