Have you taken a lot of art courses but still don’t really know how to develop your own unique work or style? Do you jump from one technique or art material to another without seeing how one builds onto the next, or recognizing what you should leave behind? Do you look at your art materials and think you should just throw them away? Do you sometimes feel frustrated, uninspired and a little lost?

This five-week course is suitable for beginners (art lovers and creative types) as well as experienced artists who are interested in learning different approaches to expand their creative outlook and point the way to developing a visual language through personal symbols, style, images and materials. Build a foundation that could be the basis for developing a series and/or body of work.

Each week we meet for two hours and explore a concept/approach and practice (idea, what we are doing, and how to do it) as well as suggestions and an opportunity to try different art materials. Each class will also have a demo given by the instructor and group discussion. We will learn about mark making, composition, colour considerations (your personal palette), composition, focal point(s), relationships between surface/space/depth/perception, combining wet and dry  materials, using  texture(s), the importance of play/experimentation/expression, as well as creating a practice that fosters well-being. We will discuss some of the methods and practices from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way.

Students are to supply their own 11x14 ‘’ or 14x17 ‘’ mixed media sketchbook. The instructor will provide the materials that are needed during class time, and she will have additional items available for purchase.

Meet Your Instructor

Penny Maday is a mixed media artist with 40 years of experience teaching in the arts in Canada and Europe. Penny specializes in teaching drawing, painting (acrylics and watercolour), and focuses on process-based instruction with an emphasis on creativity and inspiration. She owns and operates Island Girl Art Studio in Nanaimo.