Workshops/Tours
Flowers That Bloom in the Spring
Fran Vail
Delightfully detailed or loose and lovely, give yourself flowers for Mother’s Day. Working from live blooms, you’ll learn to mix colors that capture the exquisite hues of delicate blossoms and the natural greens of foliage in all their variety. Fran will demonstrate subtle shading techniques, color palette and floral textures. We’ll discuss backgrounds, dramatic movement and compositions that will make your floral paintings stand out and get noticed. Join us for a joyful, two-day workshop that will move your floral paintings to a new level of artistic skill and enthusiasm.
When: Saturday, May 2nd, 12:30-4:30pm & Sunday, May 3rd, 12:30-4:30pm
Cost: $110 (two days) or $70(per day)
Photography for Artists
Brad Schade
An intensive two-hour workshop to help artists learn about digital photography. This class will help those artists who photograph their subjects for later use in painting and drawing in the studio. The fundamentals of digital photography will be covered as well as particular advice to help artists capture images for their artwork. Instruction will also include methods for using a digital camera to capture your artwork for cataloging purposes. The instructor will also help students to better understand the functions of their own cameras. Class size is limited to 5. Bring your camera and manual.
When: Thursday, May 7th, 7:00-9:00pm
Cost: $50
Monotyping Workshop-2 Consecutive Sundays
Judith Hladik-Voss
It’s a bit like drawing, and a lot like painting! It’s both! Join Judith in exploring the creative possibilities of this fun and easy printing process using both oil and water-based monotype techniques. Judith will demonstrate and work individually with students of all levels. Using the skills learned in this class, students can produce beautiful color prints at home without a printing press…or, monotype in black and white, then hand color their prints. The creative possibilities are endless. Suggested for both teens and adults.
When: Sundays, April 19th & April 26th, 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $125
Linoleum Printmaking Workshop-2 Sundays
Judith Hladik-Voss
One of printmaking’s most rewarding techniques! No prior experience necessary. Judith will demonstrate and work individually with students of all levels. Students will learn all the necessary steps to produce their own designs-from note cards to fine art prints. This technique has applications in fabric and quilt art. Once linoleum printing is learned, it can be done in the home without a printing press! Suggested for both teens and adults.
When: Sundays, May 3rd & May 17th, 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $125
Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art Tour
Mapplethorpe and Warhol: Images from the artists’ worlds
Join us for an enlightening tour of the exhibition titled Polaroids: Mapplethorpe, on display at the Block Museum on the Northwestern University Campus. Docent Sandra Shane-Dubow will lead participants in viewing Mapplethorpe’s first photographic work made between 1970 and 1975. Using a form of instant photography, the Polaroid camera, Mapplethorpe captured images with raw spontaneity that anticipate the themes and subjects of Mapplethorpe’s later work—still lifes, portraiture, sexuality, and the classical beauty of the human body. This tour will be followed by a unique opportunity to view works from the Block Museum permanent collection with Senior Curator Debora Wood, including Polaroids and gelatin silver prints by Andy Warhol. Directions and parking passes will be provided upon registration. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to view this exciting exhibition.
When: Friday, April 3rd, 10:30-12:00noon
Cost: $30/$40 (members/nonmembers)
Crab Tree Farm Tour
Mark your calendar for the morning of Thursday, May 14th for a special tour at Crab Tree Farm located north of Lake Bluff, IL. Whether you missed it last year or would like to go back again to view this splendid collection of Arts and Crafts style furniture and decorative arts, this tour is a special opportunity because the collection is seldom open to the public. Join members of the NSAL as they tour the grounds and buildings of the only operating farm (formerly the Crab Tree Dairy) located on Lake Michigan in the State of Illinois. The buildings, designed by noted Chicago architect Solon Spencer Beman, houses collections of furniture and decorative arts from the American and English Arts and Crafts movement as well as fine art. Included in the collection is furniture by Gustav Stickley, metalwork by Robert Jarvie and the Kalo Shop of Chicago, American art pottery by Grueby and Teco, rugs and textiles by English designers C.A.Voysey, Silver Studio and William Morris. The collection also features original works by Peter Mondrian, Margaret Patterson and more. Wow – what an amazing opportunity to experience art history – up close and personal! When you register, we will provide you with directions.
When: Thursday, May 14th, 10:00-11:30am
Cost: $39/$49 (members/nonmembers)