Arts, Crafts & Photography

Abstract painting has been a genre in the art world for the last several centuries. Creating it can be challenging and exciting. This course will teach the basics and enable you to create your own work of art. Learn how to start, how to apply paint and how to recognize when your painting is complete. Using acrylic paint, you will learn multiple abstract techniques including pouring, splatter painting and broken brushwork to create multiple small works. All levels of experience welcome. Instructor: Kara LaRose.

Acrylics are a relatively new type of paint that have become incredibly popular among professional painters and students alike because of their versatility. By using different mediums and techniques, the possibilities are endless! This course will cover a variety of methods and styles to help you create paintings both realistic and abstract. Beginners will learn the basics of acrylic painting, including prepping the canvas, mixing colors, brush techniques, designing compositions, and depicting dimension. Intermediate and advanced painters will review these elements and receive individualized instruction based upon their particular skillset, with a focus on choosing subject matter and conveying meaning. All skill levels are welcome. Materials list distributed and discussed at the first class. Estimated independent purchase cost is $20. Class size is limited, so register early. Instructor: Kara LaRose

Fashion designer, Venus Khosravani, will take you through sewing basics, from operating your sewing machine correctly, identifying different types of fabrics, selecting and reading a commercial pattern, to completing a pair of casual pants. No prior sewing experience needed. Just bring your portable sewing machine to learn a new skill and create something you can proudly wear. A materials list will be distributed and discussed at the first class. Estimated cost is $35. Bring pencil and notebook. Class size is limited. Register early.

This course is a study of the technical, realistic skills of drawing. It is suitable for beginner to intermediate levels. Upon completing the class, you will be able to center a composition, render objects reasonably in proportion and perspective, and execute the four elements of shading. With still-life as the subject matter and graphite pencils as the media, you will learn how to begin and complete a large finished drawing. The first class is devoted to a detailed lecture, with examples, of the entire drawing process from development to review. A supply list will be provided and discussed as well. Instructor Jennifer Littleton is a graduate of MICA, experienced teacher, founder of the Littleton School of Art, and member of the Charcoal Club of Baltimore. Note: Cost of supplies estimated at $50. Enroll early, class size is limited to 10.

Start from the very beginning! Learn digital camera operation, photographic principles, and get some hands-on experience with your camera. Lunch will include a discussion of basic composition principles. Bring your digital camera (charged or with fresh batteries), its manual and a bag lunch to class. Instructor: Walter Calahan. Enroll early. Class size limited to 12.

Pastels have been a popular drawing media for hundreds of years and are often noted for their ethereal appearance. They allow for a broad range of colors, textures, and mark-making techniques, making them one of the favorite mediums of artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Mary Cassatt, and Edgar Degas. In this course, you will learn mixing, blending and texture techniques, applicable to a wide variety of subject matter. Beginner students will learn the basics of building a strong, balanced composition with pastels, while intermediate and advanced students will learn how to introduce additional levels of complexity to their drawings. All levels of experience welcome! Note: Cost of supplies estimated at $25. Register early to receive emailed list of supplies needed. Instructor: Kara LaRose.

Jennifer Littleton, founder of the Littleton School of Art, international award-winning water-colorist, exhibitor with the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society and MICA graduate, will guide you through an intensive study of realistic watercolor. The first class is devoted to a detailed lecture, with examples, of the entire painting process from development to review. A supply list will be provided and discussed. In the following weeks, through discussion, demonstration and practice, you will learn to render a detailed line drawing, transfer it to watercolor paper, and practice flat washes with flat and round brushes. You will create one monochromatic painting. Materials list will be distributed at the first class. Enroll early, class size limited. Note: Cost of supplies estimated at $100.

Create beautiful, wearable works of art using fusible glass, dichroic glass, frit and mosaic pieces. Join Pat Stein, an experienced instructor in all things glass, to make jewelry for yourself and/or to give as a special holiday gift. Materials and supplies will be provided and the instructor will fire pieces and arrange for a pickup at Hickory Ridge. Class size limited, so register early. Absolutely no experience is needed!

Develop a foundational knowledge of the history, safe practices, tool preparation, and basic design elements of this temporary body art style. You will participate in hands-on practice in mixing henna paste and creating a basic design, discuss strategies for creating a new revenue stream, and gain resources for expanding your practice of henna. Instructor: Tarsheka Thompson.

This course has been designed for those who have successfully completed the Basic Sewing course and are ready to take their sewing skills to the next level. You will continue to develop your sewing skills by making a dress as the project. You will learn to sew darts, facings, zippers, pockets, set-in sleeves to a bodice, and to practice different types of stitches and finishing techniques used in the fashion industry. The Basic Sewing course (XE-548) is a suggested prerequisite, unless you have prior basic sewing skills. You do NOT need to bring your portable sewing machine to the first class. A materials list will be distributed and discussed at the first class. Estimated independent purchase cost is $35. Class size is limited, so register early. Instructor: Venus Khosravani.

Discover an elegantly simple drawing technique that inspires creativity and mindfulness. Develop beautiful, personalized art by combining repetitive patterns, taught one stroke at a time. Learn the basic steps of the zentangle method to explore pattern and design to create non-directional, non-representational works of art. This fun and relaxing 'workshop' is ideal for novices and artists alike. All materials provided by the instructor, Julie Allison.

Cultivate your understanding and observational skills through hands-on activities, group discussion, and interactive presentations in order to expand your enjoyment of a variety of visual arts forms found throughout history. We will explore visual communication, the formal elements of art, and basic techniques used in creating art forms such as painting, sculpture, and photography. Join instructor Tamora Martin-Kowalski for this fun and engaging journey of the visual arts developed through your own eyes!

For would-be designers looking for the perfect fit, let designer Venus Khosravani teach you “Pattern Drafting,” a system of pattern making that relies on the measurements taken from a figure to create basic patterns. Basic patterns are developed without design features and are used as the
base to create design patterns. You will learn how to take body measurements and to create a five-piece basic pattern set, consisting of front and back bodice and skirt, and a long sleeve, based on those measurements. No prior patternmaking experience required. For those with no prior sewing
experience, taking the Basic Sewing course simultaneously is highly recommended. Bring paper, pencil and a measuring tape to the first class and wear comfortable, but not boxy, clothing. Materials list will be distributed and discussed the first night of class. Estimated cost is $35. Class size is limited, so register early.

Fashion designer Venus Khosravani will offer instruction in flat pattern making techniques, a system of pattern making that is dependent on previously developed patterns. Through classroom demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and projects, you will learn how to create design patterns for different clothing styles by manipulating basic patterns. Pattern Making I is a suggested prerequisite unless you have had experience working and sewing with commercial patterns. Bring a notebook and pen to class and wear close fitting attire (not loose). A supply list will be distributed and discussed at the first class. Estimated independent purchase cost is $35. Class size is limited, so register early.
 

See the world like a photographer, and create inspiring photographs like those seen in the pages of your favorite travel magazine. Discover the many types of travel photography—landscape, nature, portrait, and documentary. Explore a variety of techniques and accessories that will help you create more rewarding travel photographs on trips and vacations.

Using a cartouche as a frame, explore beautiful tangle compositions surrounding bezels to create elegant pieces of art. Prerequisite: Introduction to Zentangle or permission of instructor. You should bring a basic zentangle kit.

Master the art of drawing whimsical houses in true zentangle® style. Create two scenes; one by day, the other by night, exploring composition and shading techniques. Prerequisite: Introduction to Zentangle or permission of instructor. You should bring a basic zentangle kit.