Art Classes for Children
We’ve been asked repeatedly, “Do you have any art classes for children?” Our search for just such a resource led us to Coyote Creek Productions. Coyote Creek produces educational and instructional videos for children of all ages in a variety of fields, including art, designed to assist teachers, parents and other educators who teach art. The three series most interesting to artists include:
Art Lessons for Children – Used both in schools and homes, these videos allow students to create beautiful works of art using readily available materials. VHS or DVD.
Drawing Lessons for Beginners – A series, which covers drawing simple shapes, nature, people, and animals, that has gained enthusiastic reviews from teachers, librarians, and parents. VHS or DVD.
Collage Art for Kids – A series to give the aspiring artist instruction in how to select and position various materials and objects in order to create pleasing, original collage compositions. DVD.
SPECIAL OFFER: Through December 31, 2009, enter promo code: “CCP” at checkout on www.coycreek.com and receive free shipping on all orders over $75. In addition, you will receive a 60-day money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason.
We would like to hear your opinion about carrying more art videos for children on the Creative Catalyst website. If you are a public school teacher or a home school parent, please let us know what video resources you have found valuable for teaching art.
Acrylic Pizzazz Pre-Order Special Begins
Sponge, scrape, and stamp every ounce of color out of your acrylic paints with textile artist Sherrill Kahn. In this mixed media DVD workshop, you’ll discover textures that enliven any paper or fabric project, from collages to clothing. With no brushes or drawing skills required, beginners will feel welcome, and experienced artists will find quick and innovative ways to add color to collage.
Sherrill sponges down base colors at breakneck speed before helping you master a variety of painting tools. She layers opaques with craft sticks and scrapers, flows liquid colors into fabric, and adds metallic accents with an applicator tip. She paints on cotton, card stock, interfacing, and more, and each surface produces equally striking results. She combines paper and fabric as she finishes the workshop with two complete collages.
Anne Bagby’s, “Paper, Patterns & Glazing”
Put patterns to work with mixed media artist Anne Bagby. You’ll create your own stamps, masks, stencils, and paper as you build a truly customized collage. Work fast and free, layering homemade paper and lush acrylic glazes to design an intricate and eclectic figure.
In Paper, Patterns & Glazing, Anne makes all her own collage materials. She combines stamped and painted patterns to create the wafer-thin paper she uses throughout the workshop. You’ll transfer antique designs to hand-carved stamps and cut contact paper masks to guide custom stencils.
Janie Gildow’s, “The Art of Colored Pencil: The Light Touch”
Janie Gildow is your guide to the rich and elegant art of colored pencil in, The Art of Colored Pencil: The Light Touch. In this DVD workshop, Janie shows you how she selects an image and then crops it for composition. Next, she demonstrates her modified grisaille approach for establishing values. Finally, she begins her color layering process, where she often uses four or more colors in a single area for richness. Janie will give you pointers in how to improve your own technique as she shares her thoughts about the process. Don’t miss anything with a view that is so close you will see when Janie’s pencil point starts to dull! This workshop packs days of information into 90 minutes.
Nicholas Simmons’, “Innovative Watermedia”
Unconventional and innovative, Nicholas Simmons brings a breath of fresh air to water media techniques. Join the 2007 National Watercolor Society top prize winner as he works large-scale and reveals how to turn the challenges unique to water media into textural advantages.
In Innovative Watermedia, Nicholas incorporates blooms, crawl-backs, bleeding and puddling, and demonstrates methods for integrating masked areas with wet-in-wet painting. Nick mixes watercolor with fluid acrylic, encourages the paper to buckle, and boldly wields a spray bottle to achieve textural effects.
Anticipating his own tendencies, he works safeguards into his process. This approach is perfect for artists striving to achieve a looser look while still maintaining control of the final painting. The workshop is approximately 2 hours in length with bonus tracks of music written and performed by Nicholas Simmons.
Ratindra Das’, “Painting a Personal Reality in Watercolor”
Ratindra Das has one overriding rule: “Don’t make a boring painting.” By permitting himself to adhere to his own aesthetic, Ratindra gives us a wonderful example of how to shake off old habits and listen to our muse. Tune in to your personal reality with Painting a Personal Reality in Watercolor.
Das begins with a value/shape drawing already much changed from his reference photo, then proceeds to design the painting as a whole. His strong design sense and willingness to question common expectations permit new freedom and individuality in watercolor.
Ratindra uses unconventional flat shapes, manipulates the visual path and mixes vibrant colors directly on the watercolor paper to recreate his visceral experience of a bustling harbor scene. The result is fresh, vibrant, energetic, unique and certainly not boring!
Caroline Jasper’s, “Color Moves: Painting Water with Oils.”
Let Caroline Jasper teach you oil painting techniques that create visual movement! In this oil painting video, Color Moves: Painting Water with Oils, see how Caroline manipulates the properties of color to create the visual effect of movement in her favorite subject water.
Learn to put color-energy and capture visual movement in your subjects! Author and artist Caroline Jasper is extremely well grounded in color theory.
Caroline begins by showing you the logic from which her color decisions are based and the benefits of working on a vibrantly colored ground. Caroline shows examples of a variety of color options. She demonstrates how to break up color areas, the proper use of reference photos, how to plan a value scheme and executes a painting.
Carla O’Connor’s, “Figure Design in Gouache: The Process.”
Carla O’Connor’s DVD workshop, Figure Design in Gouache, stresses the importance of the steps you take to create a painting, not the final product. To Carla, the process is the most important aspect of her art. Her approach is one of incredible discipline and expressive free thought. She follows the “what ifs” but focuses on a different design principle at every stage of her work.
Each stage of her thinking focuses on a different design principle. She starts with a quick gesture drawing of her model. This loose, abstracted sketch, which Carla calls the “set up,” serves as the framework for her painting. Carla works flat, integrating her main shapes into the background before transferring her image to watercolor paper. As she works with gouache, Carla shows you how to break down the steps of your painting process and concentrate on one aspect of design at a time. She demonstrates building rich color and texture through many layers of paint.
Carla delves into more than just the technical aspects of laying paint onto paper. She discusses the importance of emotion in your work and when to tackle difficult subject matter. She offers ideas on making your paintings more personal and encourages you to take risks as an artist.
Julia and Gail Ayres’, ” Painterly Printmaking with Monotype”
Grounded in their mastery of printmaking, Julia and Gail Ayres’ Painterly Printmaking with Monotype, explore the combination of techniques with a wide variety of materials. In their creative and inspiring instructional video, Gail and Julia demonstrate their masterful techniques and awesome results. In this workshop you learn both the additive and reductive monotype techniques using non-toxic inks. They use everything from brushes to brayers and Q-tips to fingertips.
Pat Weaver’s, “Animal Portraits in Watermedia”
Capture your pet’s personality with watermedia artist Pat Weaver. Pat’s direct painting approach and limited palette helps you strip away distractions and work fast on fur, whiskers, feathers, and other eye-catching textures. In Animal Portraits in Watermedia, you’ll complete five watercolor and acrylic paintings on a variety of surfaces, so you’re sure to find the right combination for all your favorite animals. You’ll learn to control value by balancing fresh pigment and water, and Pat’s color-mixing shortcuts help you create anything from bright red to black in seconds. You’ll create convincing fur without painting individual strands, and you’ll layer color to allow glowing hints of your underpainting to peek through. Learn to see your pets in a new light in Animal Portraits in Watermedia with Pat Weaver.
Watermedia Collage Workshop
Carrie Burns Brown’s Watermedia Collage Workshop is all about the possibilities of paper. Carrie transforms simple, white, artist-grade tissue into dozens of colors and styles of decorative paper. Learn how to sandwich fibers, add sparkle with metallic paints, and create giant sheets of analogous colors. Once you’ve stockpiled plenty of papers, Carrie helps you tackle design. She works with color families and a grid system as she cuts, composes, and glues her finished collage.
Carrie Burns Brown’s presentation is sequential and well organized. She shares the tips and tricks she has learned over 30 years to help ensure success. Carrie’s workshop is inspiring, thorough and will keep you busy for years.
“Encaustic Collage Workshop” Has Arrived
Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch’s DVD, “Encuastic Collage Workshop,” has finally arrived in our warehouse! This DVD goes well with the Carrie Burns Brown DVD, “Watermedia Collage Workshop.”
In Patricia’s DVD, you’ll start with low-cost supplies from stores you visit every week and incorporate techniques from collage, scrapbooking, painting, and other media that make you feel at home.
Patricia’s in-depth discussion of materials makes this workshop friendly to complete beginners. From mixing medium to hanging your frame, she covers all the bases.
If you have questions about Encaustic safety in your studio, download Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch’s single page discussion. If you click on the link it will download immediately.
Artist News and Notes
Congratulations to Cheng-Khee Chee, Saturated Wet Technique, for winning second place in Watercolor West’s 41st Annual Juried Exhibition. Cheng-Khee won with his piece, “Koi 2008 #1.” (Seen above.)
A second congratulation goes out to Frankie Ridolfi, How to Bind Books, for being nominated for the American Library Association Notable Videos for Adults list for 2009.
Featured Video
