Group Classes

Classes are 2.5-3 hours long. I provide all entry-level supplies for working with acrylic paints, but you are welcome to bring your favourite gear to use as well. Minimum age of 12 unless approved.

*A minimum of 3 students registered 24 hours in advance is required to run the class; if cancelled, students will be notified and refunded :)

Theme ideas:

• Paint Your Pet: Bring a picture of your fur baby, and I will help you bring it to life on your canvas!

• Welcome Baby: Use fabric paint on onesies in a fun, creative way to welcome the new little one into your lives! One white onesie size 3-6mo and paint are provided. Additional items brought can be painted upon request!

• Let’s go Birding: Feather fun and landscapes for everyone! You can bring your own photograph, or I will have a selection for you to use as a reference.

• Someone Special: Capture your family photo, wedding, parents, grandchildren and all the other special humans in your life.

• Favourite Animals: Paint the animal kingdom! Everyone can work on the same species or different ones. You can bring your own photograph, or I will have a selection for you to use as a reference.

• Fabulous Florals: Play with colours and the smooth blending of petals in this relaxing class.

And, of course, my deep dive topics are also available for us to explore together:

• Eyes and Animal Expressions: Reflections, dilation, framing, contrast, moisture, and more go into painting eyes and conveying species' emotions. 

• Painting Nature's Textures: Close or far away, let's talk about all things bark, trees, leaves, dirt, sand, grass, etc and how we can best represent them.   

• Creating Realistic Feathers: Ah, birds. They are some of the most elegant animals we see daily but are challenging to capture in paint. Come deep dive into the anatomy of feathers with me and learn how to create their unique patterns and textures. Grid outlines, layering, colour washes, and using contrast to make individual feathers pop in a subtle way to bring the animals together as one. 

• Creating Realistic Fur: One of my favourite textures to create. Join me and learn how to layer, highlight, and use transparent colour washes to add depth to your fur like never before. We will explore brush techniques, paint consistency, the colours of white and shadows and more.

• Creating Realistic Scales: A challenge for any skill level, scales and the necessary perspective for round animals are complex and patient endeavours. Learn how to paint individual scales, map the transitioning shape of scales across your animals, and learn a few tricks not to paint every single one. 

• Creating Realistic Skin: From the bumpy and textured skin of elephants to the soft skin of amphibians, learn how to use colour and everyone in between. 

• Introduction to Airbrushing: Explore my set-up and workflow of how I airbrush, test out my equipment, and learn how to clean and care for an airbrush. Includes the 'why isn't it spraying' meditation mantra and troubleshooting. 

• Bokeh Airbrushing: The art of creating soft backgrounds that make the foreground pop.

• Going BIG with Murals: Take your painting to a large scale

• Business Development and Marketing for Creatives: Gain insight into the business side of being an artist, including marketing your artwork, pricing your pieces, building an online presence, writing grants, participating in exhibitions and art shows, and much more. Do you want to quit your day job or start building your creative business while in school? Receive personalized guidance on advancing your artistic development, setting achievable goals, and overcoming creative blocks. Explore ways to stay inspired and motivated in your artistic practice with me. 

• Colour Theory: Dive into the world of colour theory, learning about colour mixing, colour harmonies, temperature, value, and saturation. Explore using colour to convey mood, atmosphere, and emotion in your artwork.

• Composition and Design: Balance, harmony, focal points, the rule of thirds - learn how to effectively design your artwork to create visually appealing and dynamic compositions.