Unlock your unique creative expression in this welcoming, stress-free, and deeply self-expressive art journaling class offered in both live in-studio and online formats. Designed for all skill levels, including total beginners with no prior experience, this course provides a meditative, inspiring, and emotionally safe environment in which to experiment, explore, and express your inner world through diverse materials, vibrant colors, layering techniques, and varied subject matter.
Learn how to access meditative states through authentic, intuitive art-making practices and cultivate creative mindfulness while relieving stress through the creation of meaningful personal artwork. You will master a broad range of artistic techniques and innovative creative approaches spanning painting, drawing, collage, and mixed media. As you develop your art journal pages, you will discover how to express your distinctive artistic voice and unique perspectives. You will learn effective layering and intuitive collage strategies, expressive painting and meditative mark-making, watercolor techniques for conveying mood, expressive drawing approaches, and how to enhance your work with written words, inspirational quotes, images, textures, and personalized details.
What You Will Accomplish:
- Express your authentic self while learning diverse artistic techniques in painting, drawing, collage, mixed-media, and a comprehensive range of art supplies
- Participate in weekly demonstrations and guided artistic exercises that develop foundational art skills and expand your technical abilities
- Receive personalized, one-on-one expert instruction tailored to your individual needs, learning goals, and creative interests
- Feel genuinely welcomed and valued in an encouraging, judgment-free, non-intimidating community of artists
- Build and strengthen foundational art techniques, including color theory, tonal values, texture applications, traditional and experimental materials, composition principles, glazing techniques, brushwork mastery, personal imagery development, paint application methods, and the art of integrating multiple art mediums
- Explore and create artwork inspired by abstraction, realism, landscape, human figures, creative prompts, and your own chosen subjects
- Produce finished artworks and experience deep satisfaction and accomplishment
- Benefit from the scientifically-documented health benefits of art-making, including stress reduction, improved self-esteem, decreased anxiety and depression, enhanced focus and concentration, better mood regulation, and stronger problem-solving abilities
Art Materials and Supplies:
Materials are not included in course fees.
You will need the following materials:
- Watercolor or mixed-media paper pad (preferably spiral-bound with minimum 90 lb paper weight)
- Watercolor paints (any brand and color selection)
- Pencil, eraser, and adhesive (Modge Podge or matte medium)
- Paint brushes in various sizes
- Black fine-point marker (Sharpie Ultra point, Posca fine point, or Pigma Micron)
- Scissors for cutting collage elements
- Collage materials, including magazines, old letters, tissue paper, and similar materials
- Optional: Acrylic craft paints in white and your favorite colors
- Optional: White marker in fine point (Posca or Sharpie)
