Studio Arts   

Explore your talents with acrylic paint. In each class, students will transform a blank canvas into a finished masterpiece. With step-by-step instructions, you will be guided to create your one-of-a-kind work. Students will learn and use techniques such as blending, layering, splattering, and dry brushing to add texture and detail to their work. The subjects will be different from the previous session. All levels are welcome, and no experience is required. 

This semester will feature all new paintings and will not repeat paintings from previous semesters. 

Take a look at some pictures from Cherilyn Santiago's past classes here.

Fall includes the exciting month of October, known in the Botanical Art World as “INKTOBER.” For this fun and unscary class, students will use different inking tools: Quill Dip Pens, Fine Liners, and BallPoint Pens, to explore mark making and the individual expressions that each offers to their drawings. Vegetable inks, as well as colored inks, will also be explored. We will create small 3” x 3” portraits on quality fine paper and mount nine studies in a pleasing collage on a beautiful black background of thick card stock. All supplies are provided in this class, and all skill levels are welcome.

This 5-week course is a hands-on introduction to handbuilding with clay. Students learn classic techniques like pinch, coil, and slab building while exploring form, texture, and surface. It’s a great way to slow down, work intuitively, and discover just how versatile clay can be.

Along the way, we cover the basics of preparing clay for hand-building, glazing basics, and how to work comfortably in a shared studio, including clay recycling and other important studio systems. By the end of the semester, students will have created finished ceramic pieces and feel confident moving on to more advanced classes or independent studio time. No prior experience needed — just curiosity and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

Watercolor is a luminous and expressive medium that invites creativity and exploration. In this course, students will continue to develop foundational watercolor techniques—including wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, color mixing, and composition—while adding a new dimension: drawing. Basic drawing concepts will be introduced and practiced to help students create more realistic and refined watercolor paintings. With guided instruction and hands-on exercises, you'll gain the confidence and skills to bring your artistic vision to life. Let your imagination flourish as you blend drawing and watercolor into vibrant, dynamic works of art.

This course will assume some familiarity with watercolor basics such as wet-on-wet, dry brush techniques, color mixing, and brushwork, as these will not be the primary focus of instruction. If you’re new to watercolor, we recommend starting with Watercolor Foundations: A Two-Week Workshop, where these foundational skills are taught.

Take a look at some pictures from Jackie Meier's past classes here.

Watercolor is a luminous and expressive medium that invites creativity and exploration. In this course, students will continue to develop foundational watercolor techniques—including wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, color mixing, and composition—while adding a new dimension: drawing. Basic drawing concepts will be introduced and practiced to help students create more realistic and refined watercolor paintings. With guided instruction and hands-on exercises, you'll gain the confidence and skills to bring your artistic vision to life. Let your imagination flourish as you blend drawing and watercolor into vibrant, dynamic works of art.

This course will assume some familiarity with watercolor basics such as wet-on-wet, dry brush techniques, color mixing, and brushwork, as these will not be the primary focus of instruction. If you’re new to watercolor, we recommend starting with Watercolor Foundations: A Two-Week Workshop, where these foundational skills are taught.

Take a look at some pictures from Jackie Meier's past classes here.

Develop a personal sketchbooking practice focused on capturing moments in time. Explore pencil, pen, and ink, watercolor, and mixed media through guided exercises that strengthen observation, creativity, and personal expression. Open to all levels. 

Take a look at some pictures from Annette Meglino's past classes here.

Bring a photograph to use as a reference and learn how to simplify, deconstruct, and transform it into an abstract painting. Using paint, collage materials, found papers, modeling paste, Mod Podge, and other mixed media techniques, you'll explore layering, texture, color, and composition while developing your own creative approach. Open to all experience levels.

Take a look at some pictures from Fiona Agababian's past classes here.

Similar to the original Acrylics on Canvas class, students will receive step-by-step instructions that will result in a finished painting for beginners and more seasoned artists alike. However, in this class, students will focus on completing a single subject over the course of four classes in order to practice skills such as sketching, proportions, washing, color values, light source, and composition.

Take a look at some pictures from Cherilyn Santiago's past classes here.

Classic Herbs are aromatic and artful botanical subjects to explore in the holiday months. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, dried Lavender, Wintergreen berries, and Mint are fragrant and beautiful, waiting to be drawn across the pages of your horizontal journals in delightful compositions such as wreaths, garlands, and tree ornaments or in simple, organized studies. Join us for a festive five weeks of study, drawing, and dry brush painting as we create lasting memories using the provided herbs of the season. All materials will be provided, with the exception of a 5”x8” horizontal journal found at most art stores and online art suppliers. This class uses templates and invites all skill levels in a warm and welcoming venue.

This course offers a welcoming introduction to working on the pottery wheel. Designed for beginners, students learn the foundational skills needed to shape clay into simple, functional forms while building confidence at the wheel. Instruction focuses on how clay responds to movement and pressure, guiding students step by step through throwing, trimming, and glazing. Alongside wheel skills, students are introduced to working in a shared studio environment. We cover essential studio practices, safety protocols, clay recycling, glaze systems, and how to care for tools and workspaces, so students feel confident and responsible using the studio. By the end of the course, students will have created finished ceramic pieces and gained a solid foundation for continuing into intermediate classes or open studio work. No prior ceramics experience is required.

Photo transfer is a fascinating artistic process with roots dating back nearly 200 years, long before the emergence of fine art photography. Originally used in experimental printing and photo-engraving techniques, photo transfer has evolved into a versatile contemporary art form embraced by photographers and mixed-media artists alike. Join Monique Ford to explore this creative process and discover new ways to transform your photographs into unique works of art.

Through the process of photo transfer—lifting ink from a printed image and bonding it to a new surface—you'll learn how to combine photography with fine art techniques to create images that are rich in texture, character, and personal meaning. Photo transfers can give images an organic, weathered appearance, soften harsh paper edges, and allow photographs to be applied to other surfaces such as canvas. Whether you're looking to expand your artistic practice or find new ways to preserve and reinterpret cherished memories, this workshop series will open up exciting creative possibilities. No experience necessary. Please note: Students should bring black and white or color images with a good sense of contrast to them, printed on regular printer paper with either a laser printer or inkjet printer. Copies of photographs can also be made at the school prior to the class.

Celebrate the holiday season with creativity in this festive Chinese brush painting workshop. Participants will use traditional Chinese brush techniques combined with watercolor to paint a beautiful Christmas tree on watercolor paper, creating a unique handmade holiday greeting card. This workshop is best suited for those with some watercolor painting experience who would like to explore Chinese brush techniques in a fun, seasonal project.

Take a look at some pictures from Sinrong Chen's past classes here.

Discover the mesmerizing art of fluid acrylic pouring using the swipe technique. Layers of fluid paint are poured onto a surface, then gently dragged with a palette knife, plastic sheet, or damp paper towel to create intricate lacing, colorful cells, and flowing abstract patterns. Popular for its organic, ocean-inspired effects, each unique painting is influenced by paint consistency, color choices, and pouring mediums.

Celebrate the holiday season with creativity in this festive Chinese brush painting workshop. Participants will use traditional Chinese brush techniques combined with watercolor to paint a beautiful Christmas tree on watercolor paper, creating a unique handmade holiday greeting card. This workshop is best suited for those with some watercolor painting experience who would like to explore Chinese brush techniques in a fun, seasonal project.

Take a look at some pictures from Sinrong Chen's past classes here.