Sedona Arts Center — New art workshops are starting this week!

In-Person Workshops at the Sedona Arts Center offer an intensive experience that will provide inspiration and information to distill and practice for months and even years afterwards. A wide variety of disciplines and mediums are offered with a special focus on studio and plein air landscape painting, mixed media and  abstraction. Workshops are appropriate for all levels of students and are presented through demonstrations, individual instruction and group presentation. Instructors are experts in their field – experienced teachers with national recognition.

Only basic materials required with your own plein air painting set-up.

Playing with paint can help us appreciate what we develop on canvas and enjoy the new processes we have learned. Focusing on the big picture, we can create beautiful form on any subject that we fancy. Any tools may be used. Design, color, simple shapes, and unique representation of any form is key.

As a painter I have explored many different avenues in my career. I am not looking for one technique to accomplish over, and over again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? I like to break new ground as often as I can.

The workshop will cover my basic learnings over a lifetime of experimenting with paint. Highlighting design, color mixing, paint application, creative mark making, and what can we do with lighting while understanding the basics of overall image capturing to showcase personality on canvas.

The second day of the workshop will include working directly with the live model in a variety of poses including the nude, draped and partially draped scenarios, lots of paint sketching, gestural drawing and finger painting techniques. Be prepared to paint looser, bolder, freer, lighter and more intuitively. Plenty of time for action-filled painting exercises, demos and personalized attention. All water soluble paints are welcomed. Materials list provided on this page – click the Materials List tab above. PDF handouts will be provided.

During her workshop Betty begins each day with a demonstration/ lecture covering tools, techniques, brushwork, problems and solutions. Emphasis throughout the workshop is on organization and simplification of darks and lights, value and color relationships, edges, movement and mass to create a dynamic, coherent composition.

Betty Carr’s energetic style and enthusiasm for painting and teaching create an infectious atmosphere of adventure and “can do” among her students. She has traveled the country teaching workshops for many years. Her instructional book “Seeing the Light” is available through North Light Books. Materials list includes both watercolor and oil – students can choose which medium they would like to work in.

Students will work from reference photos supplied for you by Elizabeth to include elements of the landscape such as the Sedona Red Rocks and Oak Creek.

Susan will be conducting a Watercolor Demonstration at the Sedona Arts Center on Friday, October 28, the day after the workshop ends.  Students enrolled in this workshop may attend for free.  There is a $50/person charge to the public.

If you want to paint better –  Be more accurate – Convey your vision and impression – and do it all with JOY this will help.  If you want to paint effortlessly – Free from stress and better able to let the magic flow, this is the place to start.    You will come to understand how to create more comfortably, confidently and joyfully while learning all the tips and techniques that have taken me years of cultivation.  No more guessing!  No more uncertainty!  No more fear!  Just SUCCESS.

You are invited to paint in oil or water soluble oil if possible!  I will have insights to share with you acrylic painters as well so don’t let the medium detour you.

Finer points will also touch on shipping, storing and pastel framing techniques – even ideas on how to approach galleries if you so desire.

First Meeting on Sunday is 10:00 am in the North Studio on the Arts Center Campus. Instructor will arrange location meetings for the duration of the workshop.