Arts & Theater

In this class enter the Art of the Abstract using mixed mediums, fluid acrylics, acrylic ink, neocrayons, pencils and permanent markers. This requires some self-examination and exploration to find your visual inspiration to actualize the art and to create a finished work by the end of the 5-week session. Start with a couple of small 5 x7 mat boards doing fast, fun, instinctual exercises and small expanding scribbles and doodles. Then graduate to a larger substrate and with some guidance go through the steps to complete your abstract work of art. Supply list available upon registration and instructions for caring for your new supplies to use them again and again. Regina Thomas’ collage and mixed media art is a mélange of visual stimuli, colors, and shapes involving different genres from the representational to the abstract. These multi-layered works portray her view of the world, never realistic, injecting her own narratives, metaphors, and icons. Regina works instinctually, and her desire is to stimulate and intrigue the viewer, make a connection, bringing their own experiences to the work. Regina has lived and traveled throughout Asia and Europe. While in London, she attended Richmond University concentrating on the Art Disciplines as well as […]

This class provides step-by-step instruction for those seeking the fundamentals of watercolor painting. Class includes demos and structured exercises. Participants learn color mixing, dark and light and basic color theory principles. Different brush stroke techniques are addressed for specific effects i.e. wet on wet & dry stubble applications. Participants paint from still life setups and/or photo references from home. Everyone is encouraged to work on an ongoing painting at home to help solidify techniques learned in class. This piece may be brought into class on the last day for an open critique session. Material list sent upon registration. Chris Kunze graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting/Illustration. He has had a long & successful career in Advertising and Promotion. His illustrations and designs have been used in books, magazines, newspapers, product packaging and logo design. Chris’ fine art has always remained important throughout his career as a commercial artist. He has had many solo and group shows in New York City, Westchester County and lower Connecticut, showcasing his oil paintings, watercolors and illustrations. Chris was part of an ongoing show at the Arthur Kalaher Fine Art in Sag Harbor, NY from 2011-2019. In 2018 he […]

Class time focuses on simple Still-Life set-ups ~a bottle, a bowl with fruit, etc. Objects are studied from a tabletop perspective. How to create volume, depth and weight are introduced as participants investigate the power of thin and thick line applications which help to create the shape and mass of objects. Individual attention will be given to each student at their skill level. In the third week participants bring photos or objects from home to draw in an effort to improve how they see and, therefore, their drawing skills. Material list available upon registration. Chris Kunze graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting/Illustration. He has had a long & successful career in Advertising and Promotion. His illustrations and designs have been used in books, magazines, newspapers, product packaging and logo design. Chris’ fine art has always remained important throughout his career as a commercial artist. He has had many solo and group shows in New York City, Westchester County and lower Connecticut, showcasing his oil paintings, watercolors and illustrations. Chris was part of an ongoing show at the Arthur Kalaher Fine Art in Sag Harbor, NY from 2011-2019. In 2018 he had a solo show […]

Create beautiful botanical illustrations in pen and ink! Each week will focus on a different botanical study. Participants will learn how to observe, and utilize ink to capture the subject matter with detail and accuracy. Colored pencils are used to enhance the black and white drawings. No previous experience is necessary. Come enjoy a creative and fun class! Nancy Bentivegna is a botanical artist who received her training at the New York Botanical Gardens through the Botanical Art and Illustration Program. After completing the program in 2010, she relocated to Boston. For the past eleven years she has been teaching a variety of botanical art classes in Boston and the greater Boston area. These courses are based on the instruction she received at the NYBG and include colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink and watercolor pencil. Nancy prefers to work in watercolor pencil combined with colored pencil for depth and detail. She does custom pieces for clients both in the Boston area and New York. She recently relocated to Essex and will be offering classes at the Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook. Dates: March 6, 13, 20 and 27th Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Cost: $130

Create beautiful botanical illustrations in pen and ink! Each week will focus on a different botanical study. Participants will learn how to observe, and utilize ink to capture the subject matter with detail and accuracy. Colored pencils are used to enhance the black and white drawings. No previous experience is necessary. Come enjoy a creative and fun class! Nancy Bentivegna is a botanical artist who received her training at the New York Botanical Gardens through the Botanical Art and Illustration Program. After completing the program in 2010, she relocated to Boston. For the past eleven years she has been teaching a variety of botanical art classes in Boston and the greater Boston area. These courses are based on the instruction she received at the NYBG and include colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink and watercolor pencil. Nancy prefers to work in watercolor pencil combined with colored pencil for depth and detail. She does custom pieces for clients both in the Boston area and New York. She recently relocated to Essex and will be offering classes at the Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook. Dates: March 6, 13, 20 and 27th Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Cost: $130

Create beautiful botanical illustrations in pen and ink! Each week will focus on a different botanical study. Participants will learn how to observe, and utilize ink to capture the subject matter with detail and accuracy. Colored pencils are used to enhance the black and white drawings. No previous experience is necessary. Come enjoy a creative and fun class! Nancy Bentivegna is a botanical artist who received her training at the New York Botanical Gardens through the Botanical Art and Illustration Program. After completing the program in 2010, she relocated to Boston. For the past eleven years she has been teaching a variety of botanical art classes in Boston and the greater Boston area. These courses are based on the instruction she received at the NYBG and include colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink and watercolor pencil. Nancy prefers to work in watercolor pencil combined with colored pencil for depth and detail. She does custom pieces for clients both in the Boston area and New York. She recently relocated to Essex and will be offering classes at the Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook. Dates: March 6, 13, 20 and 27th Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Cost: $130

This is a fun and very creative class where you learn to set up a workstation to create colored, painted paper sheets using gel plates, stencils and markers.  Experiment with masking techniques using gauze, acrylics, and metallic paints, etc.  After creating a variety of prints, choose your “Best and Brightest” as well as a few quieter designs.  The instructor will help you work on layout design to create compositional unity before gluing.  Then learn to prepare your support and to adhere each print. Finally, use gloss, satin or matte medium as a final sealer.   You will have prints left to create more compositions on your own.  Material list available upon registration. Regina Thomas’ collage and mixed media art is a mélange of visual stimuli, colors, and shapes involving different genres from the representational to the abstract.  These multi-layered works portray her view of the world, never realistic, injecting her own narratives, metaphors, and icons.  Regina works instinctually, and her desire is to stimulate and intrigue the viewer, make a connection, bringing their own experiences to the work. Regina has lived and traveled throughout Asia and Europe.  While in London, she attended Richmond University concentrating on the Art Disciplines as well as Studio classes.  Upon her return to the states she […]

This class provides step-by-step instruction for those seeking the fundamentals of watercolor painting.  Class includes demos and structured exercises.  Participants learn color mixing, dark and light and basic color theory principles. Different brush stroke techniques are addressed for specific effects i.e. wet on wet & dry stubble applications. Participants paint from still life setups and/or photo references from home.  Everyone is encouraged to work on an ongoing painting at home to help solidify techniques learned in class.  This piece may be brought into class on the last day for an open critique session. Material list sent upon registration.  Instructor will work with you at your level even if you have taken watercolor in the past.  Material list available upon registration. Chris Kunze graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting/Illustration. He has had a long & successful career in Advertising and Promotion. His illustrations and designs have been used in books, magazines, newspapers, product packaging and logo design. Chris’ fine art has always remained important throughout his career as a commercial artist. He has had many solo and group shows in New York City, Westchester County and lower Connecticut, showcasing his oil paintings, watercolors and illustrations. Chris was part of an ongoing […]

In this class learn to create layers of soft pastels to build up a recognizable image or object.  Blocking in values from light to dark and understanding light to hard application on paper.  In the beginning of class, simple still life set ups will be used i.e. two pieces of fruit in a bowl, etc. The light source and an investigation of color ranges that can be applied to any given object will also be explored.  There will be demonstrations of techniques that will help all levels.  Pastels are a wonderful opportunity for those who want to continue to hone their drawing skills with the new dimension of color.  Finally, fixative spraying will be reviewed including how many layers are necessary.  The last two classes will focus on one more complicated still life set up in an effort to create a completed piece of artwork. Material list available upon registration. Chris Kunze graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting/Illustration. He has had a long & successful career in Advertising and Promotion. His illustrations and designs have been used in books, magazines, newspapers, product packaging and logo design. Chris’ fine art has always remained important throughout his career as a commercial artist. […]

This creative writing class invites participants to explore their personal experiences, dreams, and reflections on life through short stories, poetry, and personal essays. Whether you want to write about past adventures, future aspirations, or cherished relationships, this class will guide you with fun exercises that make storytelling accessible and enjoyable. Techniques and exercises used in class will be memory mapping (turning life events into stories); sensory writing (using the five senses to bring stories to life) and character building (drawing inspiration from real-life people). Suggested material list available upon registration. Dates: Sunday, March 30; April 6, 13, 27 and May 4th