Showcase Art Center

As we drove west last night, the clouds to the north were spectacular. To understand what I am seeing, I like to paint it. Here is an opportunity to study light against dark and dark against light. Nothing does that better than clouds. This video is up now at www.ShowcaseArtCenter.com on the video class page (subscription $10/month for unlimited views of 415 choices). I use my special "chop stick-two brush-draw and soften" technique. Intrigued? Join us! Additional cla

It is coming early this year - the colors of fall. A great excuse to try out the pigments you may not use often like Isoindolin Yellow, Benzimidazolone Burnt Orange, and Transparent Yellow Oxide. To see what I am talking about watch this week's video now up on www.ShowcaseArtCenter.com. Classes this week at Showcase: No Monday class Tuesday 10:00 AM to noon - Independent painting group Tuesday 1:30-3:30 PM - Step-by-Step Yellows & Oranges Wednesday 10:00 AM to noon - Indep

Everyone's favorite season is fall. Let's celebrate the season of harvest, color and cooler weather. Thanks LeAnne for sharing your bounty of backyard pears! I went out on a limb (pun intended) and only painted two. Even numbers are usually a design no-no. I wanted the title cuteness and the leaves make a third element for an odd number. Does it work? The video is up now at www.Showcaseartcenter.com. Next week we will explore more pears in class. Classes are as follo

This car looks like it is the one in the book "Grapes of Wrath". It was in the Frontier Days museum. It captured my imagination so I painted it on its journey. It was a full moon last night, so I turned it into a nocturn and show a quick trick for making a night sky. The video is now up at www.ShowcaseArtCenter.com on the video class page. We will paint it next week live at Showcase. Join us in September to enjoy some fun projects. Class list: 10:00-noon Tuesday and W

This week's project is to arrange colored glass objects into a still life suitable for painting. Lighting will change shadows and reflections. We will use phones to photograph the arrangements. Then we will choose our favorite to paint. We should be able to make a number of paintable scenes, both simple and complex. The video is up now on www.ShowcaseArtCenter.com . Bring some colored glass to class to share stories and compositions. We will make compositions to photo f

You were taught at an early age to make a tree like a lollipop. Ever find yourself still making that tree? Let's use the circle shape to make a tree with a bit more complexity. Find some circle templets - cardboard TP core, pill lid, tape centers, etc. You can use these to design your tree before painting. We will also practice salt texture to make leaves. This video is now playing at www.showcaseartcenter.com on the video page. Join us live next week for classes: Mond

Play is an important concept in imagination. I give you permission to play. We will experiment with color to create iridescent bubbles. This week's quick video shows you how on www.showcaseartcenter.com (video class page - subscription $10/month for over 400 choices). This project can be fast and fun or as detailed and realistic as you wish. We will play with bubbles this week in class. Bring some round tubes. TP empty centers are perfect. Classes this week at Showca

We love our Holbein watercolors. Did you know they are named after the master painter, Hans Holbein? While you watch me demo speed paint a copy of one of his paintings, hear the story of who he was. It envolves, murder, romance, treachery and art. August will be be art history month. Fabulous paintings and stories like you never imagined. We will paint this portrait together next week. You can paint as stylized as you wish - abstracted or as detailed as you care to go.

Good clean fun? That is because we are using soap to make backgrounds filled with bubbles. Bring lots of paper to play with in class. You will want to experiment and let dry before making many layers. Warning: not a sketchbook project. After you make individual papers, you can mount in your sketchbook. After finding your best experimental background you may wish to add an ocean creature for an underwater scene. You may like it just as an abstract texture. In class nex

This week we will discover what shapes are made with a variety of brush shapes. The video is up now at www.ShowcaseArtCenter.com. Then take the shapes and continue the practice/play by painting a garden of flowers and leaves. Simplify the detail by using just a stroke of the brush. Gather all the brush shapes you can find and see how many shapes they will make. In class next week I will have all the shapes to test drive. Classes at Showcase next week: 10:00 AM to noon T