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Explore Watercolor
Instructor: Yulia Chubotin
Saturday, May 31st
, 1-4 PM
Location: Mercer Island Community and Events Center
Cost: $100/$80 MIVAL members
This three-hour watercolor workshop will cover various watercolor techniques, such as wet-on-wet, wet modeling, wash, and glazing, that will unleash your creativity and enhance your skills. The class offers something for a beginner or an experienced artist looking to refine their techniques. This workshop aims to empower participants with the knowledge and confidence to continue exploring watercolors independently.
Urban Sketching – Mercer Island
Instructor: Steven Reddy
Saturday, June 7th from 11-3 PM
Location: Mercer Island Community and Events Center then moving to Mercer Island town center for urban sketching.
Cost: $120/$100 MIVAL members
There is a $10 cash fee payable to the instructor for some special supplies if you have not taken a workshop with Steven Reddy before.
Capture scenes on location using the five-step technique detailed in Steven Reddy’s book, Everyday Sketching and Drawing: Five Steps to a Unique and Personal Sketchbook Habit. Free yourself from arduously erasing and fussily redrawing in messy pencil and embrace your natural lines in bold pen and ink contours. Then brush in your tones with diluted India ink before “glazing” hues in watercolor. This class will meet initially indoors for a lesson on technique and then move to Mercer Island City Center near Starbucks to practice the technique outdoors.
Steven recommends that students should come with the following painting supplies:
1. Multimedia sketchbook capable of handling several layers of wet media (not drawing paper). I recommend Canson’s XL, image attached.
2. At least two watercolor brushes, one small, one medium (round #4 – #8) Image attached.
3. A small set of tray-based (not tubes) of watercolor. I use the 12-color travel set by Winsor & Newton. See image below.
Watercolor and Gouache: Two Sisters
Instructor: Jeff Olson
Saturday, June 14th
, 10 AM – 3 PM
Location: Mercer Island Community and Events Center
Cost: $120/$100 MIVAL members
Watercolor and Gouache are two sisters, different and the same, sharing an almost identical composition but with very individual working properties. Learn how they can complement each other and where they diverge, creating a unique painting experience. Join Jeff Olson, the Art Education Director for Royal Talens North America, for an informative and revealing look into the history of these sibling mediums, their composition and working properties. All participants will receive free samples and be eligible to win sets of watercolor and gouache.
Jeff Olson holds a BA and MFA in painting and drawing and is a working artist exhibiting for more than thirty years. He has more than a decade of college and university teaching experience in studio art, and more than twenty-five years in the art material industry with product expertise in a variety of mediums including watercolor and gouache; Olson’s lectures deliver meaningful insights into the history, development, and application of artists’ materials. Visit www.jeffolsonart.com
Royal Talens: The mission of Royal Talens, founded in 1899, is to facilitate and stimulate creative expression in painting and drawing. We market inspiring and innovative top-quality products including Rembrandt Watercolors and Talens Designer Gouache. Royal Talens’ Art Education mission is to provide “resources for artists that engage, inform and inspire artistic experimentation and expression.” Visit www.royaltalens.com
Materials Provided:
Watercolor – Select colors
Gouache – Select colors
Watercolor Paper Sheets
Materials Needed (bring with you):
1 Watercolor Brush Round Size 4 or 6 (natural or synthetic)
2 Cups (containers) for water, apx 12oz or larger, for mixing and cleaning
Watercolor Palette (8 wells or more)
Paper Towels (or paint rags)
1 Sponge
1 Graphite Drawing Pencil (2B-6B)
1 Roll Artist Tape (3/4in or 1in width)
Open Art Studio – 3 class series
MIVAL member Irene Rajagopal is hosting a new still life drawing series at the Community Center.
All Mercer Islanders are welcome to join this open class. Please join and tell your friends.
All three classes of the series are free.
April 25th, May 23rd and June 27th, from 9:30 -11:30 AM
Classes held at the Mercer Island Community & Event Center
Mixed Media Drawing and Painting with Gouache
Classes will start again in June
Tuesdays – Two classes
Each class is six sessions
Maximum of six students in each class
Instructor: Claudia Zimmerman
To Register or Join the Waitlist: email Claudia Zimmerman at cvonz1@gmail.com
Cost: $90 for all 6 sessions. Payable first day of class to MIVAL by check or card
Mixed Media Drawing 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Dates TBD
Beginners welcome! Students will experience fundamental drawing skills in a way that will enhance their unique creative ability. Mixed media will include pencil, pen, charcoal, dry pastels, and colored pencils. Necessary items are a pencil and a drawing pad (approx. 11×14″). Weather permitting, we will try for a landscape session, though the main focus will be still life setups. Art supplies will be available to students and you are welcome to bring your own supplies.
Painting with Gouache 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Dates TBD
Through still life setups, students will experience the ease, versatility, and brilliance of painting with gouache. It is a non-toxic, water-based medium that is regaining popularity now that artists are discovering its value and convenience. Weather permitting, we will try for a landscape session. Art supplies will be available to students and you are welcome to bring your own supplies.
A Thursday class from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM may be offered if the above classes are full.
Location: MIVAL Studio: 7710 SE 29th St. between MIVAL Gallery and Met Market.
Street parking or park behind the Reading Room next door.
Open Studio Times
Mondays – 1 PM – 3 PM
Fiber Fridays 1 PM – 3 PM
MIVAL now has a new space! The building is located on 29th Street between the Gallery and Metropolitan Market and we are adapting the space for our various needs, making some improvements inside. The building has heat and air conditioning to get us through the seasons and the space is well suited for classes, workshops and small events.
We are excited about having this wonderful space for our artists to create and for all of you who wish to attend or lead classes. If you have suggestions or would like to teach a class let us know.
We continue to have Open Studio time from 1:00 – 3:00 PM on Monday and Friday afternoons. All MIVAL artists and their guests are welcome to join us for a couple of hours to work on art projects, discuss ideas or just drop by to see what is happening in our additional location.
To get on the list for Open Studio Reminders contact Mary or Kim:
Mary McKelvey, mkmckelvey@gmail.com or Kim McDonald, kimannem@me.com
Location: MIVAL Studio: 7710 SE 29th St. between MIVAL Gallery and Met Market.
Classes are sponsored by MIVAL in coordination with the City of Mercer Island and held either in our studio building or at the Mercer Island Community & Event Center.