February 2016 news!

News from Art Student Academy

So much has been happening and is going to happen in 2016! So a recap:

What has happened: We previously shared that after 4 years of holding many of our art classes in downtown Wake Forest, we moved all of our classes back to our professional art studios outside Franklinton, NC. That address is 2109 Old Mill Farm Rd, Franklinton, NC 27525.

Secondly, we have partnered with Vance Granville Community College in both the Henderson and Louisburg locations to teach some of their art classes. Plus, after the VGCC Small Business Center sent me to the NC REAL (rural entrepreneurship through action learning) institute in Blowing Rock last year, I am excited to be teaching the SECOND Professional Art and Craft Entrepreneurship program through them! My first series of graduate students last fall was a great success and was held at the Vance Granville Farmer's Market. 

Vance Granville Winter/Spring art courses 2016

Ready to flex your creative juices? Join me for one (or two!) of my evening Vance Granville Community College Art courses in Painting or Mixed Media beginning the first week in Feb! Sign up with a friend and enjoy your once a week art time!

Want to learn to sell your efforts? Join me for the NC Real Art and Craft Entrepreneurship program beginning Tuesdays, Feb 9 through the VGCC Small Business Center. http://www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center

Monday, Feb 1 evening Painting Creative Design class is 6:30-9:30 and meets for 14 weeks at the main HENDERSON campus. Bring your own watercolor, acrylic or favorite mediums and I'll guide you through this painting course. Everything from realistic to abstract. All levels welcome. Just $95.00 for 42 hours of instruction and relaxation! 

You can still sign up for this class as it is 14 WEEKS long!

 Sign up link:

http://www.vgcc.edu/painting-creative-design-2

Thursday, Feb 4 evening Mixed Media class is also 14 weeks for just $95.00 and meets 6:30-9:30 at the FRANKLIN campus. Mixed Media is a free spirited class where I'll show you the many ways to combine everything from fabric to transfers to printing into your creative art form! Bring art supplies that you have to the first class and watch your projects develop from there. Yes you can still sign up for this class!

 http://www.vgcc.edu/painting-mixed-media

Tuesday, Feb 9 from 6-9 NC REAL Art and Craft Entrepreneurial program. If your dream has always been to turn your creative products into a business, then this 7 week course is a “must have” first step! If your current art business is going nowhere, then you also need this course. Real facts, real information and continued guidance! This session meets at the Granville Co Convention Center off Highway 15. Details on link:

http://www.vgcc.edu/nc-real-professional-craft-artists-entrepreneurship-program-0

What else is happening? Oh, lots more! But I wanted to get the first series out at the Community College since there is limited sign up time and space available BUT we will also be adding half and one day workshops to our professional studios and the dates, descriptions and all the details will be in the next newsletter!

Of course You can always see what we are doing as well as many photos on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArtStudentAcademy or our website: www.ArtStudentAcademy.com

Email at Artclasses@artstudentacademy.com

August 2015 Newsletter with updates!

QUICK NEWS

So much has been happening!

Last month we shared with you that after 4 years of holding many of our art classes in downtown Wake Forest, we moved all of our classes back to our professional art studios outside Franklinton. That address is 2109 Old Mill Farm Rd, Franklinton, NC 27525. We hold our summer camps and adult "Artescapes" there, so it just fell into place! We may occassionally offer a class in downtown Wake Forest so keep an eye out with our newsletters!

Secondly, we have partnered with Vance Granville Community College in both the Henderson and Louisburg locations to teach a number of their art classes. Most are courses ranging from 7-12 weeks and you can find them on our calendar! Just follow the links.If you want a cost effective fun experience, pop over to this link to see what and when and to register directly with the college . http://vgcc.edu/schedules/personal-enrichment
Classes held both at the main campus and the Loiusburg campus. Details on the site or contact me! Both night and morning classes in your favorite mediums and mixed media.


What's Coming up!

NEW!  Our after school art class format has changed!
Instead of parents coming for 1 hour, once a week, I have made it easier for all by adding a 1 day art camp once a month! For the low cost of $45.00 per child, they'll be immersed in clay, paint, mixed media and all kinds of artsy stuff  from 9:30-2:30 on scheduled Saturdays once, possibly twice a month. The first Art Day Camp is Saturday, Sept 26. Check our calendar for dates through January!   http://artstudentacademy.com/Saturday-Art-Camps.html

What just ended: Summer Art camps for kids! What fun we had! We promise to add a few more camps next year but until then-check out our monthly day camps for your family artist!
_____________________________________________________________________
You can always see what we are doing on Facebook on www.facebook.com/ArtStudentAcademy  or our website: http://www.ArtStudentAcademy.com
Artclasses@artstudentacademy.com
We are honored whenever you join us for one of our classes or workshops! We couldn't do it without you!  Have a suggestion or request? Ask us!
Remember, Friends don't let Friends paint alone :-)
Till next time! Steve and Theresa

Wet into wet painting techniques and the results!

The first class ever using the wet into wet oil painting technique was March 21 at the Vance Granville Community College!   Under the category of Personal Enrichment, 
The 6 intrepid painters created some amazing art.
I brought along my assistant-10 year old Alex who embraced the Bob Ross techniques last year by recording hours of video after his mother took away his Electronic time-what a great move by mom! And then he began to paint!

Alex with a few of his many beautiful paintings!

Children will naturally turn to creativity when the TV, electronic games and cell phones are removed-all to everyone's benefit!

From 12-5, the class stayed in the art zone and we had a great time! We practice wet into wet with acrylics as well but you have to paint faster. It was easy to take a snack break in the middle of the workshop as oil will not dry for days.
I'll let the photos do the talking!

collage of the finished paintings

This class introduced the use of a palette knife, letting wet paint blend into wet to create particular effects...and of course the sky is the limit when it comes to taking what they have learned and use the same techniques on a myriad of subjects!

Next similar class is April 17 from 12-5.
Click on the link to go to the registration or visit the website at Vance Granville Communtiy College and follow the links from Continuing Education to the Personal Enrichment page

I encourage photographing the stepsCl

Learning to use the palette knife

Laying in the background

Filling my Blog with PICTURES!

Oh my we have been so busy-I have been so busy.....I have been remiss!
So many new classes I am teaching starting at the Vance Granville Community College! Summer semester coming....My students are awesome!

recent VGCC class

Recent VGCC class

 So many techniques-so many styles-so much fun!

recent VGCC class

After school teens

Painting the Cardinal in the Dogwood or in the Snow!

Mom and son painted the same thing

 Although I posted a collage of these painters in an earlier post, I wanted to show better photos!

So this group came together the other day and enjoyed one of our "Choice" classes! It's been popular-you choose which of the paintings you would like to paint.
So we had some Moms and sons, families and friends spend two hours in the Art Zone and the results were fabulous! 

Mom and son did it differently!

Stay up to date by signing up for our newsletters or visiting our calendar page-we're always updating it! 

Friends painted

 http://www.artstudentacademy.com/Calendar-Classes-&-Workshops.html

Friends painted!

Wow-ADULT ART CAMP! It's about time!

Grownups Art Camp May 9 from 10-3!

 In our summer camps out here in the country our kids have a blast every summer!  Last summer they got dirty, played outside, played games, ran through water streams from the hoses, created loads and loads of art, loved on the ponies and the dogs, picked blackberries, ran through the secret trails, collected eggs, climbed the trees and in general, just had kid fun.Take a look below!

A few scenes from one of our summer art camps!

But as the parents said, "Why should the kids have all the fun?" Yep-that's what we thought too!
So we decided to have a 1 day "ArtEscape" camp just for the grownups on the Saturday before Mother's Day-May 9 from 10:00-3:00. No one under 21 simply because you can BYOB AND it's your adult summer/spring camp experience! It's only $45.00 per person-dress to mess, bring a sketch pad and a bagged lunch (with your favorite beverage) We supply all the rest! Oh and if you want to BYOB-feel free!
 http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html

Our second, little studio will be open and the new deck is perfect for the grownup kind of relaxation...so maybe you don't want to climb a tree, but the trails are fun, the roses will be in bloom and we'll work on several amazing indoor and outdoor art projects! 

http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html

Don't miss out!

The Community College Art Students!

Our classes at Art Student Academy accommodate ALL  ages-and we have a ball!

My Art Enrichment class is at the Vance County Community College and I have a dedicated evening class of participants :-)
So our most recent class was a mixed bag of subjects although everyone had acrylic paints!
Check out the examples of what they created below-Their homework? Practice blending! Wet on wet acrylics blend well if you work quickly and let the wet paint do all the work!

Getting the Creative Juices going!

Our January after school classes are back in session, the evening class at Vance Granville Community College has started and both track out and summer camp weeks are up!

It's not hard to find inspiration to paint COLD when it is in the teens outside!






And it's not hard to think spring when it's in the teens outside! Add a beautiful cardinal and you have a stunning painting for these beginners.

THe VGCC had a great turn out on a frigid night but 4 newbies came with no supplies-so....we made do with some gathered oil pastels and they had a blast! (hey all ages love this Op Art!)

And finally inspiration comes in spades-art outside and in!

A Track out camp in Feb, March, April and May!


http://www.artstudentacademy.com/Track-Out-Camps.html

http://www.artstudentacademy.com/Summer-Program.html

Outdoor fun makes for happy artists!

And of course art, art and more art!

Creativity with Crayons

Creativity with Crayons

From my "ArtsyJourneys" blog!

If you think that crayons are just for "coloring" you are partially right! But see what happens when you challenge a teen art class to take simple perspective a few steps beyond the basics and apply what they learned about shading techniques using paper, a pencil and crayons! Wondrous results!

 Shading and highlighting the contour shapes makes the piece seem to undulate on its own!

Crayons, used in this manner, are a simple, cheap and effective art tool for all ages!

Highlights are the white of the paper, uncolored!

Draw the pencil perimeter first, add the contour lines, then enhance with shading

Painting the Moon over the River

There is something about painting that soothes the soul-and it works well with the after school teens in my class! I manged to get one photo of their painting "Moon over the River" before the battery died in my camera but their results were lovely!

The teens hard at work!

Working from an example I had propped up, they learned to paint the entire background first then bring their dark trees into the painting-a brave thing for kids already happy with their moons and sunsets! We try hard to get past their fear of "messing it up!"

 closer view of one created in an earlier class

Art for the kids and the adults!

I'm not sure what happened to the summer but it's gone, schools are in session and I am behind! :-)

The summer camps were fabulous! Lots of kids, lots of activities, lots of outdoor time as well! We studied the fabulous painting "The Berry Pickers" by Winslow Homer and then commenced to pick berries ourselves.  Of course I think his Maine children were picking blueberries whereas we carefully picked blackberries!

"The Berry Pickers" by Winslow Homer

The Berry Pickers with Art Student Academy!

Our after school classes in Wake Forest began Sept 3 and we have classes for 7-10 and 11 up this year. Info is on our site at:  http://www.artstudentacademy.com/After-School-Classes.html

Wed Sept 17 is a super class for all ages where from 6:00-8:00 we'll be painting VanGogh's rendition of Sunflowers!  Of course you can also paint your own rendition.  It's all here:  http://www.artstudentacademy.com/Van-Gogh-Sunflower.html

It should be a GREAT class! Stay tuned :-)

So what do you do when it rains at your summer ART Camp?

So what DO you do when it rains at your summer art camp. Well, you get wet! And no one minded!
Because, as it turned out, a little drizzle did not dampen the student's enthusiasm at all!

We gave up on the wet shoes :-)

Eventually we did give up on the wet shoes. "Running the Trails" is like a pressure release valve that is especially effective after classroom concentration! So although the grass is short on the trails, it is wet.
With camp from 9:30-3:30 there is time to do it all without too much of any one thing! The "Secret" trails run through the fenced pasture next to the studio. Cut the width of my riding lawn mower, the trails circle, weave and sneak through the tall brush  and around trees, enter tunnels of growth and lead back to the entrance gate. Games of tag, hide and seek and even stopping for a a few late blackberries are just a few of the possibilities in the kids' minds! The popular climbing trees turned out to be too wet to effectively climb but oh the fascination of tadpoles, ponies, dogs and chickens-all treats after creating their beautiful art pieces!

A few examples below are from Day 1! Summer camps are held at our professional art studio just north of Wake Forest outside Franklinton, (NC.:-))

Our popular After School are programs are held in downtown Wake Forest and begin September 3, 2014! Just $50.00 a month! http://www.artstudentacademy.com/After-School-Classes.html

Blind pony "Helen" getting her share of attention!

Catch and release tadpole hunting

Lunchtime indoors during one downpour!

A few of the 14 participants showing their foray into modern art!

Art Camp in the country!

With 2 art camps tucked under our belt, the 3rd (and last one) begins next week!
My July21-23 became filled so I opened an earlier one from July 7-9. Even with the 4th being on our heels, 10 kids had a ball. That group, along with the June group had the fun of picking blackberries along the secret nature trails. Next week's camp won't be able to collect bags full but they'll be able to pick and eat!

What these camps do is give a number of our students the opportunities to experience a new kind of art camp. They are doing plenty of painting and sculpting but when was the last time you told your child, "Just run outside and play?" :-) The secret paths all lead back to one area and when the kids need that break from art, I tell them "Go run the trails!" And off they go.

Helen and Shadow, the two ponies are a favorite. Helen is blind so we bring her out to be groomed and get her share of the treats! 

And of course let's not forget all 5 dogs-yep-DaVinci, Gizmo, Rosie, Troop and Louie! Enjoy the photo collages below of random art scenes from the first 2 camps!