Creative Classes

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.

Flow State is a 4-week abstract painting class that explores the connections between intuitive painting, mindfulness meditation, and community. Students will learn how to combine abstract painting and drawing skills with mindfulness meditation techniques. Each class will present different ways this hybrid practice can be used to hold space for ourselves and each other. Students will work individually and as a group using acrylic paint, pastels, paper and canvas. This class will connect to abstract works in the Denver Art Museum collection, including pieces by artists like Mark Bradford, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Sam Gilliam, Shinique Smith, and Sonia Gechtoff.

In this 4-week class, students will learn a variety of watercolor techniques through practice and will experiment with the ways watercolor interacts with other media through the creation of multiple watercolor paintings. By the end of the session, students will understand the basic techniques and practices in watercolor painting and feel comfortable experimenting at home to form their own practice centered around joy and experimentation.

Students will purchase their own materials and should expect to spend $40-60.