WET CARVED CONCRETE
Wet Carved Concrete 3-day Workshop
July 25 – July 27, 2024 | $300 | Ages 16+
July 25: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
July 26: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
July 27: 10 a.m. – noon
Wet carving concrete is a technique that involves hand-carving a soft mixture of sand and cement. Each student will mix their own batch and place it in a form. As it starts to set, carving begins and must be completed before it becomes too hard to carve. Each participant will create a planter weighing approximately 40 pounds.
All supplies are included in the registration price.
Instructor Bio:
Elder Garrison Jones is a native “baby boomer” of Chattanooga Tennessee. He received his undergraduate, biology and art, and graduate, biology, degrees at Middle Tennessee State University. He was the only apprentice of the late Jack B. Hastings where he was exposed to wet-carving sand mix concrete and has developed his own style over the past forty years. He is also a graduate of the School of Healing Arts, The Estuary, in Nashville Tennessee with abilities in Kabbalistic and Auric healing.
Elder’s current studio and vegetable garden are in the mountains of western North Carolina.
PRAIRIE FIRE WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP
With Ye Wang
Prairie Fire Watercolor 2-day Workshop
March 28 – 29, 2025 | $300 | Ages 16+ | All Skills
March 28: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
March 29: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Description: Prairie fire is a prominent and sublime subject in Midwest America every March and April. It becomes one of photographer’s favorites. Watercolorists seldom paint it, as it’s very challenging. Instructor, Ye Wang, has been painting with watercolor for over thirty years. In 2014, he started to experiment with painting prairie fire. Since then, he has developed unique and effective techniques to catch the flames of fire and to render the atmosphere of heavy smoke. In this workshop, Ye will demonstrate the process of making a prairie fire painting with watercolor. The content includes preliminary drawing, masking the flames and grass, wet-on-wet techniques, glazing and edge-softening. Each participant is expected to finish two 11”x15” prairie fire watercolor in the two-day workshop. The instructor will provide some photos of fire to use.
Instructor Bio:
Yeqiang Wang was born in Sichuan China in 1965. He earned his BFA degree at Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts in China in 1991 and taught watercolor at the same institute for seven years. While in China he was known for painting cornfields with watercolor. In 1998 he moved to Canada and earned his MFA degree at the University of Windsor in 2000.
Yang has focused on painting “Reflection” series since 2001, using glass window as metaphor and figures as the subject to suggest his perception of Western culture as a diaspora. Recently he has been focusing on a new series of photography and painting projects called “Return to Classicism”, using masterpieces as inspiration from the 15th-19th century in Europe. His paintings have been involved in a lot of exhibitions in China, Canada and the States and won numerous awards. Awards include Best of Show in 2016 National Juried Exhibition at Buchanan Center for the Arts in Illinois, First Place in Texas National 2017 at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches Texas, Best of Show in the National Juried Exhibition in Overland Park Kansas in 2017, First Place in 2017 Wichita National All-Media Exhibition at Mark Arts Center, Award of Excellence in the 2017 in the Northern National Art Competition in Wisconsin, First Place in National Portraits and Figure Show in Overland Park, Kansas, First Place in the 53rd Founders Juried Awards Exhibition in Naples, Florida in 2019, Best of Show in the National Juried Show at Tomahawk Community Center, Overland Park, Kansas in 2021, First Place in the REPRESENSATIONAL 2023 inaugural National Juried Exhibition at Heartland Art Club in Kirkwood, MO, Award of Excellence in the 14th Biennial National Art Exhibition, The Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda, Florida in 2024. He is now a Professor of Painting at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.
PAINTING WITHOUT BORDERS
With Patrick Saunders
Painting Without Borders 3-day Workshop
September 11 – 13, 2025 | $550 | Ages 14+ | All Levels
September 11 – 13
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Description: Explore the essential techniques for painting from direct observation and photography with award winning painter Patrick Saunders. Learn to paint any subject, from the simplest to most complex, with one approach. Patrick will demonstrate the process of simplifying the subject and moving to finish as rapidly as possible in order to add more energy and excitement to your painting. Students will learn about composition, value, texture, color temperature and accuracy in paint application. While Patrick will be demonstrating in oils, acrylics and pastels are also welcome, as the concepts are the same. Each day will begin with a short lecture and full demonstration, followed by one-on-one instruction with students. The day will end with a group critique and individual goal setting. The class is highly tailored for each individual student. Class size is limited, so that each student can receive the maximum amount of interaction with the instructor. A suggested materials list will be provided prior to the class.
Instructor Bio: TBA
OIL PAINTING STARTING METHODS – FROM PHOTOS
With Tina Garrett
Oil Painting Starting Methods – From Photos 3-day Workshop
June 25 – 27, 2026 | $700 | Ages 14+ | All Levels
June 25 – 27
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Description: ARC Living Master, Tina Garrett shares with her students the practical methods she uses in her award-winning portraiture to help artists make the best paintings they’ve ever made. This workshop is perfect for anyone struggling with portrait painting. Students will learn to see and simplify values, create form, and understand edges and chroma to control your composition and create dramatic portraiture using Tina’s practical and easy to use strategies.
This is a from photos workshop and Tina will still teach you how to pose, light and photograph a model using your smart phone and how to edit your photos with and without Photoshop. Tina will teach you how to organize your palette to mix realistic colors, values, and temperatures for different skin types and how two easy strategies to achieve an accurate likeness in your portraiture.
If your portraits look cartoonish or dead, you need this workshop. Tina will demonstrate three oil painting starting methods including open grisaille, accurate color wash and Tina’s favorite, selective start to help students discover the process that will help them achieve their best work. All levels welcome! Paint from your photos or Tina’s!
Instructor Bio: Tina Garrett is one of the most well recognized women artists in Contemporary Western Art. Her works center on emotion and mood, and they often contain dramatic light or atmospheric effects. Tina has earned recognition as an Art Renewal Center Living Master, (ARCLM) and holds a Master Artist designation from the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society. Tina is a longtime Portrait Society of America mentor for the PSoA Cecilia Beaux Forum Mentoring Program and in 2024 earned PSoA Signature Status. Tina is Faculty at the PSoA Annual Art of The Portrait Conference as well as Oil Painters of America’s National Conference Faculty and offers mentorship and workshops around the world annually.
