RAHWAY — Registration is now open for spring classes for adults, teens (ages 12-16), and children (ages 7–11) at Arts Guild New Jersey. Spring classes begin the week of April 6, including several exciting new options, in addition to many familiar classes. Whether students are challenging themselves by taking their skills to the next level, or trying a new technique for the first time, there is something for everyone at Arts Guild New Jersey.
For complete course descriptions and class schedules, access the online course catalog at www.agnj.org (‘Art Classes’ page) or call 1-732-381-7511 to request a printed flyer. You will notice class locations specified next to each class description: either 1670 Irving Street for the Arts Guild New Jersey building on Irving Street, or Senior Center Annex, 125 W. Milton Avenue, for the Annex space on Milton Avenue.
Registration is accepted online, as well as in-person or by mail. To register in person, visit the office at 1670 Irving Street in Rahway, Monday- Thursday, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (use parking lot entrance). Cash and check payments are accepted in person or by mail; credit card payments are accepted online only.
Daytime adult classes include Drawing from Life & Photos, an introduction to the fundamentals of composition, perspective, proportion, positive/negative space, value, and texture, using still life and reference materials; Expressive Watercolor, in which students create vibrant paintings in their own personal style; and Oil Painting: Basics & Beyond, where students focus on composition/design, under-painting, color theory and color mixing, and using transparent glazes; Exploring Color, an important class for all artists, takes students through the basics of color mixing, blending paint for various effects, the use of brushes, composition, precision, form, light and shading. Daytime adult classes run weekly for two and a half hours for eight weeks (10:00 AM – 12:30 PM). All levels welcomed.
Three choices for adult drawing classes are offered in the evening. Anatomy and Proportion: a Prelude to Drawing the Figure focuses on the skeletal and muscular system of the human body, as well as addressing structure, gesture and balance. Open Studio Life Drawing, sessions in which artists work without an instructor, provides different live male and female models each week, in short and long poses. Drawing Principles, a class for artists of every level, will broaden understanding of visual organization, from concepts of form and color to more complex issues of perspective.
The Arts Guild offers evening adult painting classes in various mediums. Watercolor teaches students to create vivid, original works of art with an emphasis on color, blending, composition, precision, form, light, shade and the use of brushes. Acrylic Painting demonstrates traditional methods, from washes and glazing with acrylic medium, to the use of gels and additives for texture. Painting with Oils is a study of technical, formal, and creative aspects of painting original artworks with oils from still life displays, landscape, and other inspirational sources. Portrait Painting focuses on capturing the likeness and personality of an individual by painting from photos, master copies and life in an intensive but fun approach. Abstract Painting: Explore, Experiment & Create will investigate patterns and abstract relationships through sketches and experiments with color, value studies, scale and technique.
Beginning Stained Glass and Intermediate/Advanced Stained Glass emphasize the skills of glass-cutting, foil wrapping, soldering and finishing techniques in the tiffany style to make lampshades, stained glass window panels or even stained glass sculptural pieces and holiday ornaments, in two separate classes designed for your skill level.
For adult classes, students are responsible for their own materials. Supply lists are distributed upon registration. Most evening classes run for 2.5 hours weekly, for eight weeks.
Teen classes at Arts Guild New Jersey include Drawing, with a curriculum designed to build skills in drawing still life objects, portraiture, landscape, and abstraction with an emphasis on exploring the variety of ways that objects can be represented, and Japanese Anime/Manga Style Cartooning, where students learn the techniques of this popular cartooning and animation style to make their own comic art. All teen classes include materials.
Kids classes include Sculpture for Kids, where students build three-dimensional objects out of cardboard, paper maché, wire, modeling clay and other materials and the popular Drawing Exploration for Kids, which builds students’ skills in drawing realistic and imaginary objects, people and landscapes, while tapping into their creativity and imagination. These children’s classes run weekly during after school hours (4:00 – 5:30 PM). The Arts Guild now also offers a Saturday class for kids, Cartooning, where students tell a simple story in pictures, creating a comic panel or comic strip page. Materials for all children’s classes are provided.
The Arts Guild will offer three one-day adult workshops this spring. All workshops will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Senior Center Annex from 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Creating Unique Surfaces with Graphite, Colored Pencil and Ink Wash on Canvas, invites students to experience the unique process created by artist Robert Kogge. Students will fuse painting and drawing into a single process and explore the significance of personalizing one’s use of materials and methods. The Art of Artist Books will introduce bookbinding as an art form, where students will learn bookbinding in various formats including pamphlet, Japanese stab-binding and accordion with instructor Lisa Conrad. Monoprinting techniques will also be explored. A Plein Air workshop, On the Road: Painting Outdoors in Nature will teach students the process of painting landscape and architecture on-site outdoors with instructor Paul Casale. A rain date is reserved for May 4, 2013.
All class space is limited, so early registration is encouraged to ensure enrollment. Members receive a $ 15 discount on adult classes and a $ 10 discount on classes for children and teens. To become a member visit www.agnj.org and click on the Membership link. The Arts Guild also offers a Refer-a-friend discount.