Art Students Having Fun and Learning about Art!

I am offering an ongoing schedule of classes for adults, private classes and I will be adding some children's sessions at the first of the new year. The current students are having a great time. I provide all materials so it is easy to just drop by and try it out.

Prices for my classes are very affordable:
Drop-in Fee: Regular $10 Students/Seniors 55+ $5
5 Class Pass: Regular $30 Students/Seniors 55+ 20

Watercolor Only Wild
Tuesdays 6-7PM

Creative Collage
Wednesdays 2-3 PM

Riverside Art Museum Exhibiton "Off the Wall"

I am so pleased to be part of the Riverside Art Museum's Off The Wall exhibit and fundraiser. I have 5 original art pieces in the show and this one shown here: California Golden Hills, pastel on paper was sold the night of the opening to these lovely patrons!

The sale is continuing until December 30th so there is still time to go pick out some wonderful art at affordable prices and help the artists and the museum at the same time!

New Classes and New Fee Structure

New Classes
If you have wanted to take art lessons but felt that you are just not artistic, my classes are for you. I work with each student on an individual basis.

All my classes are now only $10 for a Regular Drop In fee and only $5 for Seniors and Students! There are discounts for multiple sessions: a 5 Class Pass is only $30 Regular $20 for Seniors/Students. So, very affordable! AND the Pass makes a great gift! They are attractively packaged in a handmade (by me) card and can be used whenever the recipient wants for any of my classes. There is no expiration date. I will be adding lots more fun classes in 2012 which will be available for this Class Pass. You can give the gift of discovery and creativity to everyone on your list!

Thanks for sharing this link with your friends.
http://jo-thompson.artistwebsites.com/calendar.html

FREE Playday!

I am starting a new FUN event! My studio partner Nancy Saahira Tedder (marketing whiz) suggested this great idea and I had to run with it...a FREE open studio art day! I will put out all kinds of paint, markers, crayons, pastels. papers, collage stuff. Drop in for a few minutes or stay for the day. Bring a friend. You will find a welcoming sanctuary to experiment with art and unleash your creativity.
What a fun way to give a little back to my patrons, students, and friends! Thanks Nancy!

Open to All! No Experience Needed! All Materials Provided!
You are encouraged to bring snacks...I am partial to cookies with nuts in them myself!
Jo: 951-660-4925

Saturdays after the Arts Walk:10/08, 11/5, 12/03
10 AM-4PM
Studio #36
Life Arts Center
3485 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92501

New Fall Art Classes in Riverside

I have a whole selection of great classes starting this month at my Studio #36 in the Life Arts Bldg. on the corner of University and Lemon in Downtown Riverside.

There are some really new things Happening! A Lunchtime art class and an art Happy Hour on Fridays! And...a new series called ART IS FOR EVERYBODY! focusing on restoring your inner artist through play: music, guided meditation, painting for relaxation, collage dream maps to affirm our visualizations, and more! Open to all. No experience needed. All materials provided.

New Mandala Series

Moon Goddess Mandala

This is a new series of work in Prismacolor colored pencils with collage elements.

Earth Goddess Mandala

Lotus Mandala

Leaf Mandala

Heart Goddess Mandala

Tree Mandala

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

Silent Auction at June Art Walk

The June Riverside Arts Walk was great fun! I had a silent auction in my studio and it generated a lot of excitement as people were able to bid on artwork and buy it for very reasonable prices. In the picture is one of my new collectors who bought the original mixed media painting, "Louts Heart Light" and it was her first time purchasing art!

I plan to continue the silent auctions, so next month should be really fun, too! Below are more pictures of the studio! The artwork shown is available to purchase as prints, cards, and canvas prints from my website: http:jo-thompson.artistwebsites.com which you can access by clicking the link to My Fine Art Website on the right sidebar!

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Class a SUCCESS!

I recently taught A Historical Survey of Women Artists at the La Quinta Museum as part of California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus Osher Institute. The course lasted six weeks and we had a great turnout! Everyone was very positive about having the opportunity to learn about women artists who have been excluded from our history and are now being rediscovered.

We went from Hildegarde of Bingen, through the Guerrilla Girls and the class was astounded at how many there were and how successful women artists had been during their lifetimes. We also saw videos on many of the women and visited online the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.

These are the details of the course from my website calendar. I also included visits from local living women artists and that was a popular addition to the class. Here is artist Lorraine Klotz discussing her process in developing her popular, colorful paintings.

Gather the Women Conference a HUGE Hit!

I was so happy to be part of this year's Conference the spirit and love and connection was so powerful. That's what happens when women get together!
This is our opening with Keynote Speaker Rowan Storm. Rowan also did a workshop and performed that evening as well. She was a dynamo! And what an inspiration!







This is a photo from my workshop, 100hearts

Heart Centered Art which provides a path to enhanced creativity and we all had such fun! Thanks to all who joined us!
















I was also part of the Women's Marketplace which was held on the lawn of the Riverside City Library and drew all kinds of new people to see the work/businesses of the women vendors.

We had a great day!!
For more on the conference go to: womencreatingpeace.com

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 Riverside Studio and Free Introductory Art Classes!

I am so pleased to announce that I am opening a new studio in Downtown Riverside at the Life Arts Center on University and Lemon Streets. In Studio 36 I will be able to expand my art class offerings, be part of the monthly Riverside Art Walk, and have space to display and sell my work!

I will be making a special offer this month, March: a series of FREE ART CLASSES to allow students to explore and experience my fun and personalized approach to teaching art and decide which ongoing class might be perfect for you!

They will be 1 hour each session. No prior experience is needed. All materials are supplied.

All skill levels are welcome!

10-11 am or 11- 12 noon

Saturday, March 12

and

Saturday, March, 19, 2011

Contact me to register and Save Your Spot: jothompsonart@gmail.com

This offer is for adult students and I will be making a similar offer for childrens in April with dates and times to be announced.