Creative Arts   

This acrylic class is for the absolute beginner as well as more experienced painters. We will follow step-by-step instructions to create our paintings while also learning why and what we are doing. Paintings will be completed over several class sessions. All materials are provided.

We'll visit museums, art galleries, and studios in the area and talk with curators and artists to learn more about the places and the work. Afterwards, we'll go to coffee houses or restaurants for no-host treats and conversation with group members.

We'll be making a small book, collaging the cover, and experimenting with color and collage techniques on the inside pages. No experience or art background needed. Learn something new and have fun at the same time!

Do you draw, write novels, knit, paint, collage, hook rugs, embroider, or make any other art or craft? Do you need an impulse to get you going? Instead of doing it alone, come to the OLLI Creation Zone. We will have tables (with plastic sheets covering them to allow for messiness) and chairs set up. You bring yourself, your ideas, and your materials. No instruction, no demands, just a group of people creating in comradery.

How do you know what colors to use and which ones to mix when working on a painting? Having an understanding and some experience with color helps artists make informed decisions and choices in developing their paintings. Using watercolors, participants will explore different color schemes and how they can affect the mood and impact of a painting. Each week will feature a different color scheme, a color exercise, and/or a painting.

Want to watch some great and interesting movies? In this class we'll watch and discuss some of our favorites. Each meeting will feature a representative movie from a different genre.

If you can't draw, know that it's not your fault. You weren't taught properly. First published in 1979, Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain applied brain science to drawing instruction. Using her teaching techniques to bypass our internal barriers and connect us to our innate ability to draw, we learn we can do more than we believed. If you want to start exploring art classes but still draw like a child, start here. Stick-figure level drawing skill is perfect and welcome.

Knitting with others is a wonderful learning environment. This class is designed to give knitters who have mastered the basic stitches of knit and purl a chance to work on a project of their choosing while we chat and share ideas online with other knitters. All levels of ability are welcome! Gale contributes to the class by offering tips and suggestions for patterns, yarn, and tools based on her years of knitting experience.

Join us for an outdoor adventure exploring an interesting place in our community. Our walk will be approximately 1-3 miles on relatively flat, even surfaces. We will meander at a leisurely pace. Participants should be comfortable walking and standing for up to two hours. Lynn Haskell will lead us on a tour to view and learn about a variety of Downtown Chico artworks, including sculptures, murals, tiled benches, and fountains.

Classical music has been with us for centuries. While there are many modern and contemporary styles of music that have developed, some composers now specialize in film scores. Specifically, many of the Hollywood composers in the 20th century were European classical music composers who met the film industry's need for orchestral music. This class will present the evolution of films and film music. We will discuss the various styles of this genre and the composers who are responsible. This multimedia presentation will familiarize you with films and film scores. It will be both informative and entertaining.

Join us for dinner and a show! We will enjoy a pre-show dinner followed by a play at a local theatre. Dinners are optional and will be scheduled closer to the dates of each performance. Come enjoy local talent and socialize with fellow show lovers.

This class is for people who already know how to play the A-G chords. We play and sing 3-, 4-, and 5-chord songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers, and other musicians from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. The class is mostly to practice feeling comfortable with playing guitar while singing. There is some instruction on more advanced guitar playing. Bring a guitar, ukulele, or other stringed instrument, or you're welcome to come just to sing along with the class.

Reading poetry helps you to know things more fully; it commands your attention; and it can sustain good conversation. In this class, participants select poetry from favorite sources to read aloud with fellow enthusiasts.

Each week the class will read poems by an individual poet, a collection of poems on a specific subject, or a collection of poems in a specific style. A wide range of poets and poetry will be presented, from classic to contemporary. We will discuss poetry from the perspective that the poet creates the work but the reader activates it.

Sing and/or play popular gospel songs. Bring your voice, guitar, violin, cello, harmonica, squeeze box, or other instrument and join a group of people singing and playing for fun. This is not meant to be religious. It's just a place to enjoy great music. Join us!

This class will introduce you to basic foundational skills in establishing a composition for a photo, using the rule of thirds, and considering the values in a photo. This content will be followed by an introduction to the many photo editing tools available on an iPhone and how to use them with the photos you have taken. If you have taken this course previously, you are welcome to take it as a refresher.

Tap dance involves rhythmic, percussive, and precise movement of the feet while promoting the flow and individual style of the entire body. Classes will include warm-up, structured movement phrases that will build in complexity, and creative explorations. All levels are welcome. Good standing balance is recommended.

Tap dance involves rhythmic, percussive, and precise movement of the feet while promoting the flow and individual style of the entire body. Classes will include warm-up, structured movement phrases that will build in complexity, and creative explorations. All levels are welcome. Good standing balance is recommended.

To understand the arts is to know the mind and spirit of the people. In this class, we will explore Japan's artistic history through its profound and elegant creations. We will explore Japan's best contributions to the visual arts from prehistory, the earliest Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and sculpture and paintings until the time of the last feudal ruler. In so many creative fields, Japan's artistry has greatly influenced artists in our modern world. It is important to identify and credit those absorbed influences.

Start your Tuesday with music and songs. Join us in a fun, informal sing-along. Bring your voices and/or musical instruments. The operative word is "fun." If you like music, you will like this class. All levels welcome!

This class is an introduction to watercolor painting. We will cover techniques, color blending, color mixing, and brushwork. All materials are provided.

This writer's workshop serves a community of writers interested in sharing their writing and responding to other writers' work. We will focus on fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, poetry, travel writing, stories for children, and other types of writing. Following a workshop format, this class will be an opportunity for students to receive feedback for their written work and provide meaningful support to fellow writers.

This class is a chance for you to explore and reveal your truest movement potential. The class starts with a gentle warm-up for the body-mind-spirit. It progresses to movement phrases guided by the teacher and interpreted by you for your own best interests. Dancers will explore time, flow, breath, weight, space, balance, imagery, focus, memory, relationships, harmony, and disharmony. Maybe you will also unlearn some movement habits that no longer serve you.