Art Club Classes – February 2024

New Art Class: Acrylic Fluid “Ring Pour”—February 8

Dale Farland

Are you eager to explore the various possibilities of acrylic pouring? SaddleBrooke Ranch (SBR) resident and artist Diane Verkuylen-Murphy recently taught an acrylic pour class to some of our members. She is now returning to teach a new technique with acrylic paint pour, which is distinct from the previous class. In this class, the student will embark on a hands-on journey and she will guide you step-by-step through the process of creating fluid art on canvas. You will discover a different technique called the “Ring Pour.” This is easy to do with stunning results. Paint is layered into a pour cup and then slowly poured onto the canvas resulting in rings that mimic the rings on a tree. Then, the canvas is tilted and the bands of color grow and stretch.

Class Description: This technique is an excellent beginner’s paint pouring technique to learn and master. It involves the student learning how to layer the cup, how to pour the paint onto the canvas without mixing the colors, and how to tilt the canvas without over-stretching the bands of color. As can be seen in the beautiful picture, the colors with this Ring Pour technique flow and cover the entire canvas. Once you learn this art form, the student can then expand their artistic horizons and create more artwork at home. Diane can teach up to 20 students with this class, so this is a wonderful opportunity to learn this art medium. The artwork will remain in the Art Room to dry until Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. to pick up.

Date for Class: Thursday, Feb. 8

Time: 2 to 5 p.m.

Class Fee: $60. Please deposit your check made out to SBR Art Club within five days of registering.

Class Size: Minimum: 4; Maximum: 20

Registration Deadline Date: Thursday, Feb. 1

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: 8” x 10” canvas, acrylic paints, plastic gloves, paint recipes, instructions, and any other materials required to complete the process.

Materials Participants to Bring: An apron or wear clothes that can get paint on them.

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room door. Please deposit your check within five days of registering. Otherwise, you will not be considered registered. Classes fill up quickly, so your check is confirmation. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: All participants are to be members of the SBR Art Club. If you want to join the SBR Art Club, go onto GroupWorks, and the membership application is located within the SBR Art Club “About” section to download. There are also copies of the membership form located right outside the Art Room door. If you have difficulty, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for the SBR Art Club in 2024 is only $25.

‘Tangle from the Heart’ Class Will Be on February 12

“Tangle from the Heart” tile to be created in the class (photo by instructor, Val Barsevich)

Dale Farland

Did you want to learn how to Zentangle but missed the classes in 2023? All Zentangle classes by instructor Val Barsevich have been successful. So, Val is returning and will be teaching on Monday, Feb. 12, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. to teach “Tangle from the Heart.” Beginners are welcome! This is your opportunity to learn the art of Zentangle. This class is open to all, regardless of Zentangle experience. There are no prerequisites for this class—if you can write your name, you have the skills to be a success! This class will be both an introductory class of the basic steps of the Zentangle method and for those who are familiar with Zentangle. No artistic ability is required!

Zentangle art is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. These structured patterns are called tangles. You create tangles with combinations of dots, lines, simple curves, S-curves, and orbs. These simple shapes are the “elemental strokes” in all Zentangle art. These patterns are drawn on small pieces of paper called “tiles,” which you can assemble into mosaics. Zentangles can be combined to create a larger mosaic piece of art or simply stand alone.

Class Description: Zentangle is a mindfulness technique that many people find relaxing and has been found to have benefits in reducing anxiety, relieving stress, and increasing focus. Therefore, the “Zen” part of the word Zentangle. Zentangle is a fun, easy-to-learn, relaxing method to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.

Date for Class: Monday, Feb. 12

Time: 9: to 11:30 a.m.

Class Fee: $45

Class Size: Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15

Registration Deadline Date: Monday, Feb. 5

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: New Zentangle students will receive a beginning kit of materials (pencil, Micron 01 black pen, pencil sharpener, tortillon, Zentangle tiles, small artist kit bag). Val will provide colored pens and pastel pencils for all.

Materials Participants to Bring: If you are a prior student, Val provided the items above. Therefore, those students need to bring those supplies. All students need to bring a sketchbook or sheets of paper (computer copy paper is fine) to record notes and to practice tangles.

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room door. Please deposit your check within five days of registering. Otherwise, you will not be considered registered. Classes fill up quickly, so your check is confirmation. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: All participants must be members of the SBR Art Club. New members go onto GroupWorks. Membership application is located in the “About” section along the top within the Art Club to download the form. Forms are also located outside the Art Room door. If you have difficulty, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for SBR Art Club is only $25.

Canvas and Cocktails Returns to SBR Art Club February 21

Tucson cactus picture participants will be painting in the February Canvas and Cocktails class (photo by instructor, Janice Mihora)

Dale Farland

Another fun picture is coming to Canvas and Cocktails: The Tucson Cactus. We all think of this iconic picture as the “Welcome to Tucson.” This is now your opportunity to create a picture that will welcome guests to your house. Participants always thoroughly enjoy the Canvas and Cocktail events with SBR artist and instructor Janice Mihora. Another event is now scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. So, sign up soon as this class is always well received.

These classes are a great event with laughter abounding. What is terrific about these classes is that you will paint with existing and new friends while enjoying a libation of your choice. We hope you do not miss this class; however, the good news is that Janice will be teaching more Canvas and Cocktail classes in 2024.

Class Description: Come and enjoy an evening of creativity and friendship. In this 2 1/2-hour class, participants will learn the basic techniques of acrylic painting and will take home their own personal pictures.

Date for Class: Wednesday, Feb. 21

Time: 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Class Fee: $45. Make your check out to SBR Art Club.

Class Size: Minimum: 5; Maximum: 16

Registration Deadline Date: Feb. 14. Please deposit your check within five days of registering on GroupWorks.

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: All materials, including canvas, paints, and instructions

Materials Participants to Bring: Libation of choice and snacks if you want.

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room door. Please deposit your check within five days of registering. Otherwise, you will not be considered registered. Classes fill up quickly, so your check is confirmation. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: All participants are to be members of the SBR Art Club. If you want to join the SBR Art Club, go onto GroupWorks and click on “Art Club.” The membership application is located within the “About” section (located across the top line) to download. There are also membership forms located right outside the Art Room door. If you have difficulty, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for SBR Art Club in 2024 is only $25.

New Class: Fun with PanPastels

Example of artwork by instructor, Sunny Shack

Erin Newman

Come and learn about PanPastels: a new, fun, portable, versatile, erasable, easy-to-use, and very forgiving medium on Feb. 28! You will feel you are drawing and painting at the same time! You will learn what they are and the techniques and tools you can use with them. How to use them with other media will also be discussed as well as appropriate substrates and fixatives.

Sonsoles (Sunny) Shack will do a couple of demonstrations to show how to draw/paint with them, carve out form with darks and lights, and use an eraser to correct or lift color for lights. She will paint a simple, loose landscape, emphasizing depth and atmospheric perspective. This is easy to achieve with PanPastels because of their softness and “ghost-like” quality. Students will have the opportunity to try out the PanPastels using specific tools and create one small painting. So come join us and try this fun new medium! All levels welcome!

Sunny grew up within a family of artists in Madrid, Spain. From an early age, she demonstrated a passion for art and she drew well. She has been drawing and painting for 40+ years, has been an art instructor for 15+ years, and teaches private classes and workshops at the Mountain Artists Guild in Prescott and at the Southern Arizona Artists Guild in Tucson.

She has shown her paintings in several galleries, including Ben’s Fine Art Gallery, the Mountain Artist Guild Gallery, and the Phippen Museum in Prescott, and participated in their juried annual Western art shows.

Her art education includes classes at the University of Maryland, the Montpelier Arts Center (Maryland), and the Scottsdale Artists School (Arizona). She studied with renowned instructors such as Amery Bohling, Phil Beck, James Coulter, Robert Goldman, Ray Roberts, Peggy Kroll-Roberts, David Harlan, Cody DeLong, and Chris Saper.

She has received awards from the Portrait Artists of Arizona, the Best & Brightest show at the Scottsdale Artist School, and at the Mountain Artist Guild.

Date for Class: Wednesday, Feb. 28

Time: 1 to 5 p.m. in the CATC Art Room

Class Fee: $60

Class Size: Minimum: 3; Maximum: 24

Payment Deadline Date: Feb. 21

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: Basic PanPastel colors, paper, and tools, to be shared among students. At the end of the class, students will have the opportunity to purchase the PanPastels and tools from the instructor. Please bring cash/check if you’re interested.

Materials Participants to Bring: Please bring your own PanPastels and tools if you have them.

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room Door within five days of your “I’m Going” registration. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: Starting in 2023, participants must be members of the SBR Art Club. If you want to join the SBR Art Club, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for SBR Art Club for 2024 is $25.

Drawing Fundamentals Classes Return on March 6

Example of the drawing fundamentals to be taught by instructor Christine Lytwynczuk. Picture provided by the instructor.

Dale Farland

Are you intimidated by drawing? Or do you just want to hone your skills? Have you ever sat down to draw something and have not known how to even begin? Perhaps you have taken drawing in the past but mystery and anxiety still cling to your mind?

Come learn some simple, easy-to-implement techniques that will enable you to become a more skilled artist. Even if you have taken drawing classes in the past, the instructor, Christine Grace, promises that you will be learning new ways of thinking, seeing, and approaching a drawing that you will wish you had learned in your first drawing class. Many SBR Art Club members have requested that the series of drawing fundamentals be offered again. Christine Grace Lytwynczuk will be teaching this three-week series of drawing.

Christine has been teaching painting and drawing for more than 25 years, giving new and established artists all the skills they need to reach their artistic desires. She graduated cum laude from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in painting, and graduate classes in art teaching. She now teaches both privately and at an art center.

Class Description: Over three Wednesday afternoons, students will learn new ways to break down your subject matter to cultivate correct proportions, line weight, and likeness. Students will draw simple designs while learning several advanced mental drawing tools. Learn how seeing things the way artists see them makes it easier to draw.

Dates for Class: Series of three classes: Wednesdays, March 6, 13, and 20

Time:  2 to 4 p.m.

Class Fee: $85

Class Size: Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15

Registration Deadline Date: Wednesday, Feb. 28

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: Image materials

Materials Participants to Bring: Paper 8.5” x 11” or larger (copy paper is fine). Pencil (such as Papermate mechanical #2), erasers (white plastic and kneaded), and a stiff board to use as a drawing board (foam core is fine provided it is larger than the paper). Artists’ tape and straight edge (ruler, triangle, or matte board).

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room door. Please deposit your check within five days of registering. Otherwise, you will not be considered registered. Classes fill up quickly, so your check is confirmation. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: All participants are to be members of the SBR Art Club. If you want to join the SBR Art Club, go onto GroupWorks, and the membership application is located in the “About” section to download. If you have difficulty, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for SBR Art Club in 2024 is only $25. If you are a returning member, simply deposit your check made out to SBR Art Club in the black lockbox outside the art room door.

Returning! The 4” x 4” Tapestry Mosaic Square Class—March 7

Example of the 4″ x 4″ wooden tile to be created during class. (Photo from instructor, Gillian Allard)

Dale Farland

Gillian Allard, who has taught mosaic tapestry art to the members of the SBR Art Club through several different classes, is returning to share her expertise in creating 4” x 4” square wooden mosaic tiles. This class will be on Thursday, March 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. If you shop at the Southern Arizona Arts Guild (SAAG) store in La Encantada, you may have seen her artwork of tapestry mirrors and panels. She has been creating functional mosaics for more than 12 years and teaching for more than eight years.

Gillian will be providing all the materials for this class. So, no need to purchase additional items to complete your wooden tile. Plus, you will complete your tile in only one class taking 3.5 hours. This is such a fun medium with which to work, and the resulting tile is stunning. We have to forewarn you that working in tapestry mosaic art can become addicting!

Class Description: Using tiles, beads, and a central focal point, students will create a 4” x 4” square tapestry mosaic wooden tile. You can hang this unique piece of art (hanger included) or display it free-standing. Although this class is not a prerequisite for the next two tapestry mosaic classes (Saguaro Cactus and 3” x 12” Tapestry Mosaic Panel), this class will help participants understand material selection and basic techniques. In the next two classes to be offered later, the focus will be on design and participants will need to provide more of their own materials. This is another opportunity to express your creativity in a different art medium.

Date for Class: Thursday, March 7

Time: 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Class Fee: $90

Class Size: Minimum: 4; Maximum: 12

Registration Deadline Date: Feb. 29 (leap year)

Materials the Instructor Will Provide: All the materials will be provided by the instructor. Students will select a kit that will include a selection of beads, tiles, and focal point. The wooden tile is 4” x 4”. A hanger is also included.

Registration: Go to GroupWorks. Click on “Events.” Click on “I’m Going.” Confirmation is depositing your check in the lockbox outside the Art Room door. Please deposit your check within five days of registering. Otherwise, you will not be considered registered. Classes fill up quickly, so your check is confirmation. Please do not click “I’m Going” unless you intend to take the class.

Reminder: All participants must be members of the SBR Art Club. If you want to join the SBR Art Club, go onto GroupWorks, and the membership application is located in the “About” section to download. If you have difficulty, contact Dale Farland at [email protected]. Membership for SBR Art Club in 2024 is only $25. If you are a returning member, simply deposit your check made out to SBR Art Club in the black lockbox outside the Art Room door.

Art Club Offering Beginner Watercolor Painting in April

Example of Karen’s work, not necessarily what will be painted in class

Debby Felzien

Many SaddleBrooke Ranch members of the SaddleBrooke Ranch (SBR) Art Club have expressed interest in learning the fundamentals of watercolor painting. Well, now is your opportunity to learn this artistic medium. SaddleBrooke resident and artist Karen Brungardt will be reprising this class over four Thursday morning sessions starting April 11. The demand was high, and we are delighted to have Karen back to teach this class!

You may have seen Karen’s artwork displayed at the Absolutely Art Gallery in Catalina, as well as the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild gallery on Broadway. She has attained the Signature Member status and has earned the Saguaro Fellow Level (the highest level of achievement available) with the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild. She will be sharing her years of experience with participants.

Beginner Watercolor Painting Class Description: Starting with the absolute basics, you will learn (step by step) the basics of becoming a watercolor artist. You will learn how to use brushes to their fullest potential; why paper matters; color mixing; design elements and composition. Each lesson builds on the last lesson and culminates in a painting on the last day.

Dates for the Four Classes: Thursdays, April 11, April 18, April 25, and May 2

Time: 9 a.m. to noon in the SBR Art Room

Class Fee: $180; fee includes instruction, didactic materials, photos, and demonstration.

Class Size Limit: Minimum: 5; Maximum: 16

Payment Deadline Date: April 4

Materials Participants Need to Bring: A detailed supply list (with recommendations for locations to purchase and types of paint, brushes, and materials) will be provided upon registration and payment for class. Once you learn how to paint in watercolor, you will want to continue.

Registration: Please deposit your check made out to “SBR Art Club” in the amount of $180 for the class in the black lockbox located directly outside of the Art Room, located within the SBR Creative Arts and Tech Center. If you have any questions, please contact Dale Farland, treasurer of the SBR Art Club, at [email protected].