ONSITE: Fiber Flower Crown
Learn to make a flower crown from beautiful, colorful fibers! We will make an armature framework and learn basic weaving and macrame stitching techniques to create flower shapes with yarn and string.
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ONSITE: Introduction to Sculpture in Clay
Explore creating sculptural ceramic art pieces. We'll cover basic hand building techniques like coil building and slab building to guide your process as you create sculptures that can be both representational or more abstract. We'll also learn a variety of finishing techniques like surface design-sgraffito, mishima, oxides as well as traditional glazing methods.
read moreONSITE: Figure Drawing (DD)
These drawing sessions are open to anyone interested in drawing from a live figure model. A studio monitor guides the model and overall experience, but drawing instruction is not provided.
read moreONSITE: Stained Glass Workshop: Create a Suncatcher (B)
Learn the basics of working in VisArts' Glass studio by creating a light catcher! Students will learn to cut glass, grind the edges, foil the glass, then solder it all together.
read moreONSITE: Introduction to Sculpture in Clay
Experiment with sculptural hand building techniques while exploring ancient archetypes from the tarot. Utilize coil building, slab building, and surface decoration to create your own symbols of transformation. Using ancient archetypes from the tarot deck as our guide, students will create imaginative handbuilt sculptures as tools for self-reflection. This class will ultimately develop your understanding of […]
read moreONSITE: Guided Studio: Intermediate + Advanced Ceramics
Join this class to continue wheel and hand building with plenty of feedback and guidance from the instructor as you explore independent projects. This class is best for intermediate and advanced students who are interested in furthering their ideas and have a solid foundation of the basics of ceramics .
read moreONSITE: Drawing Horror
Unleash your inner horror artist and learn to create spine-tingling drawings in this night class. You'll explore techniques to bring your wildest nightmares to life through the use of dark shadows, eerie textures, and otherworldly characters. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this class offers a unique opportunity to tap into your creativity […]
read moreONSITE: Video Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro
This course is an introduction to techniques, software skills, and the theory of video editing in Adobe Premiere Pro. Students will apply technical principals they've learned through a series of creative video art exercises and in-depth hands on workshops to finish a class project. Suitable for beginners through advanced editors. A variety of topics will […]
read moreONSITE: Introduction to the Wheel (F)
Learn to throw clay on a potter’s wheel. We’ll cover the foundations of wheel work, including wedging and centering clay and forming cylinders, cups and bowls. Basic glazing information will help you finish your final forms.
read moreONSITE: Drawing Outside in Richmond (this class is only offered a few times a year)
Bring along your oil pastels or oil paint sticks for this plein air class that meets in different locations around our fabulous River City. We’ll visit some of Richmond’s favorite sites – such as Pony Pasture and Maymont – and discover some new ones too! This course will meet off-site and instruction will happen in […]
read moreONSITE: Introduction to the Wheel (E)
Learn to throw clay on a potter’s wheel. We’ll cover the foundations of wheel work, including wedging and centering clay and forming cylinders, cups and bowls. Basic glazing information will help you finish your final forms.
read moreONSITE: Hand Building: Make Your Own Clay Mug (A)
Have you ever wanted to drink out of a mug you made? Learn the techniques of coil building to make your own mug.
read moreONSITE: Writing Poetry
Explore the fundamental elements of poetry, through the reading and writing of poems. We'll read and discuss poems written by other people, then write poems of our own, with special attention to elements of line, image, and syntax. Students will learn how close readings of other poems may inspire their own work, and how they […]
read moreONSITE: Introduction to Silversmithing
Jump right into working with sterling silver for jewelry. Basic jewelry fabrication techniques will be demonstrated or reviewed including sawing, drilling, sanding, polishing, and soldering. You can expect to leave class with one finished piece of jewelry. This class is accessible to the beginner but is also ideal for someone looking to polish their beginner […]
read moreONSITE: Raku Firing Workshop (A)
Head over to VisArts' courtyard and join us for some raku pottery firing—an exciting approach to pottery surface design! Participants will glaze their pieces, help load them into the kiln, grab a beer or snack across the street at Goatocado, then return to enjoy the campfire-like atmosphere with friends on our back patio.
read moreONSITE: Color Clay
This course will explore the basics of coloring clay. We will begin by learning about ceramic stains and oxides, which to use and how to use them. A variety of colored clay techniques starting with Nerikomi (hand building) and Neriagi (hand building and throwing) will be demonstrated. We will also cover a thorough variety of […]
read moreONSITE: Slab-Building from Templates (this class is only offered two times a year)
Learn to slab build from templates. We will learn how to draft and draw templates for slab-built tumblers, cups, butter dishes and other functional items. We will start with small clay models and then break it down it to its component pieces.
read moreONSITE: Drawing with Colored Pencils
Learn colored pencil drawing techniques and explore the use of underpainting and solvents.
read moreONSITE: Intermediate Glass Fusing + Slumping (B)
Students will work on fused and slumped glass projects to create functional and narrative pieces. We will be creating with glass sheet, frits, powders, stringers and rod.
read moreONSITE: Intermediate Wheel Throwing (A)
Expand your skills by learning additional throwing techniques and working on complex projects. We'll explore larger-scale pieces, throw platters, make sets, and add hand-built elements to our pieces. This class caters to individual interests, so we'll address specific techniques for your projects. Discussion on reduction firing in the gas kiln and glaze firing to cone […]
read moreONSITE: Wheel Throwing Refresher (A)
Brush up on the basics! We'll review wheel throwing techniques and skills. Create and complete work during class, with enough time to fire and glaze. This class is open to students who have previously taken wheel throwing classes. We will review and refresh our knowledge of wedging, centering, throwing, trimming and glazing. We will take […]
read moreONSITE: The Prose Poem
Explore the possibilities of the prose poem. Each week, we'll read and discuss examples of prose poems (historic and contemporary), then use these conversations to inspire us as we write prose poems of our own.
read moreONSITE: Intermediate Metal Jewelry
Take your metal jewelry making to the next level. We’ll focus on design execution, stone setting as well as fabricating and soldering with sterling silver. You’ll also advance your polishing skills for finishing pieces.
read moreONSITE: Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving (B)
Learn how to weave on a rigid heddle loom! We'll warp a rigid heddle loom using the direct warping method. This method is unique to rigid heddles and quick to set up so you can start weaving in no time. You can expect demonstrations on maintaining straight selvages, dealing with weft tails, changing colors, and […]
read moreONSITE: Wheel Throwing for Everyone (A)
Have you always wanted to try wheel throwing? Come throw a pot using white stoneware, then fire and finish your pieces using food-safe glazes.
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