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-part course follows the trajectory of contemporary art from the 1980s to the present. The course begins with an overview of what contemporary art is and how and why it came about. Topics covered include play and humour; minimalism and conceptualism; identity and narrative, as well as politics and culture. In addition, a range of genres will be covered including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, video and social practice. Students will be assigned short readings and discussion questions each week related to the textbook and other reference materials. The course includes lectures, discussions, as well as in-class hands-on projects. To obtain a good grasp of the subject matter, it is important to have the textbook. Suitable for all levels. THURSDAYS, SEP 24 - DEC 17, 2PM - 5PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This course introduces students to the greatest hits of "fine art" by charting the history of Western Europe from Medieval times through the early modern period (1300-1800). Gothic art, the old masters (and mistresses!), and the emergence of printing guide us through the major changes brought about by the Enlightenment and the Reformation. Focus is on Western art, religion and philosophy, but will be presented from a secular perspective of critical pluralism. The course includes lectures, curated readings, class discussions, and exhibition design. Suitable for all levels. FRIDAYS, SEP 25 - DEC 18, 2PM - 5PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

This online course focuses on a wide range of contemporary approaches to the genre of landscape. We will consider the history of landscape painting and how artists today respond to this history and use the subject as a way to explore a variety of formal and narrative possibilities. The course is structured according to visual priorities such as shape and form, gesture, composition and scale, the illusion of depth vs flatness, light and shadow, the interaction of colours. In-class exercises will be quick studies of these various visual themes as well as discussions around how formal qualities can evoke emotion, atmosphere, and meaning. We will work from a combination of shared photographs and paintings, direct observation, collage, and memory. Class projects will be accompanied by presentations of work by both historical and contemporary artists. Whether you aspire to be a professional artist or are searching for a fulfilling and meditative practice, landscape painting is a way to engage in close observation and increase one's engagement and appreciation for the wonders of our natural surroundings. Suitable for all levels. WEDNESDAYS, SEP 16 - DEC 16, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) ONLINE (Due to two statutory holidays Wednesday courses start Sep 16)

This workshop uses the work of the early Modernist, Charles Demuth as the source for subject matter. You will look at Demuth’s abstracted flower paintings to learn how to see negative shape and understand that what you leave out in a painting is just as important as what you include. This workshop will give you the tools to look at flowers and plants and see them as simplified shapes. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) ONLINE

This hands-on studio course focuses on recognizing and responding to persistent themes and images in your work and the processes required to bring them to life. Using imagination, memories, experiences, and ideas, students will work in the place between direct observation and intuition. With various drawing subjects presented in class, students are guided through exercises that include a range of techniques and methods for developing visual ideas and building strong compositions. This course is a great introduction to the expansive subject matter that can provide inspiration for drawing. Suitable for all levels. WEDNESDAYS, SEP 16 - DEC 16, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) IN-PERSON (Due to two statutory holidays Wednesday courses start Sep 16) **Since the first class has occurred this course is pro-rated to tuition fee of $525

This course will encourage you to explore our country’s unique geography through a variety of expressive drawing materials. Each week you will focus on a different natural feature, from rugged coastlines to vast prairies, learning techniques to capture texture, light, and atmosphere. For inspiration we will look at the work of contemporary Canadian artists who have depicted both the land and life as a Canadian. Through exercises, demonstrations, and discussions, you will develop your drawing skills while deepening your appreciation for Canada’s natural beauty. Suitable for all levels. Please note a special feature of this course is that all paper will be provided. This will include high quality 22 x 30” Stonehenge drawing paper. Students will have the opportunity to discover the excitement of working on a beautiful drawing surface while learning a range of new techniques. FRIDAYS, SEP 25 - DEC 18, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) IN-PERSON

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 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 course focuses on drawing as an intentional mode of communicating with and connecting to nature. Through a series of directed projects, students develop their drawing skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the natural world. Emphasis will be given to material exploration, mark-making, collaborations and research practices. Topics include micro/macro worlds, ways of seeing, deconstructing narratives of landscape and artmaking in the Anthropocene era. Examples of contemporary and modern artists will be given each week in addition to suggested readings and group critiques. Some drawing experience recommended. FRIDAYS, SEP 25 - DEC 18, 10AM - 1PM(PDT) ONLINE

This workshop will focus on different ways of drawing natural subjects including plants, animals, and landscape forms such as water, rocks, grasses, and foliage. You will learn to use a variety of drawing materials including graphite pencils, water-soluble graphite, conte crayons, and willow charcoal. Exercises will include ways to increase the illusion of visual depth in drawing and how to create visual drama through light and shadow. This work will make you discover how drawing is an exciting way to connect with the natural world. Suitable for all levels. See supply list. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1:30 - 4:30PM(PDT) ONLINE

This drawing course focuses on some of the current themes in contemporary drawing such as: mark making, mapping, science, nature, architecture, ornament, narrative and nostalgia. A mixed media approach will be encouraged to implement imaginative explorations in image making. Students use basic drawing materials such as pencil, charcoal, ink and watercolours, as well as a range of drawing surfaces including new and found papers. This course provides an ideal way to explore a range of subject matter while trying out different drawing materials. Some drawing experience recommended. THURSDAYS, SEP 24 - DEC 17, 2PM - 5PM(PDT) ONLINE