Okay I’m in, I have a new studio! So great to spread out and have a real art-making space once again. Now that I’m sure I am staying in Courtenay I decided it’s time to put down roots. I’m thrilled to share this new bright space with you, a quirky old office building very near downtown. There is a bank of four windows facing east so I get some gorgeous morning light, then it evens out the rest of the day for fantastic painting illumination.
The Courtenay River is a half-block away so I can ride my bike to and from work, and take airy walks to view the ever-changing estuary and observe the bird and rabbit action (yes, rabbits!). Oh and there is a Bean Around the World just five minutes’ walk away for a little social time and great coffee.
Those of you who have signed up for my most recent course please take note of my new address:
#228b-2270 Cliffe at Mansfield Centre in Courtenay. It’s near the Airpark on the main drag before you hit downtown (that is if you are travelling north).
Are you a realist painter, and looking for ways to create more painterly flow and movement in your work? Join me in my studio for eight fun and challenging studio sessions amongst like-minded fellow artists.
If you have been painting alone, the group dynamic of a class creates a sense of camaraderie through an exchange of ideas. Warm-up exercises at the beginning of each session will give you new tools with which to understand how to move the paint around more freely.
Students can bring their personal projects already in process or start new ones in the class. The instructor will cover issues such as paint handling, improving drawing abilities, palette and composition tips as well as historical and contemporary painting references. Both acrylic and also oil painters with a little experience are welcome (no turpentine, please).
This is an intimate and friendly setting in a professional artist’s personal studio.
If this sounds like something you would like to take part in, feel free to call or text me at 778-865-2650 or email me at val@valnelson.ca
If you think you can’t draw, this course is for you! This jumpstart into drawing expands the student’s ability to perceive and render the world around them. You will be introduced to contour drawing, gesture, mark-making, approaches to basic portraiture and figure drawing without measuring, and more. Don’t worry, you don’t need to know what all of this means!
No experience necessary. 😉 Bring your 2B pencil, and eraser and a stack of inexpensive paper or a sketchbook
Sunday Jan 22, 2021 10am-4pm
Tuition: $90 incl GST E-transfer or cash
Location: Val’s studio in Courtenay, BC (location details upon registration)
PLEASE NOTE: Although this in-person class was limited to 4 participants and is technically full, I have moved to a larger studio space in Courtenay so I can accommodate a few more people! For enquiries and to register: val@valnelson.ca
In this lively weekend workshop, participants will learn how to bring more depth, movement, and dynamic brushwork into their landscape paintings, and strategies for mixing greens. On the second day you will apply the lessons to your own personal project. Nourishing lunches provided by the delightful Kimi Nakamura.
Some painting experience recommended. Oil or acrylic
March 25/26, 10am-4pm
Tuition: $300 includes GST E-transfer or cash
Registration: val@valnelson.ca 778-865-2650
Supply List and location provided upon registration.
Cancellation policy: Please provide 7 days’ advance notice if you need to cancel at which point you can receive a credit toward a future class.
I’m excited to continue to offer in-person classes. The vibe is so much better when we are all in the same room! Please join me for my upcoming Winter 2023 in-person sessions of Painting for Beginners.
I so love teaching this class because I get to watch my students glean understanding and quickly move forward with their painting technique. My goal is for you come away from this class with the confidence to make your own work in your home studio.
Not sure if this class is for you? Below are some common questions I am asked that I hope will inspire you to jump right in and get the paint flowing.
“Do I need to have painted before?” Some of my students are taking up their paint brush for the first time. We all knew how to make art when we were children. We were born creative! It’s just that some of us kind of forgot somewhere along the way! Be assured, it does come back with a little coaching. Some of you have enjoyed playing with paint and experimenting, but may have felt frustrated because of some technical questions you just couldn’t find a way around. That’s where I come in!
“I don’t really know how to draw.” Don’t worry! Learning to paint is largely allowing yourself to open up your perception. I take you step-by-step through a process that helps you train your brain to learn how to really see. It’s super cool. In fact, you might even notice that as you expand your abilities in painting, you see the world around you differently too.
“What will I learn?” In six information-packed three-hour sessions, you will learn important steps to building an acrylic painting using a loose, impressionistic approach. As you paint a simple still life, I give demonstrations to help you understand the block-in, develop your work with more detail, and learn about how value, basic colour theory, edge control, and brushwork can be used to create a dynamic painting with strong structure. By the end of the class, you will have begun and possibly completed your own personal project.
“Yikes, that sounds complicated!” Nope. The class begins with limited colour and gradually expands to full-colour projects. And the class size is small, so you get plenty of one-on-one instruction.
“I have a crazy schedule. What if I have to miss a class?” If you must miss a class, I will do my best to fill you in when you return.
“Great! When does it start, and how much does it cost?” Classes are on Monday afternoons, beginning Jan 23, 2023. See below for more details!
PAINTING FOR BEGINNERS
SixMonday afternoons, 3-6pm
Mondays 3-6pm: Jan 23, 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, & 27
ClassFee: $425 (includes GST)
Location: Courtenay, BC–details provided upon registration
Supply List: Provided upon registration
How to pay: Cash or E-transfer to val@valnelson.ca
Cancellation policy: Please provide minimum 7 days’ advance notice if you need to cancel, at which point you can receive a credit toward a future class.
There’s just one week left to view my solo exhibition at Visualspace Gallery in Vancouver. If you haven’t yet been able to view the show, I hope you can make it! The show closes Saturday, May 7.
I’m so grateful that there was a great turnout at my opening and also my artist talk. So many friendly and enthusiastic friends, art lovers, and former students. Thank you so much for coming!
A sneakpeek virtual tour of the show can be viewed on the gallery’s Instagram page, and the entire collection can be viewed here. A video of my talk is being edited and we will be able to share it with you soon.
Never say never, but these may be the last historic interiors I paint, as new things are percolating in my studio now.
Hi folks, I’ve had a few requests for class offerings for the Spring, but have been focussing on my Vancouver show and will be taking a little time away from teaching. Thanks for your interest! I may teach a few in-person workshops this summer, so stay tuned.
I’m excited to announce my solo gallery exhibition April 7-May 7 at Visualspace Gallery in Vancouver. Now that things are opening up again in BC, it’s time to celebrate! I look forward to seeing my wonderful friends and supporters there, with their smiles. 🙂
Please join me for the OPENING RECEPTION on Saturday April 9, 2-4pm. There will also be an ARTIST GALLERY TOUR ON April 23 at 2 pm.
Do you feel a bit stuck in your painting process? Do you yearn to find your own “style” and get out of your own way in the studio so you can have more fun? Part of the solution lies in mindset, and part of it is technical. By working through a series of painterly problems, you will come away with a number of strategies that you can apply to your refresh your studio time beyond the lessons.
Some experience recommended. Oil or acrylic. Supply list provided upon registration.
