Learn to make beautiful paintings by using loose, vibrant and confident brush strokes to create energy and movement. The emphasis will be on shapes, values, composition, color temperature, edges, textures and color harmony. There will be a demo and plenty of individual attention throughout the three-day workshop. Participants will be encouraged to interpret rather than just copy photos. Photo reference will be provided or students can bring their own. Come have fun and be inspired!
 
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Instructor: Vanya Allison, www.vanyaallison.com
Cost: $350 (not including fees)
Sponsor: Scottsdale Artists' School
Website, email, (480) 990-1422 or (800) 333-5707

Visitor Center Artist Camp is an Artist Residency site in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, nestled between rural townships, abandoned mines, and the vast wilderness of the Ottawa National Forest. We hold one residency session each summer, hosting artists from around the country for two weeks of camping, exploring, learning, making, and sharing. Choose the Wild Clay Workshop with master ceramicist Amy Joy Hosterman of Stinky Cheese Ceramics to immerse yourself in the clay process, learning everything from harvesting clay on-site and mixing clay bodies by hand with local natural materials, to firing using electric kilns or experimental wood-barrel kilns, atmospheric propane kilns, and raku kilns, all while camping in the woods! All skill levels welcome!
 
Location: Ewen, Michigan
Instructor: Amy Joy Hosterman, Rebecca Meszler
Cost: $1000
Sponsor: Visitor Center Artist Camp
Website, email, 612-385-2835

The Sonoran Southwest is full of gorgeous flowers that need pollinators. This class will discuss and observe bees and hummingbirds. Using simple techniques students will first learn to break the subject down into simple shapes and draw more accurately. Then multiple layers of color will be used to add vibrancy and sparkle!
 
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Instructor: Devon Meyer, www.devonmeyerartist.com
Cost: $160 (not including fees)
Sponsor: Scottsdale Artists' School
Website, email, (480) 990-1422 or (800) 333-5707

In this fauna-inspired workshop, we will learn how to make incredibly realistic 3-dimensional felt sculptures of our beloved animals. The class will start with an overview of wool types and needles that are used for felting. We will then experiment with various felting techniques and will work on prepping the wool and creating a wire skeleton for your sculpture. In the second half of the class we will add wool to the skeleton and apply the needle-felting techniques to complete the felted animal. All materials will be provided.
 
Location: Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Instructor: Tamara Tsurkan
Cost: $150
Sponsor: Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts
Website, email, 608-987-3292