"Tell me and I will forget; Show me and I might remember; Involve me and I will understand."
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CURRENT SCHEDULE (use links or scroll down for details)
The gift of time...time to follow your dreams, time to pursue your passion.
2013
- Gwen Fox: March 4 - 8, 2013 ✓
- Social Media Boot Camp: April 6 & 7, 2013 ✓
- Steven Aimone: April 15 -19, 2013 ✓
- Carol Marine: May 6 - 10, 2013 FULL. Get your name on our wait list
- Robert Burridge...September 16 - 20, 2013, at Saanich Fairgrounds, Victoria, BC. FULL. Get your name on our wait list
- Dale Laitinen: October 21 - 25, 2013 NEW!
2014
- Rebecca Crowell: Level I - March 24 - 28, 2014 NEW!
- Rebecca Crowell: Level II - March 31- April 4, 2014 NEW!
Information on our Past Workshops here
Vancouver Island Art Workshops is excited to introduce our “Adventure” series workshops.
We’re on the move…. watch for more exciting workshops to be announced on the mainland and Victoria too.
A few of our upcoming exotic workshop locales include New York City, Cuba and Italy!.Don't miss out. Sign up for our newsletter
2013 Workshops
Gwen Fox ✓
5 Day Workshop
March 4 - 8 , 2013
"Colour, Design and Value"
Paint using your favorite subject matter… the same principals will apply to all painting styles.
Back by popular demand ........We all love the vibrancy of color. Color tells the story of the painting and strong Design is its foundation. Then there is Value. Value determines the mood and gives clarity to your painting. Of the three, Value seems to be the most elusive to students.
In this incredible workshop we will cover:
Color: How to determine which colors are best
The beauty of glazing
The power of neutrals
Design: Understanding strong design
Developing your personal design style
Value: The importance of value
How to use value to achieve mood
When and where to place your darkest darks
Another great aspect of this workshop is learning the “artist mindset”. One of the most crucial parts of creating great artwork is your view of YOU. Combining technical information and the “artist mindset” allows a new personal vision to emerge that will propel you in the direction of your heart.Dates: Monday, March 4 to Friday, March 8, 2013
Tuition: $499.00 plus HST
Location: Cedar Hall, Cedar BC (15 min. from downtown Nanaimo). Click here for mapVisit Gwen’s website: www.gwenfox.com
SOCIAL MEDIA BOOT CAMP ✓
with Rebecca Coleman
2 Day Workshop
April 6 & 7, 2013Love it or hate it, social media is having a big impact on whether or not people find you, your art or your business. Everyone is there and you need to be too if you want to be seen and get connected. Declaring you aren't computer savvy just doesn’t cut it anymore.
This comprehensive 2 day workshop has been designed to give you real hands-on experience. You’ll be up and running on a bundle of six of the most important social media platforms by the end of our workshop. We’ll cover Facebook, your own blog, e- newsletters and more.
We’ll take the confusion out of which products and services you should use – saving you loads of time and frustration.
Learn about social media etiquette and eliminate the worry about what to say or who you might be saying it to.We'll wrap up by learning how to manage our social media platforms using HootSuite. You’ll post once and broadcast it to all your chosen platforms.
And did we mention that each of the platforms that you'll have accounts with are free? Yup. Free! You're going to save a bundle! Just bring your fully charged iPad or laptop... you're about to get social in a big way!Rebecca Coleman has been a freelance theatre publicist since 2001. She is very passionate about helping small businesses, artists and Not-for-Profits to become better marketers, and often consults with them, creating Social Media Marketing Plans. An early adopter of Social Media, she has become increasingly interested in using it as a marketing tool, and writes about the subject frequently on her blog, The Art of the Business. She has written several books, instructs courses at BCIT, and travels internationally giving workshops.
Visit Rebecca's website: www.rebeccacoleman.ca
Dates: April 6 & 7, 2013
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuition: $275.00 plus applicable tax
Location: Bowen Park Complex. Click here for map
*Victoria worskhop, 2013 - dates to be announced - more information coming soon
For a sneak peek, watch the video below:
STEVEN AIMONE ✓
5 Day Workshop
April 15 – 19, 2013
"The Spiritual Language of Art”
ARE YOU READY TO PAINT, PAINT AND PAINT SOME MORE?
If so, we have an amazing abstract art workshop coming up with artist, author & teacher Steven Aimone.
The first half of the workshop will focus on the language of non-objective composition. You'll develop your understanding of what nonobjective arrangements mean, and how and why they work. The rest of the week we will explore a variety of ways of abstracting from visual reference. A series of shared challenges will guide you on your exploration. Paint most of a 4FT X 60FT roll of paper!
Long days, late nights - Not for the faint of heart!
What some of our past students are saying...
“Thank you for this remarkable experience….I don’t want to go home”
“Steven is unpretentious, very knowledgeable, put in long hours and had a lot to give”
“Ï will never paint the same way again!”
“So much to learn, fast paced, wonderfully supportive group, I’m exhausted!”Steven Aimone is a nationally recognized arts educator and accomplished artist. The author of two books, Aimone holds an MFA in drawing and painting from Brooklyn College. His popular workshops encourage participants to consider drawing, painting, and design as dynamic ways to express their inner states of being.
Dates: Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19, 2013
Location: Cedar Hall, Cedar BC (15 min. from downtown Nanaimo). Click here for mapSupplies:
• A very sturdy easel
• A 4ft x 4ft support board (it can be cut in half and piano hinged for easier transport)
• An optional roll of paper supplied at additional cost
• Lots of paintVisit Steven’s website at www.aimoneartservices.com
For a sneak peek, watch the video below:
*this video requires Flash
CAROL MARINE FULL. Get your name on our wait list.
5 Day Workshop
May 6 - May 10, 2013
"A Painting a Day"
There is a fast growing group of people, called daily painters, who do small paintings every day, post photographs of their paintings on a blog, and then sell them through eBay, with a usual starting price of $100. In this way, many artists are finding they can grow quickly in skill and finally make a living with their art, after struggling for years in galleries and at art fairs. Carol has had 3+ years of experience daily painting and her workshops are in demand all across Canada and the US.
Whether you are painting for a living or hobby, painting small and often is a powerful way to rapidly improve your skills.We will spend most of our time on the basic principles of design – the rules of composition, value, color, and shape – and how to apply them to small still lives. We will then experiment with color relationships using an alternative to the traditional color wheel, explore color mixing, and how each color “leans” towards others. We will push our compositions to avoid “floating” objects and learn the one, simple rule to avoid a boring still life. There will be daily demos, handouts and one-on-one critiques.
Finally, we will learn how to set up a blog, the in’s and out’s of ebay, shipping and marketing your work, etc. There will be reference material on this to take home.
Dates: Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10, 2013
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $745.00 + HST
Location: Cedar Hall, Cedar BC (15 min. from downtown Nanaimo). Click here for map››› Contact us to get your name on our waitlist
Visit Carol’s blog: www.carolmarine.blogspot.com
Carol's website: www.bluecloudstudios.comFor a sneak peek, watch the video below:
ROBERT BURRIDGE FULL. Get your name on our wait list.
5 Day Workshop
September 16 – 20, 2013
"Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage"
Creative tearing and paint splashing starts off this all new “Loosen Up Workshop.” Think Matisse, Rauschenburg, Diebenkorn, Motherwell… and you! Using your own ragbag of cool stuff to glue and assemble, plus acrylic paint and your off-centre imagination. And, imagine painting with no brushes! This wild workshop is about jumping off the cliff and creating artwork no one has ever seen you do. Finger painting, stick painting and collage -- plus anything goes from there. Also you will learn how to begin a new fresh body of work with your own artistic voice and point of view. Think “artist retreat,” producing a body of work, a series of paintings or your conceptual solo show.
Robert Burridge, along with his famous daily handouts, demos and lectures, helps and guides you to paint the way you have always wanted to paint. Daily, you can expect warmup paint sketching, brief painting and lecture demos, constructive critiques and plenty of time to work on personal projects. Burridge’s newest colour wheel technique is also demonstrated.
Come prepared to paint your stuff!Dates: Monday, September 16 to Friday, September 20, 2013
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $665.00 plus applicable tax
Location: Sannich Fairgrounds, Victoria, BC Click here for map
FULL. Get your name on our wait list.
For a sneak peek, watch the videos below:
*this video requires Flash
*this video requires Flash
DALE LAITINEN NEW!
5 Day Workshop
October 21 – 25, 2013
"The Language of Landscape in Watercolour"
Great design leads to great paintings. Dale will present lectures and demonstrations daily that will start you on the path to finding your own visual language. In this intensive but exciting workshop we will start from the ground up with instruction in drawing for painting, maintaining your own visual inventory through sketching, and working with design principles.
Using the wash on wash technique of transparent watercolour (or acrylic) along with layering and mixing we will find the key to beautiful, luminous paintings. A bonus feature of this class for watercolor painters is the use of opaque watermedia using gesso.Dale will demonstrate a different design format and subject each day. Paint representationally along with Dale or have him assist you with methods of abstraction on an individual basis. Bring your own reference photos and paint rocky shorelines, waterfalls, mountains, reflections or whatever you prefer. Complete up to 5 paintings during the week!
Our workshops fill quickly …. register now.
Visit Dale’s website: www.dalelaitinen.comCheck out Dale's feature in Artist's Magazine...
Inspired by Line. This article focuses on the use of line with watercolor wash on hot press watercolor paper. Beginning with a graphite construction line drawing, Dale integrates line throughout the painting using ink pens, watercolor line, or scratching techniques.Dates: Monday, October 21 to Friday, October 25, 2013 ( 5 days)
Tuition: $495.00 plus tax
Medium: Watercolour (or Acrylic)
Experience: Some experience with watercolour techniques recommended.
Location: Cedar Hall, Cedar BC (15 min. from downtown Nanaimo). Click here for map
For a sneak peek, watch the videos below:
2014 Workshops
REBECCA CROWELL
5 Day Workshop
March 24 - 28, 2014
Oil and Cold Wax Workshop - Introductory Level
Only 12 Spaces
Discover the versatility and beauty of cold wax medium used in combination with oil paint, pigment sticks and powdered pigment. There will be plenty of working time and opportunity for experimentation. Presentations about abstraction are also included in the workshop. (Prior painting experience is desirable.)
Rebecca Crowell is widely considered to be a pioneer in the use of cold wax medium for abstract painting. She has been teaching her original techniques in workshops across the US since 2009. She brings professionalism and a working artist's perspective to her classes, with university teaching experience, MFA Degree in Painting, representation in numerous galleries in the US as well as in Toronto and Dublin. She teaches out of a strong desire to connect and share her insights and knowledge with others.Rebecca will demonstrate an entire array of techniques for helping you get started in this enticing medium. You'll explore texture, line, depth through the building up of layers, incorporating mixed media and much more. Rebecca will emphasize how to resolve your paintings too.
Students will have a generous amount of working time along with Rebecca's encouraging guidance. There will be presentations on abstraction, critiques, and topics that are related to developing your personal style. Group discussions and feedback will round out the week....
››› Contact us for registration details.
Rebecca's website: rebeccacrowell.com
Rebecca Crowell
5 Day Workshop
March 31 - April 4, 2014
Oil and Cold Wax Workshop - Level Two
Only 12 SpacesShare with others who are experienced with cold wax medium, learn about new techniques, materials and approaches, and refresh your memory on anything that did not "take" the first time. This class places emphasis on developing personal style and expression, and includes an optional private critique session.
Please note: advanced students may choose to re-take the Introductory class but Level Two classes are exclusively for those who have taken an intro class before, with either Rebecca or another similarly qualified instructor.Full details coming soon
››› Contact us for registration details.
Rebecca's website: rebeccacrowell.com
To see Rebecca working in her studio, watch the video below:
Workshop Registration Info
“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives" - Annie Dillard
