Register for Classes on Eventbrite!

I have just added all my upcoming events to the Eventbrite website which makes it easy and safe for you to register and pay for them.

The Calendar to the left will show you the events and you can click on the image or the link above to get to the site. I am so excited to add this to my blog and website.

Summer Art Classes

I am planning a full summer of Art Classes, Salons and Workshops in my studio, #36, in the Life Arts Center, 3485 University Avenue in Riverside, California. Several formats will be offered.

Classes: Passionate Pastels, Watercolor Only Wild, Self-Portraits
Classes are focused on specific media and techniques, and are two, 3 hour sessions long, meeting every other week.

Sunday Salons: Summer Dream Maps, 100hearts Heart-Centered Art, and Mystical Mandalas
The Salons are on a Sunday afternoon and are about creativity, inspiration, centering, and recharging with a 3 hour format which includes meditation and tea!

The Drawing Studio is another format where drawing instruction is offered for 90 minutes on the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings and will be an ongoing class.

All Classes are open to students of any skill level or experience. You will take home your artwork and handouts listing resources, materials, websites, reading list and more! All materials are provided. Just show up and have fun experimenting and artmaking!!

My classes are relaxed, lively and focused on taking students from wherever they are to where they want to be with their art skills. Click on the link above right to Jo's Calendar for details on my website.

Contact Jo at 951.660.4925 or jothompsonart@gmail.com to reserve your space today!

Sunday Salons: Summer Dream Maps

June 26th

Dream Maps are a way to visualize our desires and express them in a concrete form where we can make our affirmations for manifesting what we want in our lives. Come join us for meditation, collecting and connecting.

Spend an afternoon playing with paint, collage, and dreaming. Let your imagination map out the perfect Summer. We will use personal images, objects, drawings, painting and to create a soul map for our higher self to bring to fruition our dreams for this Glorious Summer of 2011.


Sunday Salon: A series of Workshops with a focus on creativity, inspiration, centering, recharging. Less about technique or media and more about being an artistic person. Holding the vision of how art can enhance our lives and facilitate world change.

The format includes a brief guided meditation to create a sacred space within and without, then a presentation of the Salon topic with discussion, artmaking, tea, sharing our artwork if you choose to do so, and ending with a closing circle.

You will take home artwork and handouts listing resources, materials, websites, reading list and more!

All Classes are open to students of any skill level or experience.
All materials are provided. Just show up and have fun experimenting and artmaking!!

Cost:
$45

Passionate Pastels Workshop

Workshop Saturday June 25th 10AM-2PM
Pastels can be a challenge! It can feel like you are drawing with a log. Learning to be comfortable and control this traditional medium can be a joy. I have been working in pastel for decades and can give you the benefit of that experience.

This 4 hour workshop will present the types of pastel which are best to use, the kinds of papers and other supports used for pastel paintings.This medium is very direct and you will complete several pieces. You will have handouts to take home listing materials, websites of interest, a book list and more.

Join us and you will be PASSIONATE about pastels, too!

All Classes are open to students of any skill level or experience.
All materials are provided. Just show up and have fun experimenting and artmaking!!

Cost: $60

Sunday Salons

Sunday Salons: A series of Workshops with a focus on creativity, inspiration, centering, recharging. Less about technique or media and more about being an artistic person. Holding the vision of how art can enhance our lives and facilitate world change.

The format includes a brief guided meditation to create a sacred space within and without, then a presentation of the Salon topic with discussion, artmaking, light refreshments, sharing our artwork if you choose to do so, and ending with a closing circle.

You will take home artwork and handouts listing resources, materials, websites, reading list and more!

All Classes are open to students of any skill level or experience.
All materials are provided. Just show up and have fun experimenting and artmaking!!

Cost:
$45 per session

Drawing Studio

I LOVE to draw and I LOVE to teach drawing!! I have literally been drawing since I could hold a pencil at about age 3. My parents were both artists and they showed me all the tricks they knew. I was fortunate to attend an excellent University Art School for my BFA where drawing was stressed and valued.Drawing is the foundation not only for everything you create but the basis for learning how to see! I.

I am so convinced of the power of enhanced drawing skills...not only for students but for professionals to continue to practice, that I am going to offer this as an ongoing class which meets consistently. You can sign up in advance and get some discounts for taking more sessions or you can also just DROP IN when it fits your schedule.

Whether you are a total beginner or have been drawing for years you can have fun and learn techniques to improve your drawing skills immediately! Practice specific exercises and work on projects designed to enhance your ability and confidence to draw anything you want to: figures, faces hands, still life, landscapes, animals and more. Shape, shading, value, contours: we will do it all. We will have interesting set ups, drawing from the model, life drawing and take some fun field trips around the Life Arts Studio Building!

What I want to create with this class is a drawing community...an artistic support system that you will be part of when you join us! I am creating a blog just for this class which will host resources, materials, links, reading list, exhibition and art contest opportunities and more!

All Classes are open to students of any skill level or experience.
All materials are provided for your first drawing session.

Cost:
$20 per session

7th Annual Gather The Women Conference!

Celebrating 100 Years of International Women's Day

Gather at 8:30 at the UU Church on Lemon and Mission Inn Ave. Downtown Riverside

Keynote Speaker: Rowan Storm

I am offering a workshop called: 100hearts Heart Centered Art Path to Creativity

And I will be selling Original Art/Prints/Posters/Jewelry/Books and more!

Workshops on Creativity, spirituality, activism and more.

Women's Marketplace Library Plaza 9-5 Open to the Public

Evening Concert Riverside Women's Club 7pm $10 with Conf. Reg.

Adults $35/Senior/Student $25

Register online at womencreatingpeace.org

New Gallery!

I am very excited about being part of the Incredible Artist gallery family here in the desert.
My work will be in the gallery and I am also teaching several workshops.

Visit the website to see art, register for workshops, and buy art from the online store...with free shipping!

Passionate Pastels
9/23, 9/24 5:30-9:00 PM and 9/25 10:00-1:30 PM

Mystical Mandalas
10/5, 10/12, 10/19 5:30-9:00 PM

For descriptions, class supply list, and to register visit the website:
http://incredibleartist.com/

Summer Arts Workshops for Children

The Bisbee Public Library was the setting for three fun art workshops. Kids from 2 to 17 came by and everybody had a great time. One session was on Creating a Summer Sketchbook. The students got to create their own book out of construction paper and copy paper and decorate the cover.

We talked about how artists use a sketchbook to do many things: catch a quick gesture, keep track of ideas, do longer drawings, as a journal. and since everybody is an artist they could use their Summer Sketchbooks in the same way.

One session involved Drama! The kids brainstormed a script about animals in the forest, chose their parts, then made costumes out of construction paper, tape and staples. The Library table served as our stage and they drew a background on sheets. The dialogue consisted of howls, grunts, whoops and tweets. It was a very noisy night in the forest by Act III.

Students in Creativity Workshop

Students at one of the Creativity Workhops enjoying the 100hearts exercises designed to stimulate thinking, action, and making artistic choices based on the simple shape of a heart.

Papermaking and Book Arts Workshops

A two day papermaking and book arts extravanganza was held at Bright Day Fine Art my gallery and working studio in Old Bisbee.

Students had a great time recycling rag paper scraps and using a blender to turn them into pulp which could then be poured onto screens, forming sheets. The sheets could be decorated with leaves, petals, gold leaf, lace and more.

The second day, students included their own handmade paper in creating small, hand bound books complete with ties, beads, seashells and other unique additions.