Studio Place Arts

Try your artistic hand at creating a winged creature that inspires you! Think about color, pattern, texture and composition or space while you create your beautiful work of heART!

Create your own insect collection from natural and manmade objects. Invent your own species or make some of your favorite buggy critters from observation! You could display them as a pinned collection or make a mobile with your new insect friends!

Try your observation skills out by making drawings and or paintings inspired by trash and the work of local artist Sonya Sagan-Dworsky in the Quick Change Gallery. Find some wrappers or packaging from your daily consumption and study it closely. Notice the wrinkles, colors, shapes and begin to draw. Add color if you’d like. Make drawings of items individually, or arrange them in a still life. You could make a daily drawing log of your own “Discarded Daily Views of Trash.”

Call and Response activities are intended for collaborations with friends and or family. The idea is to build off of each other's ideas to create collaborative pieces together or as a response to each other's work. Have fun with a friend designing creatures together. You can either draw or collage a creature yourself and then let your friend make their own in response to yours, or you can build one together by adding different body parts and features in response to what was added by your partner. What a fun way to collaborate and make art with a friend!

Call and Response activities are intended for collaborations with friends and or family. The idea is to build off of each other's ideas to create collaborative pieces together or as a response to each other's work. Create an abstract collage, drawing or painting inspired by the work of contemporary artist Reggie Laurent. Do this with a partner. Take turns drawing or adding shapes and lines to your drawing or collage and watch your collaborative work evolve together. Take a peek at some of the cool links below.

Create some digital art works through the lens of the relationship between the natural world and the world of technology. Then try printing some of your images out and finding ways to incorporate them in a collage, painting or sculpture using objects from nature. Below are several links to get your creative juices flowing.

Create a self portrait or whimsical creature faces out of clay. You can use the pinch pot technique as shown in the link below, or roll a slab out and add features to it. Have fun adding textures and details. Explore different expressions to add to your face.

Let your imagination run wild while creating faces (creature or human) out of found objects around your house or yard. Assemble them and take a snapshot to document your creativity or glue your artistic face assemblage to a piece of cardboard and hang it on the wall! It could be fun to make a series of faces and document them with your camera. You could print them out and make your own portrait gallery! You could even make a Giuseppe Arcimboldo inspired portrait using fruits and vegetables.

Try different cutting, scoring and folding techniques with cardboard construction and create your own magnificent portrait! You can make it either realistic or abstract.

Make your own abstract portrait or a portrait of your pet, inspired by contemporary artist Sandra Silberweig. Draw your portrait with white or yellow chalk then either outline with glue and let your picture dry before coloring it in. Or begin coloring your spaces/shapes in with colors and patterns that come right from your imagination. Don’t think too hard! Just let your intuition guide you!

For more information about SPA classes, workshops, and other arts programming click on Adult Classes or Youth Classes. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation at SPA! SPA Classes & Workshops - Our Process Please contact SPA to enroll and make complete payment for your class or workshop at least 9 days before the scheduled activity. You may use our PayPal option, see right. If you would like SPA to hold a space for you, SPA will need to receive a $25 nonrefundable deposit. In the event that a class is cancelled by SPA, enrollment payments and deposits are refunded. Send us an email or call us if there is a class you would like to take in the future - we shape our schedule around the interests of community members and our instructors. Call us at (802) 479-7069 or send us an email: [email protected]

For more information about SPA classes, workshops, and other arts programming click on Adult Classes or Youth Classes. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation at SPA! SPA Classes & Workshops - Our Process Please contact SPA to enroll and make complete payment for your class or workshop at least 9 days before the scheduled activity. You may use our PayPal option, see right. If you would like SPA to hold a space for you, SPA will need to receive a $25 nonrefundable deposit. In the event that a class is cancelled by SPA, enrollment payments and deposits are refunded. Send us an email or call us if there is a class you would like to take in the future - we shape our schedule around the interests of community members and our instructors. Call us at (802) 479-7069 or send us an email: [email protected]

SPA is offering an open studio session with Chelsea, studio host and printmaking coach, using SPA’s Wheelen X-Press in the Classroom. Some materials are provided (e.g., black ink, blotting paper, and other basic tools). Bring your own plate(s), or work in progress, and your own water-based ink(s) and paper. Some printmaking experience is needed. We are planning to offer Printmaking Open Studio sessions on a regular basis.

Sessions on Saturday mornings for ages 1-7 years, focusing on art-making after an informal gallery visit. Parents or guardians are encouraged to participate creatively. SPA provides ideas for projects at home. Spaces are limited and advance registration is required.

This session will begin with an informal visit to the art show in the Main Floor Gallery, including a game of “Eye Spy in the Gallery.” The children and their parents will return to the Classroom to make art. There will be 3-4 multi-media options, and in some cases, there will be specific projects that relate to the SPA exhibit(s). These activities engage parents or guardians with being creative with their young artist(s) and SPA provides ideas for projects at home. Spaces are limited – please register in advance.

This session will begin with an informal visit to the art show in the Main Floor Gallery, including a game of “Eye Spy in the Gallery.” The children and their parents will return to the Classroom to make art. There will be 3-4 multi-media options, and in some cases, there will be specific projects that relate to the SPA exhibit(s). These activities engage parents or guardians with being creative with their young artist(s) and SPA provides ideas for projects at home. Spaces are limited – please register in advance.

This is a creative skills class that will take you through the process of planning and executing a knitting project without a pattern. Each student will knit an accessory of their own design, in a modular manner, using a variety of yarns and techniques put together in a non-traditional, artistic manner. Students for this class can be beginning knitters, but should be able to cast on, knit, purl, bind off and be willing to experiment and be adventurous.

This winter, join us for Creative Aging Art Meet-Up activities at Studio Place Arts (SPA) on the Fourth Thursdays of January; February; March and April from 1-3PM. The sessions are informal creative and social get-togethers in the SPA Classroom where you can make use of SPA tables, easels and some other basic art supplies – or bring your own project and materials. The sessions will begin at 1PM with a 10 to 15-minute tour and discussion of the current exhibits at Studio Place Arts. MORE : This activity is in collaboration with the Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA). SPA is an accessible organization with ramp access to the rear of the building and an elevator to the upper floors. SPA is located at 201 N Main Street in Barre.

Practice paper weaving techniques with your young artist by drawing and cutting out a basic car shape out of colored construction paper. The bigger the car, the more space for weaving. You could even turn a bigger car weaving into a fun laminated placemat! Once your car is drawn and cut out, you fold it in half (lengthwise or hot dog style) Then you cut some vertical slits in it. Make some assorted paper strips and weave a design in your car. Have your young artist trace around a cylindrical object on a piece of paper to make wheels for their car. Windows can be added with scrap paper and a driver and passenger can be added with collage or by drawing.

This is a fun monoprinting activity for your young artist! Find some old toys with wheels and let your young artist roll their toy trains, cars or trucks through a paint puddle onto the snow (White Paper) or pavement (black paper) to create some cool tracks! This is a great discovery lesson for color mixing and noticing differences or similarities in the track marks. You can talk about overlapping and colors, lines and patterns as you create some fun abstract art together. You can add collage or drawing on top of the prints after they dry. NOTE…. To make colors show up on the black paper, add some white to each color to tint them).

Try different cutting, scoring and folding techniques with cardboard construction and create your own magnificent winged creature! Great tutorial for cardboard construction techniques.

Paper mache recipe. Paper Mache bird tutorial. Paper Mache Hot air balloon tutorial.

Build planes, helicopters, spaceships, time machines or winged creatures out of recycled materials. Let your imagination take you to new places in the sky or universe!

Have fun designing and making your very own hot air balloon with paper plates and cups. You could also fold your paper plate in half and cut vertical lines in it to make a woven design in your balloon. Make or find a little friend to sit in the basket for a ride in the sky!

These whimsical collages were made by design students in Japan as a design project by famous designer and instructor Akihiro Mizuuchi. Look at some more fun character collages by Mizuuchi's students Try making scenes of your favorite characters by collaging your discarded food wrappers!

Create an abstract portrait in collage. You can do it in the style of Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo by using food or flowers as your theme, or in the style of Canadian artist Sandra Silberzweig using bold shapes and colors.

Try your hand at drawing a self portrait! You can practice shading techniques or paint your portrait however you like. Fill your background area with pictures or symbols that reflect your identity or with shapes, colors and patterns.

SPA is offering an open studio session with Chelsea, studio host and printmaking coach, using SPA’s Wheelen X-Press in the Classroom. Some materials are provided (e.g., black ink, blotting paper, and other basic tools). Bring your own plate(s), or work in progress, and your own water-based ink(s) and paper. Some printmaking experience is needed. We are planning to offer Printmaking Open Studio sessions on a regular basis.

SPA is offering an open studio session with Chelsea, studio host and printmaking coach, using SPA’s Wheelen X-Press in the Classroom. Some materials are provided (e.g., black ink, blotting paper, and other basic tools). Bring your own plate(s), or work in progress, and your own water-based ink(s) and paper. Some printmaking experience is needed. We are planning to offer Printmaking Open Studio sessions on a regular basis.

This workshop on the basics of using acrylics will explore ways to apply acrylic paint, mix colors and create paintings. Craig will do short demonstrations and paint-along activities in order to share his skills. Participants will use their acrylics to create both abstract and realistic compositions during the sessions. The workshop is aimed at both beginners and those who have some previous experience but wish to do more. Contact SPA for a suggested materials list. Please contact SPA for a suggested materials list. (NOTE: SPA has received donations of paints and brushes that may be borrowed during this class.)

Discover how to start your own abstract painting using acrylics. We will explore how to use mixed media techniques using found objects (sticks, bubble wrap, tissue paper, string), as well as traditional art tools (pallet knives, brushes, layering and collage). We will work on composition, balance, and movement. Students will be encouraged to balance each composition in terms of abstract art elements on each layer of the painting. Experimentation and boldness are highly encouraged! Students will experience: Abstract painting, composition, movement; Surface treatment, creating depth with color and mark-making; Use of textures – like string, tissue paper, bubble wrap, tearing, crumpling, rollers, plexiglass. Materials are provided. However, students are welcome to bring materials with them if they would like. (SPA will share a list of key items on request.)

Silverpoint and dip pen and ink are two of the drawing techniques that were most commonly used by Renaissance artists and are less well known these days but well worth using. Silverpoint is the ultimate in subtlety and elegance; ink is expressive and dramatic. Both have that quality of immediacy that makes drawing so deeply human. Subject matter will be small objects from nature like seeds and bones. Most materials provided. $20 materials fee to the instructor.

A creative series designed to teach the basics of collage, mixed media and how to work with images for inspiration and meaning. In these challenging times, it can be useful to have a way to reflect on your life and the things happening in it. Journals have been around forever as a means of self-exploration, recording important events and helping us understand ourselves better. When we take the time to be with ourselves – our thoughts, responses and feelings, it can be a powerful tool to strengthen our values, beliefs and character. Michelle began making visual journals as a teenager and have continued this for over 50 years. She has recently been involved with a group of friends with mixed levels of experience with art making. From that experience, she is excited to share simple discoveries they made with materials and questions people had about using art materials, especially adhesives. She has recently been interested in adapting creative writing exercises and especially the work of Ira Progoff and his “Intensive Journal Method” which is a classic in the field of journal writing. There are 3 sessions total. The series can be done all together or stand alone. A blank journal will be provided for sessions II and III. Spaces are limited to 6 participants. General art-making materials, such as papers and paints, are included in the workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring personal items for use in developing collages. Outline of Visual Journal Activities: Session 1: January 18 1-4PM Creating a cover and deciding on your direction. Two options for a journal will be offered: blank journal and altered book. Examples will be shared and the potential of each approach will be discussed. Visual exercises will help you get started. We will also use simple writing exercises. This will make for a call and response process to help you communicate with yourself through your artwork. There will be a discussion and demonstration of using adhesives and other ways of holding images down to provide protection for your cover. Session II: February 1 1-4PM Introduction to the Visual Journal: Working with images. Finding an image or subject matter that speaks to you is key to a meaningful experience with journalling this way. We will take the time to explore ideas and find the right starting point for you. Examples will be shared. There will be a discussion and a demonstration of using adhesives to hold images down. Session III: March 1 1-4PM Introduction to the Visual Journal: Working with color, texture and pattern. We will explore paper folding and mixed media embellishments such as sewing, simple stenciling, use of printmaking stamps, as well as painting and drawing. We will also look at how the use of cut outs and flaps can enhance expression. We will explore and experiment with themes of change, transformation, loss and hope. There will be a discussion and demonstration of using adhesives and other ways of holding images and materials down.

Gouache — pronounce gooawsh — is opaque watercolor, a favorite medium of illustrators and color students, among others. In this class we’ll take advantage of all its qualities, including the use of tinted papers. We’ll begin with abstract color and paint handling exercises, then mostly focus on landscape. Come and experiment! Familiarity with painting in any other medium is recommended but not required. Most materials provided. $20 materials fee to the instructor.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make your own decorative boxes, then this class is a great place to start! This decorative lidded box is the perfect size to hold your pens and pencils - or perhaps future box making tools? During this class, you’ll make a box that measures 8” (l) x 3” (w) x 2.25” (h). You’ll learn basic box making techniques, including how to measure and cut materials, wrapping a box with paper, and the best way to apply adhesives. We’ll also talk about how to scale the size of the box to fit different sized items. Not only will this class offer you the foundation and confidence needed to continue making boxes, but it will also provide you with a variety of bookbinding skills. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.

Dive into a hands-on intensive investigation and exploration of what is involved in the art of Calligraphy. Learn how to hold the tools and use the media to create Italic style lettering. We will begin with lower case letters, add the capitals, and play with some basic layout options for creating small final pieces. The pace will be brisk and geared towards those who want to be immersed and challenged. This would be great for anyone who has had a bit of prior exposure, either with a book, you tube video, or another class a while ago! (The instructor will bring an additional alphabet for people who attended a previous SPA workshop to try.) If time and energy allow, use of color and/or other calligraphic styles can be introduced. Besides enthusiasm, everyone should bring a sharp pencil, a good art eraser, a ruler, a pad of good quality layout bond or sketch paper, and something for taking notes. There will be a $20 supply fee to the instructor for materials. This fee will cover handouts, a 3-pak of various-sized calligraphy markers, sample art papers to experiment with. If interested, students can opt to purchase at an additional cost some ink and metal nibs + holder after they have had a chance to experiment with them in class (instructor will have some for students to try out). Please indicate if you are left-handed when registering; the instructor will provide some tools and instructions for left-handed people.