Kristen Colebank is back offering a new three-part series of watercolor classes for HCAC. “Watercolor lies at the confluence of pigment and paper, a study I’ve been devoted to for several years,”  Kristen writes in the introduction on her website, and she says she enjoys sharing this study with her students so they can find success on their creative journeys.

“Know Your Watercolor Pigments” is the first session and will consist of exercises and activities to learn how pigments behave, their characteristics, etc., which is invaluable for knowing how they will work together when mixing colors and achieving special effects.

The second session is “Wet and Wild,” where exercises and some loose suggested landscapes will encourage students to let their colors and washes mingle on paper. Kristen offers this session as she has observed that “this is the number one thing I’ve seen from developing watercolor painters…. they are hesitant about getting enough water into their mixes and letting the water do its thing, and that’s really where the magic of this medium lives.”

Lastly, “Bits and Pieces of the Landscape” (which will be organized as a Saturday workshop) will examine typical elements of a landscape painting — skies, trees, grassy areas, and bricks and stone — and students will learn strategies for painting those subjects.

The three sessions together are designed as a next step for those who have had some previous experience with watercolors and will provide students with a toolbox of skills they can apply to their own projects. (Don’t worry if you feel like a beginner, 

Students will bring their own watercolor materials (a list of suggested supplies will be provided in advance).

The first two sessions are set for Tuesday afternoons, Sept. 12 and 19, from 4 to 6:30 pm in Studio 203 in the Brannon Building on the WVSDB Campus in Romney. The third session will be a workshop in Room 203 on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a half-hour lunch break. Fees for the classes are: Session 1 – $30, session 2 – $30, and the session 3 workshop – $55. The separate costs are offered for those who can’t commit to all three sessions. To have the full experience, a discount package price is offered for all sessions at $90.

To learn more about Kristen and her artwork, go to https://waitesrunstudios.com.

For more information or to register for the classes, email classes@HampshireArts.org or call Dale at 304.834.8369.

Hampshire County Arts Council is looking for people who would like to teach or learn any and all of the arts. Dream the Big Dream and let us know what you would like to explore. Anyone can be a teacher – just have a desire to share your art with others. 

Beginning in 2023, the Arts Council will be offering classes in the Brannon Building on the WV Schools for the Deaf and Blind campus for students of all ages. 

To prime the pump, as it were, ideas for possible classes include painting (Oil, watercolor, acrylics), drawing, sculpture, papier-mâché, paper making, kite making (and flying), the fiber arts (weaving, spinning, quilt-making, knitting, embroidery and more), writing workshops, music lessons, dance, photography, quilling, alcohol ink art, seasonal decorations, basket making, theatre, film-making and more. 

While teachers are being found, people who want to learn a particular art could form a class and study on their own. There are many sources now between books and YouTube to teach oneself and working together with others can be very rewarding. 

One idea being thought about is to have a corner where art can be created from “trash,” especially bottles and cans, as well as recycling paper into woven baskets, decoupage and more. 

Times will also be set that people can gather to visit, work on art projects, make music, meet artists and find new friends. 

The classrooms are available any day of the week. And there is also studio space for artists to rent to work on projects that they might not have room for otherwise. 

If anyone would like to share their art through teaching or knows someone who would, please email classes@HampshireArts.org. Also, people who would like to learn about a particular art can send an email so that the Project Manager can look for the appropriate teacher. For more information on the Arts Council, their projects and how one becomes a member, explore this website.