Arts Benicia
Classes & Workshops

ENROLL A FRIEND* and RECEIVE 20% OFF CLASS REGISTRATION!

*Brand New Students Only

note: Teens 15 and older may enroll in adult classes

All Classes are held at the Arts Benicia Classroom Studio, 991 Tyler Street #115, unless otherwise specified.
To contact Arts Benicia by telephone: 707-747-0131, fax: 707-747-0241, email: info@artsbenicia.org

Watercolor

Instructor: Nancy Collins
Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday & Sunday, October 11 & 12 9:30am - 4:30pm
Fees: $185 Members, $205 Non Members

Guest Instructor from Mendocino will teach color saturation and burnishing techniques that will make your watercolors sing!

Nancy Collins, Leapfrog in Paradise, watercolor

Nancy Collins, Tuscany Sunset, watercolor

Printmaking

Instructor: William Harsh

May 31 to July 26 (no classes on July 4 weekend)
August 9 to October 4
October 18 to December 13

Saturdays, 10am - 1pm
Eight 3-hour sessions, Option to continue working after class (with some exceptions), with no instructor supervision, for a $15 Lab Fee per day.
Fees: $205. Arts Benicia members, $225. non-members

This course is designed as an introduction to three traditional fine art printmaking forms: Monotype (unique single image prints), Etching/Intaglio (multiple prints made from etched metal or metal otherwise worked with tools), and Relief (multiple prints made from cutting wood planks and linoleum and related materials). Students may opt to try all three forms, or concentrate on one or two if they wish. The class is also for more experienced artists who would like to continue their development of any or all of the three printmaking approaches. Students will work in a well-equipped printmaking studio/classroom which includes a large 3' by 6' etching press, and a small etching press. A materials list will be distributed at the first class session.

William Harsh, monotype

William Harsh is an artist with over 25 years of dedicated studio practice. Primarily an oil painter, he also works extensively with other painting and drawing media and with monotype printmaking. Raised in Europe and the US, he studied with Philip Guston and James Weeks at Boston University, and has for many years taught studio art at colleges in New England and California. His work is included in numerous collections in the US, Canada, and Europe. For the past seven years he has taught numerous classes in the studio art education program at Arts Benicia.  Click here to view more of William's work online.
 

Painting
June 15 - July 27 - Instructor: Larry Morace
(no classes on July 4 weekend)

Sundays, 1pm - 4pm
Six 3-hour sessions
Fees: $160. Arts Benicia members, $180. non-members

Individuals at all levels of experience, who are interested in any of the various methods of painting, from representation to abstraction, are welcome in this class. Students can work from still life set-ups, interiors, personal references or the local industrial landscape: media can include oils or acrylics. Emphasis will be on composition, color, strong drawing, the use of tools, and discovering your personal painting style and subject matter. Methods and use of materials will be demonstrated throughout the session.

 

Larry Morace, Once More with Feeling #19, ver. 4,
2007, 14"H x 18"W, oil on canvas

Larry Morace is a well-known and respected San Francisco artist who has been extensively exhibited. His large, loose brushstrokes startle with their expressiveness and ability to convey information. In the painting process Larry begins drawing from what he sees, but then the painting takes on a life of its own and he freely improvises. While he identifies as an abstract artist he also recognizes his need for underlying structure. From a wide variety of influences, including the Ashcan School and the Bay Area Figurative movement, Morace has developed his own mature style over the past thirty years. Morace has taught, lectured, and exhibited frequently in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been featured in twelve publications from 1989 to 2005. Click here to view more of Larry's work online.

 

Linda Grebmeier, Cargo Ships 144,
oil on canvas, 24" x 21"
Linda Grebmeier was raised in Palo Alto, California, and completed her MA degree at Central Washington University in 1978 where she studied with Cynthia Krieble and George Stillman. Linda’s oil paintings and prints focus on light, form and atmosphere in rural and industrial landscapes. For the last 12 years, Linda Grebmeier has lived and worked in the Benicia Arsenal overlooking the Carquinez Strait. This distinctive industrial landscape has been the subject of her ongoing Arsenal Series. Additional artwork, artist's statement, resume and educational experience can be seen at www.paintsong.com.

Plein Air Painting

Saturdays & Sundays, 10am - 2pm

Two 4-hour sessions
Fees: $90 Arts Benicia members, $110 non-members for both sessions or
$60 Arts Benicia members, $80 non-members for 1session.

Experience painting in the natural environment in Benicia and select locations in the East Bay. Each session will include demonstrations by the instructor, personal painting time and an informal group critique. All experience levels welcome. Material list available upon registration.



June 28 & 29 Instructor: Jerrold Turner


July 26 & 27 Instructor: Nikki Basch Davis

 



August 23 & 24 Instructor: Teresa Onoda


September 13 & 14 Instructor: Christopher Newhard (2-6pm)

 

 

Art Booklets

Instructor: Ronna Leon
Saturday & Sunday, 1pm - 5pm, August 2 & 3,
Two 4-hour sessions
Fees: $75. Arts Benicia members, $95. non-members
plus $10 supply fee

Simple booklet structures - folded, sewn, and boxed - allow artists to present and collect their work in a variety of novel and intriguing ways. Basics to apply to your own work will be learned in this four-hour workshop, recommended to printmakers, wordsmiths and those who want to create something different from 2-D framed works. Students will make five different model booklets, the forms of which can be adjusted to personal art projects at home or studio.

Supplies to bring: cutting tool, self healing cutting mat, 12-inch metal ruler, scissors, glue sticks, if you have one, a bone folder. Instructor will supply papers, boards, needles, binding thread for a $10.00 supply fee.

 

 

Ronna Leon graduated from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, with a degree in literature. She and her husband Joe run Caterpillar Puppets, and have given thousands of performances in schools, libraries, fairs, shopping centers and theme parks as far away as Canada and Moscow. They have received numerous awards, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the San Francisco Education Fund. Currently, Ronna develops her creativity as a dedicated printmaker in Arts Benicia's printmaking program.

Benicia Figure Drawing Group

Instructor: none
Tuesdays, 7pm-10pm, ongoing, please arrive at 6:45pm

Monthly Fee: $65 members, $70 non-members
Two Sessions in one Month: $35 Members, $40 Non-Members
Drop in - One Session: $20 Members, $25 Non-Members

Payments may be made by check or cash on Tuesday nights.

These ongoing sessions allow artists to challenge their drawing skills while developing a better understanding of human form and movement. The three-hour session begins with short poses for warm-up gesture drawings, and then gradually increases to 20-minute poses. The professional artists' models are from the Bay Area Models Guild.

Bring your own drawing materials; a number of easels are available for use.

David Manning, charcoal, 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BENICIA FIGURE DRAWING GROUP, click here>

The mission of the Education Program is to provide a learning environment for the exchange of ideas and information and to inspire the community to develop its creative potential. Our community is very fortunate in having many professional studio artists who are also gifted teachers, and who have provided highly skilled instruction over the years in a caring, attentive classroom environment.

Registration Information:

Please register for your class at least one week before it begins. Arts Benicia's instructors are independent contractors and determine their own fees, class size, content, and style of instruction. It is not necessary to be a member of Arts Benicia to take classes, but we do appreciate the support your membership provides. Once registered, you will not receive registration confirmation unless a class is full or cancelled.

Cancellation and Refunds:

Early registration is encouraged. Our instructors need adequate time for preparation and purchase of materials. Minimum enrollment must be met at least one week prior to the first day of class or there is a possibility of cancellation. No refunds will be given after a week before class begins. If enrollment is insufficient and the instructor cancels a class, your fee will be refunded or transferred to another class of your choice. Classes cannot be prorated.


Testimonials

"For me the best thing about taking Arts Benicia classes has been the ability to learn various printmaking techniques, while learning about art theory and art history in the process from instructors who possess an amazing amount of expertise. The atmosphere is relaxed and encouraging, and time is always given to personalized instruction that suits the needs of beginners and experienced artists alike. I've learned more in a short time about art at Arts Benicia than in many classes taken previously elsewhere. These classes have provided me with a way to rediscover and nurture my artistic self, and enriched my life tremendously."

Geri Lujan is an IT Business Consultant in the field of health care. For 4 years she has taken classes in Printmaking, Oil Painting, Color Theory, Drawing and Silver Clay Jewelry.

"The best things about the classes at Arts Benicia are the excellence of the teaching staff, and the community of people interested and working in the same medium. Consistent access to the well equipped printmaking studio is a huge asset."
Ronna Leon, a Puppeteer, has broadened her artistic skills during the last 6 years with AB classes in Printmaking, Color Theory, Perspective, and Drawing. A skilled maker of artist books, she offers an annual course in Bookmaking. Her prints were exhibited in the fall of 2007 in a magical installation at the Benicia Public Library.

"The high quality of the teachers who are professional artists and have many years experience teaching is the best thing about Arts Benicia's program. Also, the students are often artists who bring much knowledge to share with other students, and the classes are fun! Through these classes, I have deepened my understanding of painting and the creative process, and I continue to build my skills."
Anne Petty, a recently retired Clinical Social Worker, has been taking classes at Arts Benicia since the beginning of the program in 2001. The skills she has acquired and sharpened since then through numerous classes in painting, printmaking, and drawing, have given her the confidence to show her work in numerous exhibits in the region.

"Working during the week, the Saturday workshop with Bill Harsh has turned out to be a perfect fit for my schedule. The level of instruction, the thoughtful critique of work and the enthusiasm shared by the group creates a very positive environment for creative work. The opportunity to make prints every week has helped my work to evolve over time and the generous feedback and support has helped me to develop my artistic voice."
For the past 3 years, Elizabeth Wooley, Print Production Manager for Charles Schwab, has been productively engaged in the printmaking classes at Arts Benicia. She will be installing her first solo show of artwork at Olson Realty in the spring of 2008 through Arts Benicia Presents.

TO ENROLL FOR CLASSES:
 CLICK HERE for a Printable Form to Fax in to Arts Benicia:
http://www.artsbenicia.org/classes/classregform.htm

Or contact Arts Benicia by telephone: 707-747-0131, fax: 707-747-0241, email: info@artsbenicia.org

View Photos from our Classes and Workshops...

Arts Benicia is located at 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114 in Benicia, California. Art Classes and Workshops are located next door in the Arts Benicia Classroom Studio, unless otherwise noted above.

Arts Benicia is a non-profit organization with a contemporary gallery exhibiting the work of selected fine artists and artisans of California. Adjunct activities include art workshops and classes, poetry readings, slide shows and talks by exhibiting artists, as well as music and dance events. Arts Benicia is Benicia's official arts body promoting culture and the arts in the area.