This two-day workshop will take you through the journey of making a painting from start to finish. You will begin by making compositional sketches from a photograph of your choice. From the sketches you will make small painted studies and develop a colour scheme. Then you will move on to building up a painting by exploring translucent applications of paint, glazing techniques, and developing layers of underpainting. This step-by-step process will give you confidence in your painting ability and give you an idea of how to start a painting and bring it to a developed finish. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUG 15 & AUG 16, 10AM - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This workshop will cover traditional and contemporary Chinese brush painting techniques including how to properly load water, ink, and colour onto the brush, and how to create a range of different brushstrokes. You will learn about the composition and aesthetic principles of Chinese painting. In addition, you will discover ways to create experimental textures using non- traditional methods on rice paper. The first part of the workshop will focus on flower painting; for the second part, you will be guided through traditional and contemporary approaches to landscape painting. The workshop will include demonstrations, lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and plenty of guided one-on-one instruction. Some painting experience is helpful but not required. Relax, let your brush flow with ink and colour on rice paper, and discover your own personal style. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included in tuition fee. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUG 08 & AUG 09, 10AM - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This workshop will focus on creating artworks inspired by ornithology—the study of birds—with a whimsical twist. You will use collage as a starting point to develop a composition because collage offers an immediacy that allows you to begin a work without necessarily having a specific idea. You will create two artworks in the duration of the workshop: a collage based on an Audubon image, followed by a watercolour painting influenced by your collage. This workshop will awaken your imagination while revealing the freedom of collage-making and how to use watercolour to interpret forms. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

You will learn the classic hatching and cross-hatching shading techniques that artists have used for centuries to build tone, volume, and texture. By varying the density, direction, overlap and spacing of lines, artists are able to render a range of values to create true representations of the subject matter. In this class, we’ll use pen and ink to create the foundation of our image, then finish with watercolour. We will look to classic botanical illustration by such masters as da Vinci, and more modern scientific illustrators, to examine how they have used cross-hatching to create vivid portrayals of botanical life with a focus on plants and flowers found here on Vancouver Island. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5 & DECEMBER 6, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

Collage offers endless ways to combine images in an imaginative and fantastical way. The spontaneity and immediacy of collage is ideal for creating unique and personal images, often resulting in surprising and stunning compositions. This workshop will explore the possibilities of collage with emphasis on the whimsical, the absurd and the fantastic. Let this afternoon workshop free your creative inhibitions and release your playful side. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28 & NOVEMBER 29, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This two-day workshop will introduce an exciting range of creative and accessible approaches to making comics with a focus on developing your own personal stories. Workshop will begin with examples of independently made comics from the instructor’s personal library and a short overview of the history of alternative comics. Class participants will engage in structured comic and drawing exercises to encourage experimentation and play within the genre and come away with a completed eight- panel mini comic of their own and a collaborative one-page comic. Materials used include pencil, pen, marker, pencil crayon, and paper. The workshop will wrap-up with information on distributing self-published works, and general tips and tricks for getting your work out there and connecting with the community. This workshop focuses on artistic exploration and is open to creators of all skill levels as an introduction to making comics for personal enjoyment and/or independent distribution. Everyone has a potential comic book inside them, so come and see what yours might look like. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 & NOVEMBER 15, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

Collage is both an art technique and a resulting work of art. It can also be a catalyst for further experiments in drawing or painting. Working with simple everyday tools such as scissors, glue and found materials often yields surprising and satisfying results. A brief slide presentation covers the history of collage as well as the work of many contemporary collage artists. The essential principles and elements of colour and composition form the basis of class projects. This workshop will allow you to discover how a sense of play and experimentation can lead to exciting works of art. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31 & NOVEMBER 1, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

Cyanotypes are hand-made, one of a kind prints made using photo-sensitive chemicals and the light of the sun or a UV lamp. In this workshop, students will learn how to make unique cyan-hued prints using found objects, plants, and photographs. We will examine how cyanotypes can mix with other media such as printmaking, drawing and collage, as well as its use as a photo-printing technique. The process of making cyanotypes can be unpredictable and can yield surprising results; as such the workshop will embrace play and experimentation as a part of the process of making. Discussions will include the historical uses of cyanotype as well as contemporary applications. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 & SEPTEMBER 27, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This new VISA workshop will focus on painting the bounty of the autumn garden with watercolours. Subjects will include fruit, flowers and vegetables from one of our local market gardens.Through focused observation, you will discover their form, colour, texture and other intricate details. The workshop begins with basic drawing techniques including simplifying the forms and using loose calligraphic lines to create lively representations of familiar subjects. From there you will learn to layer and blend colours to create depth. The second afternoon will focus on continuing more layering of vibrant colours and building up details and textures. You will leave the workshop with an array of paintings representing a market garden's offerings. Suitable for all levels. All supplies included. SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 & OCTOBER 4, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

Students will discover the amazing paintings of Marsden Hartely and use his depiction of the sea as a source for subject matter. While Hartely’s paintings are done in oil, some of the same brushwork and overlaying different kinds of tints of white can be achieved with gouache. This workshop is a great way to learn how to work with a limited palette with gouache while becoming familiar with one of the 20th century’s most important artists. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) ONLINE

This course will focus on the work of historical and contemporary artists as a way to practice using gouache paints. Gouache (pronounced “gwash”) is an opaque water-based paint that dries to a smooth velvety finish. Artists covered will include Courbet, Manet, Matisse, Marsden Hartley, Sonia Delaney, Jane Freilicher, Mamma Andersson, Peter Doig and more. Each week a variety of gouache techniques, colour mixing demonstrations and approaches to composition will be covered. The instructor will introduce students to many great artists while learning to paint with this very forgiving and versatile water-based medium. This will give students a substantial background in how a range of artists find inspiration and how they approach different kinds of subject matter. Suitable for all levels. TUESDAYS, SEP 22 - DEC 15, 2PM - 5PM(PDT) ONLINE

This workshop will cover different applications and approaches to drawing with oil pastels. We will also cover basic colour theory, blending, and layering techniques. Subjects will include still life, landscape, and portraiture. Oil pastels are great for beginners because they are easy to use and provide immediate application of colour without having to use a brush. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) ONLINE