The multilevel classroom is a big part of education at Ox-Bow. We believe the process of artmaking can be enriched by working alongside students outside of traditional peer groups. All of our adult classes are for students, ages 14 and up. Unless otherwise noted, students will be sent a supply list.
Enjoy a combination of drawing and exploring through the wooded dunes of Ox-Bow's 115-acre campus. Students will set out into the landscape, sketchbook in hand, in an attempt to experience the art of nature. We will be working with graphite, charcoal and your own favorite materials such as pastels and paints. The purpose of the class is to draw what is around you to heighten your awareness of nature and to bring this awareness on to the page.
Glass Beadmaking
June 30-July 3, four mornings, 10am-12:30 pm
with Jessica Bohus and Todd Knight
$175
Using lampworking techniques, learn the basics of making, shaping, and decorating unique glass beads. Explore techniques in-depth through demonstration, hands-on classroom time, and personalized instruction. Beginning students will focus on forming round beads, as well as pulling stringers and decorative cane. Advanced students can focus on intricate surface techniques and creating jewelry and sculpture that incorporates beadwork. Materials included.
Special History Lecture
Impressionism along the Lakeshore
Tuesday, July 8: One day only, 11:30am-2 pm
with E. Jane Connell
$35, includes lunch
The arts of West Michigan were, without doubt, influenced by the economic and cultural magnetism of Chicago. Indeed, the formative years of many midwestern arts organizations were framed by two of the most significant exhibitions of their time: the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Armory Show of 1913, both held in the Windy City. The aesthetic development of West Michigan was further enhanced by Ox-Bow, the summer art school established at Saugatuck in the early years of the 20th century. Join E. Jane Connell, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Muskegon Museum of Art, for an engaging review of the MMA’s current exhibition, Sunlight in a Paintbrush: American Impressionism from Regional Collections (through August 31). Learn about the important role that Ox-Bow’s early history played in the artistic advancement of our region.
Weekly Workshop:
Landscape Painting
Tuesdays, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, 6:30-8:30 pm
with James Brandess
$160 for 4 weeks, $45 per session
Each class will begin with a look at the work of a landscape painter. A painting demonstration by the teacher will also be offered. Issues covered in this class will include elements of drawing, observations of light and color, and consideration of their relationship within a painting. We will be working in the rapidly changing evening light of Ox-Bow's 115-acre campus.
Still-life on the Meadow
July 14-July 17, four mornings, 10am-12:30 pm
with Dawn Stafford
$130
In this workshop intensive students will practice both drawing and painting from still life subjects in a natural outdoor setting. Stafford will bring unusual objects from her own personal collection to set the stage for drawing and to challenge students. Drawing skills, approaching the subject, working with oil paint, the palette, and individual interpretation will be emphasized. Prior experience is helpful, but not necessary.
Explorations in Collage
July 28-July 31, four mornings, 10am-12:30 pm
with John Parot
$150
In this course students will learn the basic fundamentals of collage. Examination of various techniques and materials will be explored through various projects. Projects & theme exercises will include collages using patterns, colors, texture & forms. Students will also create collages using natural materials found on the Ox-Bow campus. Students will focus on finished artworks in both large and small formats as well as developing their own “collage journal” reflecting the surrounding colors, patterns and landscapes of Ox-Bow.
Experiments with Gouache and Egg Tempera
August 11-14, four mornings, 10am-12:30 pm
with Rob Bondgren
$150
This course is an introduction to gouache (opaque watercolor) and simple egg tempera techniques. The different properties of each medium and painting characteristics of transparency and opacity offer a wide range of manipulations and effects. We will experiment with using these mediums on a variety of papers and panels. Both gouache and egg tempera are very portable and adaptable mediums that are perfectly suited for plein air (outdoor) and alla prima (all-at-once) painting. Students will make use of these properties in combination with the unique Ox-Bow landscape. Demonstrations, an overview of value and color, observational exercises, free-form painting explorations and art historical references are integral to the course.
Weekly Workshop:
Landscape Painting
Tuesdays, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, 6:30-8:30 pm
with James Brandess
$160 for 4 weeks, $45 per session
Each class will begin with a look at the work of a landscape painter. A painting demonstration by the teacher will also be offered. Issues covered in this class will include elements of drawing, observations of light and color, and consideration of their relationship within a painting. We will be working in the rapidly changing evening light of Ox-Bow's 115-acre campus.