CLASSES Fall courses begin in January and run for nine weeks. Registration begins immediately.(The Great Falls School of Art classes are being held in the Artists' Atelier, the working studios and gallery space I share with 13 other artists located at 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, VA 22066. Classes are currently for teens and adults, with children's classes to be added once a different, adequate teaching space has been found. -Jill)Still Life Painting in Oils Jill Banks
Still life painting is the ultimate teacher – learn how to achieve glorious color, draw with paint concentrating on simplifying forms into abstract shapes, and how to construct compelling compositions. The instructor will set up multiple still lifes for each class and teach students how to design their own incorporating some of their favorite objects. This is a great class for artists of all levels – from beginners to advanced. Information on the instructor can be found at:
www.jillbanks.com and on her blog at
http://jillbanks.blogspot.com. Supply list will be posted.
$300 + $20 materials fee, Tuesdays, 9:30am-12:30pm, 9 weeks, Jan. 27-Mar. 24
Registration form.
Painting the Portrait in Oils
Jill Banks 
This course covers the basic elements of painting the portrait: composition, mood, gesture, form, structure, and features. Emphasis is placed on creating sound and compelling paintings as well as achieving a likeness. Students will learn how to achieve beautiful skin tones through color studies and to place the figure in space. Continuing students will build on established skills. Model fees are extra. Information on the instructor can be found at:
www.jillbanks.com and on her blog at
http://jillbanks.blogspot.com. Supply list will be posted.
$300 + model fees (based on number of enrolled students), Tuesdays, 1:30-4:30pm, 9 weeks, Jan. 27-Mar. 24
Registration form.
Oil Painting from Photos You Love
Adrienne Kralick 
Learn to compose and create beautiful oil paintings from photo references that interest and excite you. This lively class is tailored to help each student at their own level whether beginner or advanced, with an emphasis on the concepts and painting techniques that can be learned from great paintings throughout history. Given demonstrations and handouts are customized for the specific needs that arise during each session as the paintings progress. Information on the instructor can be found at:
www.adrienneartist.com.
$270 Fridays, 9:30am-12:30pm, 9 weeks, Jan. 23-Mar. 20
$270 Sundays, 1:00-4:00pm, 9 weeks, Jan. 25-Mar. 22
Registration form.
Introduction to Watercolor
Linda Jones 
This course covers the basic techniques in watercolor: brushwork, washes, wet into wet, drybrush, color mixing and composition. Each class will include demonstration and students developing these techniques while working on specifically chosen subjects/themes from still life and photographs. A materials list will be provided before the start of the course.
$300 Mondays, 2:00pm-5:00pm, 9 weeks, January 19-March 16
Registration form.
Visual Thinking Through Media: Creating a Visual Journal
Michela Mansuino
From content to cover, this course is designed to inspire you to get serious about being creative. You will experiment with a variety of media in an 11 X 17 inch hard-bound sketchbook. Just as artists uniquely get some of their most significant ideas from working with materials, you will use these investigations to develop projects based on your personal interests and direction. The journal prompts are fused with the exploration of significant themes and contexts. They act as a springboard to help you to discover who you are and make a visual record or the process. In this studio-centered course, we will include art history, popular culture, language, science, music and other content areas. Visual journaling is a way of crafting elegant art problems for authentic learning. Visual journaling is a way of life. Hard-bound sketchbook is included. Supply list will be posted. Young teens, teens, adults.
$280 + $25 materials fee, 3:00-6:00pm, Wednesdays, 9 weeks, January 21-March 18
Registration form.
WORKSHOPSMastering the Business of Art
Jill BanksTuesday & Wednesday, January 13 & 14, 6:30-9:30pmCreating a successful art career requires more than just creating appealing art. This two-day workshop covers the fundamentals of planning, establishing and running a career as a professional artist. Topics include goal setting, studio setup, purchasing, pricing your work, exhibiting, selling, applying for grants, taxes, setting up merchant accounts, marketing, add-on products and branding, promotions, publicity, approaching galleries, establishing name recognition, handling commissions, inventory control and more. The instructor started taking classes in 2003 – and in a little over five years has successfully built a rewarding art career through sales, commissions, recognition, awards, a grant, gallery representation and teaching. The business of art is challenging and rewarding – and conquering it lets us do more of what we love to do! A workbook is included. Information on the instructor can be found at:
www.jillbanks.com and on her blog at
http://jillbanks.blogspot.com.
$95 + $10 workbook fee
Registration form.
Introduction To Jewelry-Making
Donna BarnakoSaturday, January 17, 1:00-4:00pmA half-day workshop where you will learn a potpourri of basic skills to get you started making your own jewelry. In this class we will make several pairs of earrings and a necklace or bracelet. Techniques covered include making wrapped loops, string considerations, crimping and adding closures. Information on the instructor can be found at: www.jewelworx.com. Class targeted for adults but fine for teenager 14+. Geared for beginners with no prior experience. For information about the instructor:
www.jewelworx.com or
www.jewelworx.etsy.com.
$50 + $15 materials fee (tools supplied by teacher)
Registration form.
Introduction to Jewelry Wireworking
Donna BarnakoSaturday, March 7, 1:00-4:00pm A half-day workshop where participants will learn a variety of wireworking techniques useful in basic jewelry-making as well as in a completely wireworked piece. Students will make their own earwires and a bangle bracelet while learning to fashion a clasp and to coil wire as a decorative element. Class targeted for adults. Strictly for beginners. For information about the instructor:
www.jewelworx.com or
www.jewelworx.etsy.com.
$50 + $15 materials/kit fee (tools supplied by teacher)
Registration form.
Photoshop Elements 6 – The Basics (Crash Course)
Heidi MrazSaturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, February 7In this crash course, students will learn the basics of this powerful image-editing software package including: how to navigate the workspace, organize, manage and save photos, resize and crop, sharpen, color correct, fix exposure, retouch and use creative filters. Plus students will explore ways to output their photos, create projects and more.
$50 + $10 workbook fee
Registration form.
Photoshop Elements 6 – Beyond The Basics (Crash Course)
Heidi MrazSaturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, February 28Stretch the boundaries of your creativity and get started on your way to mastering Photoshop Elements’ powerful image-editing tools. This course will cover key features including selections, adjustment layers, photo retouching, special effects, adding text, filters and more. Plus students will learn ways to share their images on the web and in a slide show. For the intermediate or those who have attended “The Basics” Crash Course.
$50 + $15 DVD fee
Registration form.
Photoshop Elements 6 – Advance Techniques (Crash Course)
Heidi MrazSaturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, March 14Learn how to take an image from the ordinary to the extraordinary and turn memories into masterpieces. This crash course covers the most powerful and flexible features of Photoshop Elements including layer adjustments and styles, camera raw, photomerge and other tips and tricks to make your photos shine. Students will also learn how to create a slide show and a web gallery. “The Basics” and “Beyond The Basics” are prerequisites to this course.
$50 + $15 DVD fee
Registration form.
Digital SLR Photography (Crash Course)
Heidi MrazSaturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, January 31This class demystifies the technology so you can start taking better pictures right away. Learn the basics of file formats, menu and scene settings, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, bracketing composition and lighting. Find out how to transfer images to the computer and manage them. Plus students will discover options to edit, save and print their photos. Students are encouraged to bring their digital SLR cameras to class.
$50 + $10 workbook fee
Registration form.
Photos That Click – Visual Techniques to Supercharge Your Creative Potential (Crash Course)
Heidi MrazSaturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, March 21Whether you are an amateur or pro, this class is designed to expand your vision, while providing you with lots of ideas and tips intended to strengthen your ability to capture and create images that are captivating, technically sound, and visually appealing. So if you are ready to supercharge your creative passion and potential, this is the class for you. Students are encouraged to bring their digital cameras to class.
$50 + $10 workbook fee
Registration form.
The Classic Figure: a Modern Approach
Alla Prima Figure Painting with Robert Liberace Friday-Sunday, January 9, 10, 11, 2009Held at the Great Falls Artists’ Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, Suite G, Great Falls, Virginia (demo January 9th from 6:30-9:30pm, and classes January 10th and 11th from 10am-4pm)
Join Rob for an exciting workshop that will unite the old and the new. Using the modern method of alla prima and a rich array of contemporary colors, students will follow a step-by-step method that will allow them to compose a figure painting with the look and finish of classic Renaissance paintings. Though alla prima (the direct manner of finishing a painting while it is wet) is often considered an impressionistic approach, it is also ideal for careful and thorough modeling which is a hallmark of classical painting. This approach will allow students to efficiently complete a painting without the laborious and time consuming classic approach of glazed layers. Methods of drawing, paint manipulation and color arrangement will be included and a general analysis of the anatomy will be stressed. But first, don't miss out on the demo Friday evening. And be sure to arrive early for wine and cheese! Students will need to provide their own easels and taborets or tables for palettes and supplies.
IMPORTANT: Registration for the Robert Liberace workshop is different than for other Great Falls School of Art courses and workshops. All are welcome. Hurry, space is limited.
For the Robert Liberace workshop only, please contact Mary Orr at mary.orr@mac.com or cell 703-298-1176. Or mail check to Mary Orr at 198 Falcon Ridge Road, Great Falls, VA 22066. For more information about the instructor: see
www.robertliberace.com.
$250 + model fees (to be divided among participants)
These are ridiculously fun to do... and hopefully will be fun to collect. They are painted alla prima -- or all at once, wet-into-wet oils. I work at getting it right from first to last brushstroke.
For each of the paintings depicted in the Places gallery, I used photography that I had taken myself -- often using many photos as references, and then recreated some portion of the painting to work from life. An example is on "Randy and Me" shown above. This depicts my husband and I at a great restaurant in Santa Fe where we managed to garner the window table. Randy walked outside and took my photo, and I did the same for him. I used a composite of the two to understand how we looked together and to capture the background. Then, I painted myself looking at the mirror (didn't use the photo at all) and had my husband pose for me sitting on a stool. While that's a lot of juggling to pull the portrait together, the result is one that really rings true for the two of us. It's us.
