Creative Classes

The foundations of learning and practice in this 1-day workshop will be centered around the question of how the Impressionists captured light and color in their paintings. Students will explore different approaches in creating a sense of atmosphere with color, light and shadow, and mark-making through the study of The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism and other Impressionist works in the DAM collections. Students will learn basic watercolor techniques to guide their artistic explorations, culminating in a finished painting made during the workshop.

In this 1-day workshop, students will learn how to make paper from recycled materials. Students will gain an understanding of papermaking methods through the process of creating paper pulp and using different screen sizes to press and dry their own custom paper pages. This paper can be used for cards, tags, and artwork. Each student will leave the workshop with a handful of unique recycled paper sheets.

Price includes a $60 Studio Fee for all materials provided.

The Traditional Japanese Art of Bonseki: Seasons in Sand will introduce participants to the meditative practice of arranging white sand, stones, and small tools on black lacquer trays to create ephemeral miniature landscapes. Rooted in ancient Japanese and Chinese traditions and connected to the appreciation of suiseki (scholar’s stones), bonseki embodies themes of ephemerality, seasonal awareness, and poetic reflection. Through guided demonstrations, hands-on practice, and quiet viewing (haiken), students will learn both introductory and intermediate techniques for shaping landscapes such as winter skies, blossoms, and birds in flight. The workshop will incorporate seasonal poetry, a tea and sweets service, and group reflection. In addition, participants will have the rare opportunity to view selections from the instructor’s personal antique bonseki collection, including traditional trays and tools, offering a tangible connection to the art form’s history and refinement. The class resonates with Japanese aesthetic traditions within the Arts of Asia collections at the Denver Art Museum.

*Price includes a $60 Studio Fee for all materials provided.