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2020  Workshops 

Location:
Southern Atelier,Center for the Arts

7226 21st St. E.

Sarasota, Florida 34243

 

Contact:   941-753-7755 or website link below, to book your spot.

Website link:  http://southernatelier.org/store/painting-whimsical-animals-figures/

Dates: January 6 and 7, 2020
Hours: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $195

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Painting whimsical people and animals is a way for students to get playful with their subjects and explore textures like they’ve never done before! Get ready to unlock your fear of painting in acrylic. It is a very forgiving medium and Karen has so many tricks to create amazing effects! She also loves to share design tips that are crucial to taking your paintings to the next level. The under-paintings resemble paintings by Gustav Klimt......Lots of tiny colorful shapes. Gold foil paper and acrylic markers will add to the finishing details of these paintings. Prepare to be dazzled!

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Location: Art Serve, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304 (sponsored by
Gold Coast Watercolor Society)
Dates: January 21 - 23, 2020
Hours: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Set up at 9:15)
Cost: $350 for members,
$395 for non-members

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This is great for those students who would like to try acrylic for the first time.  We start out by squirting drops of acrylic on the paper and scraping it with a credit card! Students always LOVE this process!  Karen even has tricks to make drawing people so easy, so no drawing skills are required.  Tricks like squirting with water to create spots, and adding rubbing alcohol to create round shapes, make this workshop at hit with everyone!  We will get to doodle to our heart’s content in this workshop.  This workshop will emphasize good design and lots of tricks to make the detail work easier.  You may use inexpensive paints for this process, so if it’s your first time with acrylics, don’t worry that the cost will be too much. 

For Supply List, click here:

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Location: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33919 
Dates: February 6 and 7, 2020
Hours: 9:30 - 4:30
Cost:  $215 for members  $270 for non-members

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This is great for those students who would like to try acrylic for the first time.  We start out by squirting drops of acrylic on the paper and scraping it with a credit card! Students always LOVE this process!  Karen even has tricks to make drawing people so easy, so no drawing skills are required.  Tricks like squirting with water to create spots, and adding rubbing alcohol to create round shapes, make this workshop at hit with everyone!  We will get to doodle to our heart’s content in this workshop.  This workshop will emphasize good design and lots of tricks to make the detail work easier.  You may use inexpensive paints for this process, so if it’s your first time with acrylics, don’t worry that the cost will be too much. 

Location: Venice Art Center,  Venice, FL
Hours: 9:30 - 4:30
Dates: February 21 and 22, 2020
Cost: 
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This workshop is geared for the watercolor painter who wants to add exciting texture to their paintings. Subjects will be birds or animals of your choice, but they must be mid-tone or dark in value.  White birds or white animals don’t work well for this technique.  Karen will demonstrate a blue heron with patterned collage that will add exciting texture to the feathers.  Wire drawing (using a marker to create a drawing that looks like a wire sculpture) is the bonus for this workshop!  It is the secret ingredient to successful paintings. “Wire drawing absolutely has taken my paintings to the next level”. It helps artists develop drawing skills in an easy way, and adds exciting line work and ideas for interesting backgrounds as well. Karen gives lots of individual help and believes that painting should be fun and easy! 

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For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Location: The Villages, Florida
Date:  April 6 - 8, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: 
Beverly Hennessy
352-753-1383
 
Contact:
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Beginning with collaging neutral fiber papers onto watercolor paper, the students will add a wire drawing (a drawing that is done with a permanent marker and looks like a wire sculpture).  Students will complete the painting using watercolor.  The second painting will involve students painting a floral of their choice and adding wire drawing.  This is Karen’s very favorite thing to do!  When learning to “wire draw”, wrong lines are actually good.  

Wire drawing helps you to become a better artist.  So, if you struggle with your drawing, this is the class for you!  Design tips will be shared, along with color tips.  Karen gives lots of individual attention, and believes that painting should be fun and easy. 

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For Supply List and Directions, click Here:

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Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Dates: Rescheduled for Oct. 22- 24 (Thurs. - Sat.)
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: 

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Texture, wire drawing, and good design are the main features of this workshop!  Upon special request, Karen will be sharing the very popular “wire drawing”, which is the key to better paintings in your future! It is called “wire drawing” because the result looks like a wire sculpture.  It is actually done with a permanent marker.  Your watercolors are going to be exciting and memorable.  Adding gold finishing touches is a show stopping addition!  Students will learn how to add charcoal powder, which adds textural surprises.  Subjects can be figures, flowers, still life settings, or animals.  Students get to choose their subject.  All in all, this workshop will improve your design skills and imagination.  Karen Knutson is a very popular instructor who teaches workshops nationally. Get ready to take your paintings to the next level! 

For Supply List, Click Here

Location:  Parmamount Theatre, St. Cloud, MN

Link to Artists of MN Website, for more information and to become a member.

https://artistsofminnesota.org

Date:  May 2, 2020, time not set yet. (Must be member of Artists of MN to attend.) 

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This demo will show her thought process in choosing colors in acrylics and how she creates a value study beforehand. Acrylic paints are so fun, because there are many ways to create great texture! Karen is a best known for her design skills and she will be sharing some easy tips on good design! 

The Artists of MN is an art group who only meet twice per year.  The Spring Show is sort of like a convention, where there are demonstrations, an awards dinner, and a show, where there are many categories.  Join today!  

(Watercolor, Charcoal Powder, Permanent Markers, and Collage Workshop)

Contact:  denise_finnestad@hotmail.com

(If you are a member of the Andover group)

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Dates: May 16 - 18, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Cost:  $295 for 3 day workshop

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Location:Rum River Art Center, (North Studio)  2665- 4th Ave., Anoka, MN 55303
Contact: Karen Knutson karen@karenknutson.com 

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This workshop shows students how to make a charcoal pour, and then add any simple subject as the center of interest after the beginning process has dried.  This process is so fun!  We actually will be throwing a bucket of water on the charcoal powdered surface.  (Outside, of course!)  Then we will paint the subject, using watercolor, and adding collage, creating a textural masterpiece!  Students may pick whatever subject they prefer (White birds or White flowers don’t work well for this). Karen will demonstrate a crow or a cardinal, but Florals also work well, using the charcoal underpainting as our start. Day 3 will be Painting Landscapes with a charcoal pour beginning.  The charcoal makes great markings on the trees. The first day, we will learn how to do wire drawings while the charcoal pours are drying. These are drawings that look like wire sculptures, and are done using permanent markers.  Karen says,“It is truly the best thing that I’ve ever learned and will take your paintings to the next level!”  If you struggle with drawing, you actually will do better than other accomplished artists, because wrong lines are good!  Karen believes that painting should be fun, and gives lots of individual help.  

For Supply List, Click Here

Dates: June 25 - 27, 2020 (Thurs- Sat.)
Location:  Trinity High School, 
810 Empire Rd, Dickinson, ND 58601

Contact:  Jan Stromsborg 

Email:jan.stromsborg@gmail.com

Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost:  Students may sign up for all 3 days or each day separately.  
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This workshop shows students how to make a charcoal pour, and then add any simple subject as the center of interest after the beginning process has dried.  This process is so fun!  We actually will be throwing a bucket of water on the charcoal powdered surface.  (Outside, of course!)  Then we will paint the subject, using watercolor, and adding collage, creating a textural masterpiece!  Students may pick whatever subject they prefer (White birds or White flowers don’t work well for this). Karen will demonstrate a crow or a cardinal, but Florals also work well, using the charcoal underpainting as our start. Day 3 will be Painting Landscapes with a charcoal pour beginning.  The charcoal makes great markings on the trees. The first day, we will learn how to do wire drawings while the charcoal pours are drying. These are drawings that look like wire sculptures, and are done using permanent markers.  Karen says,“It is truly the best thing that I’ve ever learned and will take your paintings to the next level!”  If you struggle with drawing, you actually will do better than other accomplished artists, because wrong lines are good!  Karen believes that painting should be fun, and gives lots of individual help.  

For Supply List, Click Here:

For Supply List, Click Here:

Gaylene Fortner
 
Location: Broadus, MT 
Dates: July 1 and 2, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost:  
Contact:
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First of all, can I say how excited I am to teach in my hometown?  For those who follow me on Facebook, I was raised on a ranch 15 miles outside Broadus, MT and I am thrilled to be coming home to teach there! 

This workshop will begin with loose florals in watercolor.  Karen is anxious to share her new discovery of creating interesting textures, using a toilet paper roll.  Yes, you heard that correctly!  :)  There will be lessons on composing a floral so that it will have good design and stand out from other florals.  

On the second day, students will learn the art of wire drawing. ( I call it wire drawing, because the end product looks like a wire sculpture.  Wire drawing is done using a permanent marker.)  It will benefit all of your other paintings!   If you struggle with your drawing skills, you will actually do better than the more accomplished artist.  Wrong lines are actually good!  We will add watercolor to these drawings also and learn special effects to create texture.  Students may choose their own subject for this.

 

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Location: Karlyn's Gallery, Washburn, WI
Dates: July 15 - 17, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Watercolor, Wet and Wild! (Watercolor, Wire Drawing and Collage workshop) 

July 15 - 17, 2020 (Wednesday - Friday)

Instructor: Karen Knutson   www.karenknutson.com  

Get ready to paint juicy, wet beginnings and then add detail with a process called Wire Drawing. I named it “wire drawing” because the drawing resembles a wire sculpture. These are done with permanent markers. Subjects can vary widely according to the artists’ preferences. Good examples are birds, fish, people, abstracts, still life settings, gears that remind you of steampunk art, etc. Color lessons and lots of design tips make this a win/win workshop! Limited collage will add texture to the paintings. Karen believes that art should be fun and easy and she gives lots of individual attention. (Space is limited due to safety precautions due to Covid 19.)

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Location: Home Studio Workshop for the Contemporary Quilting Group
Dates: October , 2020 (still pending)
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Students will be doing small 6" x 6" color studies, using only 3 colors for each study.  This is an amazing practice that produces at least 20 different colors. Many discoveries will be made!   Design is very often overlooked and actually in Karen's opinion, is the most important concept in your paintings.  Karen has many fun exercises to create well balanced masterpieces and she will teach you tricks for understanding good design in all of your future paintings.  Light pathway and connections will be stressed!

 

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Location: Ely, MN
Dates: August 15 and 16, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $250

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Let’s loosen up and create beautiful, colorful, paintings, using acrylic. We will begin by preparing our papers in the Gustav Klimt painting method, dropping liquid acrylic on the paper, and then scraping it, using a credit card. We will develop these under-paintings into students' choice of subjects. Suggested subjects might be animals such as wolves, bears, or maybe figurative paintings. Painting in acrylics doing the Gustav Klimt method is such a fun process!  We will also be adding wire drawing to our paintings to bring them to completion. Wire Drawing is done using permanent black markers to look like a wire sculpture when completed. Abstract designs will be discussed and students will learn how wire drawings help ALL of their paintings be more complete and professional. Bring your favorite reference photos and get ready to loosen up!  I have heard from others that the classroom is spacious and there is modern technology so you can view the demonstration on a huge screen. I'm really looking forward to seeing this area for myself.  It is such a beautiful location, located by the Boundary Waters along northern MN.  Come to take in the beauty and feed your soul!

For supply list, click here:

Date:  August 24 - 27, 2020 (arriving on 8/23/2020)

Contact:  715-588-3143
stephanie@dillmans.com
Hours: 9:00 - 4:00
Cost:  
Location: Dillman's Resort,
                   Lac Du Flambeau, WI
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If you are wanting to step out of your box and change traditional subjects to more abstract designs, this is the workshop for you!  The most common subject will be developed into an exciting abstract or semi-abstract design.  All kinds of new media will be introduced.  We get to play!

One day, students will be doing small color studies, using only 3 colors for each study.  This is an amazing practice that produces at least 20 different colors. Many discoveries will be made!  Students are encouraged to start collecting a few examples of their favorite color schemes, so that we can decipher the color formula and replicate it, with the color skills that we will learn.

Good Design is very often overlooked and actually (in Karen's opinion), is the most important concept in your paintings.  There will be fun exercises, including the very popular WIRE DRAWING to create well balanced masterpieces.  (Wire drawing is done using permanent black markers and it looks like a wire sculpture when finished.)  Light pathway and connections will be stressed!  Subjects are students choice, but Karen will be working on figurative paintings.  Karen has easy ways to learn these design skills, so get ready to take your paintings to the next level!

For Supplies, Click Here

Location:  Cormorant, MN
Dates:   Sept. 8 - 10, 2020
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Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost:  
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"Wire drawings are my new favorite thing to do! They are done with permanent markers, but they look like they are wire sculptures! That’s why I invented the name, wire drawings."-Karen

If you struggle with drawing, that's good, because wrong lines actually make these better. There are many steps to create the look of a 3 dimensional image. It has to be seen to be understood. Watercolor and acrylic will enhance these paintings. One day we will be working in acrylics to produce paintings that resemble Gustav Klimt patterns. We will actually be using a credit card to spread the paint! Subjects will include birds, dragonflies, or student’s choice. By the end of the workshop, we will learn how to think abstractly, and do a wire drawing design for an abstract painting. Wire drawing will make all of your paintings better in a speedy manner. This workshop has been a hit with all of Karen’s students!  Karen is a very popular workshop instructor who believes that painting should be fun and easy, but with good design!

Location:  Springmaid Mountain Resort (canceled due to Covid 19)

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Dates:  Sept. 20 - 25, 2020

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Karen’s workshop is great for students who would like to try acrylic for the first time.  Artists will start with squirting drops of acrylic on paper and scraping it with a credit card! Students always LOVE this process!  Karen will share tricks to make drawing people so easy, so no drawing skills are required.  Tips like squirting with water to create spots and adding rubbing alcohol to create round shapes make this workshop a hit with everyone! 

Doodle to your heart’s content; and as a bonus, learn “wire drawing”.  These are drawings done with permanent markers that resemble wire sculptures. You will find this style beneficial to all your other paintings!”

 

This workshop emphasizes good design with lots of hints to make the detail work easier.  If this is your first time with acrylics, inexpensive paints are suitable for this process to keep costs down.

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