Art Class at Delnor Wiggins State Park

A part of proceeds will benefit the CSO of the Park. You can check out what they do at delnorwiggins.org where you can also see a little about me as the 2008 resident artist.
You can also become a member of the CSO for only $15 which gets you into the park free for a year. More details on the website.

CLASS TIME  AND DATES
To be arranged.

WHAT CLASS IS ABOUT
This class is a lot about learning better art techniques married with self-discovery; finding the skilled artist within and building your confidence in your own abilities, styles and creativity. If you don't believe in yourself then all the skills in the world will not do you much good.

Class will involve lots of practice and experimenting. It is not about just going home with a pretty painting. When you try new ideas, new techniques and new approaches to your art you can take what you learn with you. Think about it as learning how to fish (paint) rather than going home with just a fish (painting).

Class will cover lots of basics such as color choice and mixing, the importance of values, what makes a good composition and very much more. Basics are not just for beginners. Often more experienced artists will think that they already know something and will have more trouble learning something new that will benefit their art. If you can be open to learning what you think you already know, you will discover new angles, nuances or even new vistas you never realized were there. It is often the basics that are holding us back, not the lack of new tricks, new art materials and new techniques. They can help but the foundation is always key.

You will discover that much of being an artist is about seeing. All the time we think we can see but we only see what we assume is there. We will practice lots of looking and seeing and you will start to see stuff emerge right in front of your eyes that you never knew was there. I still feel like a beginner when it comes to seeing and always find it exciting to discover visual gems for my paintings.

Because much about art is common to all mediums this class does not require that you work in a specific medium. You can bring oils, acrylics or watercolor. Even though I have not worked with watercolor since I was very young I can still help you become a better watercolor artist. If all you want to do is add to your already adequate arsenal of watercolor techniques then this class is not for you. This class is about becoming a better artist.

WHAT TO BRING
-Some of your work or photos of your work to help me see your strengths and weaknesses, offer suggestions and to see what could benefit you.
-Bring you own paints, a small palette of colors is better. I advise a warm and cool version of the three primaries, red, blue and yellow. Also titanium white, and any other colors that you think you will need. No blacks will be needed, (if you have to have a black I recommend paynes gray). We will cover choosing and mixing colors in a way that will help you figure out what colors you want to use in each painting, rather than me choosing them for you.
-Bring a variety of brushes. White bristle if you are using oils or acrylics and some softer bristle ones for details if you have them. Water colorists bring your usual brushes. Also bring what mediums you use. We will cover different mediums in class also.

MATERIALS
-Palette,
-Water/solvent container. You will be taking home any dirty solvent as we do not want to pour it down the drains at the park, so bring an extra container if necessary.
-Paper, canvases, boards etc. to paint on. Bring plenty of small ones (like 8" x 10" paper or boards) to practice and do exercises on. Bring one or two better quality ones to do a painting on. Bring a size you feel comfortable with. I cannot tell you what size you want to paint with. It all depends on the style, subject and methods you want to paint in. I think that 18" x 24" or 20" x 24" is about as big as you would want to go for class but there is no right and wrong so just bring what you want. You will learn something no matter what size you bring.
-Sketching materials such as pencil, charcoal, eraser.
-Plastic, paper or cloth to cover and protect the tables with.
-Easel, table or floor.
-Paper towels or rags
-Reference materials. These can be your own photos, artists reference photo books, your own still life objects, or you can paint plein aire at the park. The scenery is beautiful.

You may also need;
-Clip on light or small working lamp. The pavilion is in the shade.
-Digital camera if you want to gather some reference photos.

Finally but very important, bring your goals, questions and things you want me to cover in the class. If you have some problem pieces you want help with, you can bring them along.

COST
 $150.
Register for class 3 weeks before date of class, $20 non-refundable deposit.
Balance of $130 due by 2 weeks prior to the date of class.
Checks made out to, Carol McArdle.
A part of proceeds will benefit the CSO of the Park. You can check out what they are about at delnorwiggins.org. You can also become a member for only $15 which gives you FREE entry into the park for a year and other benefits.

I am always available for questions. Email, carol@carolmcardle.com. Ph. 239-267-4750, please leave a message with name and number if I do not answer.