“Starter Series” Art Classes Set To Begin
The Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) is pleased to announce the launch of a beginner series of classes for adults taught by John Carruthers, a long-time and well respected AAN faculty member. The classes are designed for first-time art students interested in drawing, painting, or printmaking. Classes begin the week of September 7. Registration information is available at the AAN website, www.nantucketarts.org.
“We are delighted that popular summer teacher John Carruthers is staying on this fall and will be teaching our “Starter Series” for adults,” says Arts Program Director Liz Hunt O'Brien. “John has taught with the AAN for seven summers and is now offering three classes for true beginners. If you have never picked up a brush, charcoal pencil or rolled ink for a print, this is the series for you.”
One of Carruthers’ summer students stated: “John is a great teacher — if you know anyone who has ever wistfully said, ‘I wish I could paint’ or ‘I wish I could draw,’ these classes are for them.”
The classes being offered are Beginning Drawing, Beginning Painting, and Beginning Printmaking, because, as O’Brien explained, “to start with the basics is a good way to get people into painting and drawing.”
“John has a masters in drawing, but he also loves printmaking,” she continued, “It can be intimidating, so we like to introduce people to these subjects in a comfortable environment. No one should look at the class list and think ‘oh, I cannot do this, I’m not an artist’.”
To learn more about the AAN Arts Program, visit the website at www.nantucketarts.org. For further information about fall classes and programs, please call Liz Hunt O'Brien at 508-228-0722, ext. 13. Below are descriptions of each class offered.
Beginning Drawing Tuesdays, September 7-28, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Starting with simple ingredients – lines, s-curves, tone, and the mighty ellipse, the class will build exquisite creations from a cup on a tabletop to boats in the harbor. They will learn how to unlock the secrets of perspective, realistic shading, and, most important, give a drawing character and expression. Drawing helps focus hand-eye coordination, and develop an artistic vision that carries over into any other media.
Beginning Painting Wednesdays, September 8-29, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Learn the basics of composition, paint handling, and color to render simple objects in a realistic setting. Then build on those skills to create more complex arrangements while exploring personal style. John teaches a step-by-step approach that gets you creating finished studies right away and completed paintings in two to three sessions.
Beginning Printmaking Mondays, September 13-27, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Explore one of the oldest, yet most versatile of artistic mediums. We will cover traditional (linoleum, monoprint, drypoint), and contemporary approaches (collagraph, chine colle,) to see how far our imagination can push the boundaries. From Durer and the great European masters to Rauschenberg and contemporary geniuses, all major artists have made significant contributions to the field of printmaking. In addition, it has been a significant part of the AAN’s 65 years.
