In this 7-session class held over 10 weeks, we will look at how art can help us find calm through chaos. Purposely timed to coincide with the upcoming election. Intentionally NOT relying on political subject matter, we will use painting to discover more subtle aspects that influence how we see. Examples include: how loud and quiet color can come together to create harmony, how to find balance between action and stillness and how private and public space can be represented in scenes of domestic habitude. Metaphors may abound but painting is a way to stay grounded and connect to meaningful practices of looking and seeing.

Turning to artists who are masters of their oeuvre, we will explore their techniques and subject matter through weekly assignments. Starting with the beloved painter John Singer Sergeant, we will focus on his expressive painted studies, that confidently convey the subject while leaving room for dialogue with the viewer. We will dive into the contemporary paintings of Myrna Quinonez who confounds the desensitization of seeing repetitive digital images with disruptive masking. Next, we look to Mildred Howard for her ground breaking work around plant systems, music and movement. Some assignments are meant to be finished in a week while others continue over time. The class concludes with a final project based on Eugene Bonnard’s domestic scenes. This master of color and composition will be the source of inspiration to construct our own interior/exterior scene over the course of 4 weeks.

For beginner to regularly practicing artists! Sometime the assignments might seem hard but they are always FUN!

Format of class includes weekly painting assignments done on gessoed paper and some research. Final project to be completed on canvas or panel. Students send a photo of their completed assignments to me via email by Thursday at 4pm. I send a group email with all the project images before we review on Friday in Zoom. Demonstrations, lecture topics and weekly assignments are given in Zoom and recorded in case you miss class.