east bay art classes
Acrylic Still Life
Acrylic is possibly the most versatile and forgiving medium. This day is structured so that beginners as well as more experienced painters can take a tour of its exciting possibilities while painting the still life. We’ll cover the uses of several additives and how to mix acrylic colors. Register here, at the Frank Bette Center’s site. The FBC has a list of materials available once you register. The workshop runs from 9-4 pm. It costs $80 for members and $100 for non-members. Here is the agenda for the day: Goals Learn the most versatile way to begin an acrylic painting Choose the best acrylic paints for the task at hand Understand the possibilities of the medium Complete more than one still life Format You will be able to receive instruction and create one or more still lives ...Read More
Plein Air Sundays Session 5
Topic Determining a focal point. Directions To Lake Anza No exact address is provided by Tilden Regional Park, but the lake is located at the end of Lake Anza Rd. The exact GPS Coordinates are 37.89700°N / 122.25359°W If coming from Richmond, el Cerrito, Berkeley or Albany: Go to the intersection of Arlington Blvd and Boynton St. Get on Boynton, go uphill until you see Colorado Ave. Continue going uphill until you hit Michigan Ave, then Spruce. Turn left on Spruce. You’ll cross Grissly Peak later, and find yourself on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Go on Wildcat until you see a Lake Anza sign pointing to your left. You will get to the multiple intersection, and take the one that seems to go in the opposite direction, which should be Lake Anza Rd. We’ll meet at the very last parking lot. If...Read More
Free Painting Workshop #2
Adult East Bay residents who have never taken a class or workshop with me are invited! No previous painting knowledge is necessary. Bring your own media or try mine, and have fun learning how to paint a still life. Enjoy a relaxed, nurturing atmosphere and meet other art lovers. Registration is limited to 15 adults. One spot per household, please. Friends need to register too. My studio is wheelchair accessible and I am Spanish bilingual. FAQs Are there ID, age or other requirements to register for the event? The workshop is for people 18 or older, although I am open to accepting a parent accompanied by a teen 16 or older. It is open to East Bay residents who have not taken a class with me before. What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event? There is street...Read More
A Different Place Entirely
“A different place entirely” is how a painter friend described Meeker Slough in a blog entry. One of the locations I chose for our Plein Air Fridays class, the slough in my opinion deserves five stars as an East Bay painting spot. It is mostly accessible through the part of Richmond’s Bay Trail that borders the Marina Way development and perhaps because of that it feels far, far away. “An old mudflat channel along the Richmond Southeast Shoreline that became constrained from over 100 years of urban development starting in the late 1800s,” the slough used to be considered one of one of the ten most toxic spots in the Bay Area. Thanks to the cleaning efforts of UC Berkeley, it is possible to pass through without being significantly exposed to PCBs, arsenic, lead...Read More
Plein Air Fridays Session 4
Topic Selecting pigments for a Bay Area landscape. Limited palettes. Directions to Crest Ave From Berkeley, take 580 towards Marin and get off at Gerrard. Get off on Castro St exit and make a left on Castro Street. Go under the freeway and you will end up on Tewksbury Ave. Make a left on Tewksbury and continue along the freeway until you hit Washington Ave. Make a right on Washington and go to the small plaza with a statue. The road forks. Stay on your right continue up the hill on Washington. Pass Scenic St. and make a left on Crest Ave. Park at a small lot near the end of Crest Ave, by the trailhead. Please park parallel and close to other cars to leave parking space for everyone. From elsewhere, just take Richmond Parkway west all the way past the dump, and get off toward the end, on C...Read More