CLASSES 2023

Essential Abstraction Series

Instructor: Suzanne Edminster

Location: Rileystreet Art Supply, 103 Maxwell Ct., Santa Rosa 95401

There are three classes to this series. Take one or all of them!


1. SOLD OUT / Essential Abstraction: Color Dance: Saturday, April 22nd, 10:00AM-3:00PM, $95.00


2. SOLD OUT / Essential Abstraction: Composing Ourselves: Monday, May 1st, 10:00AM-3:00PM, $95


3. SOLD OUT / Essential Abstraction: Myth, Meaning and Media: May 15th, 10:00AM-3:00PM, $95

Registration

Suitable for all levels, beginning to advanced. Take one class or the series; each class is different. Would you like to make beautiful abstract paintings? Or loosen up your approach to painting? This acrylic abstraction class will train you to enter your own abstract zone and help you create finished, meaningful abstract art that where you haven’t gone before. In the first part of the class, Suzanne will present lessons and demos. In the afternoon portion, you may wish to work on larger work or bring in paintings in progress. Please bring a bag lunch or make lunch arrangements. Materials list below.

Your prepayment is your class registration. Classes are small (6 spaces), so consider signing up soon. Use the buttons below.

Materials LIst


As a courtesy, please take a home Covid test before you come. I will be doing this before each class.

  • Please wear very old clothes and aprons that you can get paint on! Acrylic stains and doesn’t really come out in the wash.  Now is the time to be functional and comfortable in our clothes so we can forget about them and just paint.
  • Please park in the side parking lot to keep the front slots open for Rileystreet customers.  We can eat in the Mexican restaurant — Aguila Real Mexican Food– across the street if it is open, or bring a bag lunch. Time goes fast when you are painting!
  • Please bring one sketchbook or notebook for writing. We use writing as part of the process. You could bring that gift journal that is “too good ” to use. Don’t forget a pencil and pen!
  • Brushes: small, medium and large.  I prefer smooth white or golden nylon brushes for acrylic. You can get inexpensive brush sets at Michael’s.
  • 3-6 pre-cut or deckled (torn) 140 lb. watercolor paper pieces @ 10″ x 10″ or 12″ x 12″– Suggestions include Canson watercolor pads or Fabriano 1282 watercolor pads available at Rileystreet. Prep and cut before you come. We always work in series.
  • 6 pre-cut or deckled (torn) 140 lb.watercolor paper pieces @ 5″ x 7″ (see above). Prep and cut before you come. We always work in series. Measure them. These small surfaces are great for learning and we can make “little treasures”
  • Optional but recommended: Larger surfaces like whole pieces of paper and packs of canvas. Rileystreet sells multiples packs of Art Alternatives canvas. We always work in series so packs of same size paper or canvas are good. You can always buy some as you decide what to do. If you are a more confident painter, buy a couple of bigger canvases for practice.
  • A pile of pre-torn paper towel pieces,  4 paper plates to hold your paint, large yoghurt containers or mini buckets for water, and a brown paper grocery bag for waste. Wet wipes are also handy.
  • Important! Bring nitrile or latex gloves to wear. Your hands become painting tools when you wear gloves.
  • Acrylic paints: Buy paints in tubes. I like Liquitex. Bring paints you have, but make sure they are all usuable and appealing.
  • A water-soluble black pencil (Derwent or other), a Bic Cristal pen from the office store, and a few inexpensive oil pastels in mixed colors: Crayola or Cray-Pas are fine. You don’t need a whole set. White, light blue, red, and black are good colors. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of these supplies, but bring some of them. 
  • A large tube of white, a tube of black, smaller reds, yellows, and blues, and any other color you like. I also like Opera Rose and fluorescent orange. If you want to get braver about color, buy braver colors.
  • I will bring special materials for you to try.