“A thorough art education… is of the greatest benefit to every human being. … training in art appreciation means an increased ability to see beauty in the world about you and a facility for creating things with your hands; these things are a great asset and add immensely to our joy in life.
“Proper art education is a basic necessity, not a mere cultural frill; we do not believe that art is for the very few, somewhere far beyond the understanding of the majority; it is for every one of us, in varying degrees of course, and does not consist merely in the painting of pictures, or the making of statues, but may be well applied to all the practical processes of our daily lives, making them more interesting and more worth while.”
Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton
Landscape Painting with Deborah Mechigian
Landscape painter Deborah Mechigian teaches fundamentals of composition, perspective, and color mixing in this weekly class. Each class we will focus on one element of a painting, then do a teacher guided paint-along as a demonstration. Students will then work on their own project for the remainder of the session.
Deborah works in acrylic and watercolor to capture the beauty of the land and sky. She studied with Lilias Apland, the only student of master painter R. Brownell Mcgrew. She enjoys teaching others and recently taught Acrylic painting at the Amerind Museum and watercolor painting at the Arboretum.
These classes are held in the Guernsey Building in the MNA Discovery Village.
All levels welcome. $20.00 per class. Email Deborah at rockhunterdeb@gmail.com to sign up or ask questions.
Landscape Painting
Tuesday's, 9 am- 12 pm
Learn the fundamentals of landscape painting, including fundamentals of composition, perspective, and color mixing.
Email to registerWatercolor & Drawing with Lisa Lee Pearce
In this class students learn and practice the fundamentals skills and techniques to create and enjoy painting in watercolor. This eight week session includes Color Theory, drawing basics, composition, elements of art, and principals of design. Students will paint in each class and learn to take watercolor anywhere. Handouts are provided to create a booklet of useful information that students can refer to later. Students will be provided with a budget-friendly materials list.
Lisa has more than 40 years fine art experience, including illustration, graphic design, enamel watercolor, and mixed media. Her art has shown in galleries throughout the Southwest. She studied art at Metropolitan State University in Denver, University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and La Poggerina De Firenze in Florence, Italy.
These classes are held in the Guernsey Building in the MNA Discovery Village.
Email Lisa at Lleearrist@gmail.com to sign up for these classes.
Beginner's Drawing - Nature within Landscape
Thursdays, 1 pm - 4 pm
Aug. 24-Oct. 26
Email for detailsNature sketching with Liz Blaker
More and more people are keeping journals to draw what they see while out on walks or hikes.
Sketching enhances your relationship with nature by letting you slow down and look more closely. In these drawing workshops, lay aside your fears and frustrations. The instructor, Liz Blaker is a biologist who became a nature artist at age 50 and has helped other “non-artists” learn to control lines, draw shapes, and apply shadow to give their drawings dimension. Students get to sketch, use water soluble colored pencil, and master watercolor. In addition, because Liz is a biologist, she provides information on the plants and animals drawn in the class. Sign up for just one, or for many.
$35 per class session. Email Liz Blaker at elizabethblaker1@gmail.com to sign up or ask questions.
Liz Blaker also leads the Nature Journal Club