Fine Arts

Friday Art Group (ONLINE)

Friday, April 23, 2021 | 9:30-11:00am

If you like to draw or paint, you are invited to join the Friday Art Group. No matter what your medium or skill level, you will enjoy the creative, pressure-free environment of a colorful group of novice and experienced artists. You can work from your own photos, pictures or illustrations or bring your own still life. There is no formal instruction, but plenty of help and advice from others if you need it. 

Currently meeting online. Click here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88383463028

Members only.

Location: Online

Contact: David Reynaud 434)293-5494

Music in the Atrium (On-site)

Monday, April 26, 2021 | 10:00-11:00am

Join members of the Wednesday Music Club for informal music in The Center's atrium.  

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Basics of Painting with Alcohol Ink (On Site)

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 | 9:00-12:00pm

Participants will learn all about this colorful and delightfully unpredictable medium – alcohol ink. Each person will experiment using different inks and surfaces to create images using different techniques. Lots of one-on-one instruction from artist Jan Settle.  Prime members free, Standard Members and Guests 30.00. Materials 25.00 per person, payable to instructor at time of class. 

About the Artist

Jan Settle received her BFA degree from Virginia Commonwealth Universty and worked in the field of Interior Design for many years. She paints with acrylics, watercolor, pastels, and her new passion is Acrylic Paint Pouring. Jan is a member of the Blue Ridge Art League of Culpeper, the Mid-Atlantic Pastel Society (MAPS) and the Firnew Farm Artists Circle of Madison. Her work can be seen in local galleries and in many of the exhibits held by MAPS. You can follow Jan on Facebook at CastleRock Designs and Workshops.

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Making Jewelry from Dried Acrylic Paint Skins May 4th (ON SITE)

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 9:00-12:00pm

This is a fun class that utilizes the overflow of dried acrylic paint or “skins” from acrylic poured paintings to create unique jewelry! If you’ve taken Jan Settle’s paint pouring class, you may have some skins of your own. If not, she will have plenty for you to choose from to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pendants or necklaces or earrings. There will be an assortment of silver-colored chains, or you may bring your own. If time permits, we will also use the dried paint skins, bits of paper and other materials to create a beautiful collage. Prime Members: free, Standard Members and Guests $15.00. Materials fee $25.00 for each participant, payable to instructor at time of class.

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Watercolor Landscapes with Architectural Elements (ONLINE)

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 11:00-12:30pm

The line quality and shapes of architectural subjects are a wonderful counterpoint to those of nature, and they provide a frame of reference about the location and scale of the landscape in a painting. Jane Skafte will cover the basics of perspective and how it works as the foundation for being able to paint believable architectural subjects and will include demonstrations on how to create a variety of textures. Prime Members free, Standard Members and Guests 45.00. 

Closer to the class, Jane will email you with the Zoom link.

Supply list:

• Watercolor paper 140lb, size 12″ x 16″ or similar
• Pencil
• Painting palette for watercolor paints 
• Water container
• Paper towels or a rag
• Brushes: there is a pretty good synthetic set at Michael’s, Artist loft set: 
• Wash brush (1")
• Flat brushes (sizes 10, 6)
• Round brushes (sizes 10, 3, 5, 1)
• Filbert brushes (sizes 6, 4, 1)
• Winsor & Newton® Cotman® Watercolors Sketchers' Pocket Box  OR: if you have paint already or want to add to your supply: (The individual colors are suggested, don’t worry if you have another brand that calls the color by another name. You need the primary colors in both warm and cool (e.g. warm blue is purplish and cool blue is greenish)
• Two reds:  for example, Alizarin Crimson and permanent red or Cadmium red
• Two blues: for example, Cobalt Blue or Ultramarine and Cerulean blue 
• One or two greens: for example, Hookers green or sap green
• Two yellows: for example, Lemon yellow and Gamboge
• Nice colors to have (can be added later): Raw sienna, burnt umber, ivory black, paynes gray, quinacridone rose
• Nice to have: watercolor pencils

Open to all.

Location: Online

Piedmont Pastelists (ONLINE)

Monday, May 10, 2021 | 1:00-3:00pm

Join a congenial group of artists who gather to practice their pastel painting skills. Each may bring a work in progress for a constructive group critique. 

History

Noting the lack of a chalk pastel society in Virginia, in August 2001, Dick Carpenter invited Charlottesville regional artists in that media to meet at Michaels Arts and Crafts store at Barracks Road shopping center. Many were members of the Central Virginia Watercolor Guild, which had long admitted pastel as a water compatible “mixed” medium, but not as a feature of the CVWG activities. The result of the meeting was, quite purposefully, an “un-organization” with NO membership requirements, bylaws, officers, dues, agendas, minutes, quorum, name-tags, committees, etc. Just like-minded people enjoying meeting to exchange ideas and experiences about pastel materials and techniques, constructive criticism, and “show and tell.” The format is a mutual critique -- an examination, not fault-finding. Suggestions for overcoming problems are a part of critiquing. The choice of subject and style of a painting are not topics of critique. Some elements of Critique: 1. Overall Composition - Division of space. 2. Shapes and values 3. Form –shadows-placement of each of the elements 4. Perspective- Illusion of depth 5. Color harmony 6. Paths for the viewer’s eye 7. Center of interest - 8. Principles of Design. Assuring that there is a “message”. All attending artists are active producers, serious about their work, open to criticism, willing to present “work-in-progress," and constructive in their comments and suggestions. Although pastels are the featured media, other problem-paintings may be introduced.

Click here to join the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82839488707

Open to all.

Location: Online

Great Songs and Songwriters (On-site)

Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 2:00-3:00pm

Five week series, May 11-June 8, 2:00-3:00 pm

Revisit song hits from the 1940’s through the present.  We’ll listen to, and analyze what makes these songs memorable, both lyrically and musically.  Rogers and Hart, Lionel Ritchie, Taylor Swift, and many other songwriters will be included. Join local musician, music teacher and songwriter Mike D’Antoni for commentary and discussion on what makes a great song great!

Open to all. Free for Prime members; $25 for Standard members and guests. Registration required below:

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Wire Sculpture for Beginners (ONSITE)

Friday, May 14, 2021 | 10:00-11:00am

Meets six Fridays - from May 14 - June 18.

Using soft copper and aluminum wire, your hands and occasionally needle nose pliers, learn to bend, twist, add beads and attach pieces to create 2 and 3-dimensional artwork. Beginning with drawings or photographs, you will quickly create beautiful aluminum or copper wall hangings. Next, you’ll move to simple standing sculptures and/or more complex creations such as beaded crowns for the little girls in your life (or anyone in need of a crown)! Award winning artist Ann Cheeks has been teaching art for over 20 years to adults and children. Class fee: Prime Members free, Standard Members and Guests $60.00. Materials fee $15.00 for all, payable to instructor at first class.

A graduate of VCU and former graphic designer, Ann has been painting and teaching art for over 20 years to adults and children. Her award-winning landscapes have been exhibited throughout the US and are in multiple corporate and private collections.

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Painting Landscapes/Seascapes with Oil for Beginners (ONSITE)

Friday, May 14, 2021 | 2:00-4:00pm

Every Friday for eight weeks - May 14-July 2

Local award-winning artist Ann Cheeks will instruct this 8-week class in oil painting for beginners. Working from photographs (your own or ones provided) you will set up your palette, learn to mix color, simplify shape, and create the illusion of depth while discovering the luscious feel of oil paint. Odorless mineral spirits will be used, which eliminates the harmful agents typically associated with oil painting. At the end of the class, you will have 2 or more finished paintings. Class fee: Prime members free, Standard Members and Guests 80.00. Materials fee $20.00 for all, payable to instructor at the first class. 

A graduate of VCU and former graphic designer, Ann has been painting and teaching art for over 20 years to adults and children. Her award-winning landscapes have been exhibited throughout the US and are in multiple corporate and private collections.

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Learning from the Masters (Acrylics) (ONSITE)

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | 9:00-12:00pm

Join artist Jan Settle for a little art history & lots of fun painting time as you learn about Vincent van Gogh, the Painter of Sunflowers. In week one, with Jan’s instruction & assistance, you will paint a vase of sunflowers using van Gogh’s work as a reference but adding your personal creative touch!  Class fee: Prime Members free, Standard Members and Guests $20.00. Materials fee $25 for all, payable to instructor at time of first class. This is the first class in a series of learning & painting like the Masters. 

Open to all.

Location: The Center

Capturing Landscape and Wildlife Photographs with an Aesthetic Difference (ONLINE)

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 | 10:00-12:00pm

Six Wednesdays from  June 16-July 21 

This six-week online photography class will help you learn and apply aesthetic decisions during the process of shooting photographs. These decisions will help you achieve more dramatic, dynamic and interesting photographs. Technical decisions, such as proper exposure, sharp focus and white balance, are important and are the areas of concentration for most photography instruction. This class, however, will concentrate on artistic qualities and principles that can make the difference between just technically good photographs versus visually strong and interesting images that attract the viewer. These qualities include such important principles as composition, quality of light, format, angle of view, tonality, contrast, use of color versus black and white, and timing. Lecture time during the class will focus on these aesthetics with images of the instructor and those from your weekly shooting assignments that will be presented and discussed by the full class (Participation limited to 12-15 persons). 

Join Ben and other photography enthusiasts to learn the differences between technical and aesthetic photography decisions, to recognize the opportunities to apply artistic principles to your photographs and to capture images that reflect the important decisions you make during the process of shooting and processing your images.

About The Instructor:

Ben Greenberg is a lifelong resident of Virginia. He has photographed scenic vistas in Virginia, the mid-Atlantic area and many locations in the United States for more than fifty years, the last forty-five as a professional photographer. His carefully crafted images have won local and national awards and competitions. Ben's photographs have been exhibited in numerous individual and group shows, featured in diverse publications and purchased by thousands of Virginians.

Ben's first photography book, Natural Virginia, celebrates the natural beauty of Virginia with 122 panoramic landscape photographs from throughout the state. Natural Virginia highlights dedicated state organizations committed to preserving Virginia's fragile environment for future generations. It is dedicated to all who take pleasure in these scenic locations. A veteran photography teacher and lecturer for camera clubs, OLLI, the Charlottesville Photography Initiative,and other organizations, Ben has two websites showcasing his landscape and wildlife images www.bengreenberg.com and his book www.naturalvirginiabook.com.

Open to all.

Location: Online