Adult Art Classes - Ongoing enrollment

Registration/Payment - register by phone at 207-967-9120 or at the front desk with your payment before the deadline. In either case, payment by check or credit card is required to hold your place in a class or workshop. Deadline: Please register no later than one week prior to the first meeting of the class. All classes have minimum and maximum enrollment requirements, so early registration will improve the chances of a class running or filling up without you! As always, please let us know if you need partial or full scholarship assistance. We are located in Lower Village, 35 Western Avenue, Kennebunk.

Painting on the Edge

Painting with a Palette-Knife - Acrylic (or Oil)
April 28 11-3pm $60
Achieve a more direct response to color while creating a spontaneous look to a painting.
This 4 hour, one-day class will explore painting using a combination of brush & palette knife. Participants will focus on a still-subject or photo. Madeleine Hopkins
Materials:

small wrapped canvas (no staples on sides) No larger than 16”
acrylic paint colors - titanium white, yellow light hansa, naples yellow, yellow oxide, scarlet red, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber
brushes - Loew-Cornell #4 – American Painter – Filbert (or similar) Loew-Cornell #2-American Painter – Round (or similar)
palette knife - small, medium
disposable palette paper
plastic wrap
paper towels
easel
water container
pencil

Oil Painting for Beginners & Beyond
Wednesdays, 10-12pm with Dennis Poirier
6 week session- the start date is flexible, but the hope is to begin March 7.
$110 Learn color theory, techniques and new skills with oils. Perfect for beginners or painters who want to take their work to the next level.
 
Watercolors on Location
Tuesdays, 9-12pm, $110
Travel to scenic spots throughout Kennebunk & Kennebunkport, including harbors, inns, greenhouses and more. This is a great class for beginners or students who would like to brush up on watercolor skills. French easels a available for rent for $15 per class session. Judith Kinsman

Session one: 1/17, 24, 31, 2/7
Session two: 2/28, 3/5, 12, 19

Intro to Encaustic Painting
Thursdays, 10-12pm, $110 + Materials fee
Explore a new approach to painting using the ancient and highly versatile medium of encaustic (wax) dating back to around 500 BC. Learn to melt and fuse painted layers using a hot air gun to create unique luminous effects along with the methods of incising, collage, and printmaking. Through demonstrations and exercises, students will learn to create works on wood panels.
$50 materials fee, payable to the instructor on the first class, includes: encaustic resin, pigment, panels, and brushes.
Chris Reed
session one: January 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 & March 1
session two: March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 13 & 27
 

Open Studio: Advanced
Mondays, 1-4pm, $110
Detailed instruction to take your work to the next level. Russel will work independently with each student as well as present a detailed lesson for the class. A great class for all mediums.
Russel Whitten
Session 1: 1/9, 23, 30 &February 6
Session 2: 2/13, 27, March 5 & 12

Open Studio: Mixed Levels
Tuesdays, 1-4pm, $110- ongoing enrollment
Through guided group lessons & independent instruction, watch your work progress during this supportive class. All mediums accepted. Russel Whitten

The Human Form: Open Studio
Tuesdays, 6-8pm, $75 + $40 Model Fee
Live models will be the basis of this open studio class. Choose your own medium. Experiment with figures, shape and color in an informal and friendly setting. All skill levels encouraged. Model fee: of $40 per session, payable to River Tree before the first class. Russel Whitten

Oil Painting Boot Camp - Paint Surprisingly Well Surprisingly Quickly
Thursdays, 10-1pm, $115
Master the essential painting elements and build confidence in your brushwork, color and composition. This class will teach you to think more spontaneously while creating lively and intuitive work. Learn to simplify the painting process and “say a lot with a little” building fresher, more effective paintings.
“This class is a little like running with scissors – slightly dangerous but exhilarating!” GS
Classes will include demos, exercises, “timed” painting sessions and sustained painting development. We will work from studio setups, sketches and photos. All levels. Gail Sauter

Coming soon!

Before & After: Masters Class Critique and Workshop
Saturdays, January 28 or March 17, 10-3pm, $60
This class is designed for professional painters & longtime painting students. Each student will bring in a painting of their own for morning critique. Through student & teacher observations and comments, see your work in a new light: gain insight on your use of color, perspective & techniques. After morning critique, the painting workshop begins with an emphasis on what was learned in critique. The class ends with a final critique & comparison of your ‘before & after’ paintings. Russel Whitten

Field Trip: Learning from the Masters
February 28, Portland Museum of Art, 10-1pm, $28 + museum admission
Meet at PMA to view the Degas exhibit & museum collections with art faculty Russel Whitten. Through discussion & critique of well-known paintings, learn new tips & techniques to progress your own work. Museum prices: $12 adults or $10 seniors.
Russel Whitten, class limited to 6. www.portlandmuseum.org

Field Trip: Portland Gallery Walk
May 1: 11-2pm, $28
Meet in front of the (Nickelodeon Cinema). Join Russel for a guided tour of the city’s galleries throughout the historic Old Port area. Through discussion & critiques of local & nationally recognized artists, learn new tips & techniques to advance your own work.
Russel Whitten, class size limited to 6.

Introduction to Jewelry
Thursdays, 6-8pm, $75 + $40 materials fee
Learn the basic skills for making jewelry using cold connections such as riveting and wire wrapping. We will saw, bend, drill and texture metal into wonderful creations to combine with semi-precious stones and your beach combing treasures. A variety of techniques and materials will be explored to inspire original designs for everyday wear or to commemorate special events.
Hand tools will be provided. Class size limited to six. $40 materials fee payable to the instructor.
Ann Thompson

Session three: 3/29, April 5, 12 & 26