Learn and practice the fundamentals of acting for the stage! Whether you're just beginning or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this class is designed for anyone with a genuine interest in acting. Students will build a strong foundation in the rehearsal process, audition preparation, and live theatre performance through guided scene work and practical exercises. Beginners will gain essential tools and confidence, while intermediate actors will refine their technique, deepen character work, and expand their performance range. No prior experience is necessary -- just a willingness to learn and explore in a safe, supportive environment where taking creative risks is encouraged. This class is designed to be taken more than once, allowing students to continue building on their skills with each session. So if you’ve taken the class before, we invite you to return, revisit the fundamentals, and take your work to the next level.

Collage is a relaxing, expressive and playful art form and there are so many ways to approach creating these pieces. In this class, we’ll focus on three styles of collage: patchwork, minimal and spontaneous. Patchwork – we’ll pull ideas from different forms of quilt and textile designs to inspire our own paper patchwork creations. Minimal – sometimes we get so lost in the idea of filling a page that we forget about the beauty and power of white space. We’ll use only a few pieces of paper per collage to not only embrace white space but also tap into the inspiration of limiting our supplies. Spontaneous – the idea of needing to put the perfect piece of paper in the perfect place can inhibit us from creating collages, so in this lesson, we’ll learn ways to work quickly and instinctively to build organic collages in the moment. We’ll play with snippet rolls and also talk about how junk journals provide the perfect medium for spontaneous collages. Supplies to bring: • A sketchbook or art journal with blank pages (you can also bring a junk journal, but you’ll need something with blank pages too). • Any of your favorite collage materials • If you have a favorite pair of scissors or adhesive, please bring those as well. Some shared collage materials, glue sticks and scissors will be available for use in class.

Adults at all levels of experience can develop and enhance their pottery skills. Those with some experience can learn more advanced techniques such as lids, handles, altering, pattern making and more. Nancy is enthusiastic about infecting others with her love for pottery and clay. Unless you are a student returning to the class, attendance is required for the first session. Bring an apron, towel and a basic set of pottery tools if you have them.NOTE: This class is scheduled for 9 weekly meetings, with a possible 10th meeting (11/18) being a potential makeup day in case of our cancellation.

Loosen your brush and deepen your voice in watercolor. In this class you will explore techniques that bring energy, mood and movement to your paintings. Through guided exercises you'll experiment with brushwork, layers, texture and intuitive color choices. This course encourages curiosity and supports the discovery of your own expressive style. A basic materials list is available on our website.

Learn the time-honored tradition of oil painting in an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. Explore color, value, paint application, design and composition in this most forgiving medium. We will also look at the work of other artists for inspiration and techniques in art-making. All levels are welcome, whether you are just starting out, continuing, or returning to oil paints. Supply List (Note: Please purchase supplies no sooner than 5 days before class, in case of cancellation due to low enrollment) Oil Colors-- Cadmium Yellow Medium Cadmium Red Light Alizarin Crimson Ultramarine Blue Thalo Blue Thalo Green Viridian Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Yellow Ochre Titanium White (large tube) Bristle Brushes Flat #8, Filbert #6, Round #2 Small container of Gamsol or other Odorless Mineral Spirits Container with lid for solvent Palette Knife with offset handle Palette -Masterson 12" x 16" with lid and paper liners Stretched Canvases--1 to 2 per class

In this course we will continue to explore different painting techniques, working on our perceptions and having a lot of fun! There will be lectures and time for guided practice while focusing on how the formal elements of painting such as composition, color and value can be used to create a skillful painting. Lectures will continue to analyze historical and contemporary paintings to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of oil painting. During guided practice students will receive demonstrations and direct recommendations which introduce a wide variety of approaches that can be used to enhance the quality of their work. Intended for beginning and intermediate-level students. Note: A suggested supply list will be sent 7-10 days before the first class.

Take your artistic journey to the next level in this comprehensive 8-week advanced workshop. Designed for returning students, this course bridges the gap between classical still-life painting and the exciting challenge of portraiture. Throughout the session, we will split our focus to master two major genres: Still Life: We will continue to refine our realistic techniques in painting stationary subjects. Portraiture: Students will transition to painting from a live model, learning how to apply their color theory knowledge to create luminous, realistic skin tones. To support our studio work, each session will include visual presentations and lectures. We will explore the structural anatomy of the human face to ensure accuracy in our portraiture. We will also analyze master paintings to see how color chemistry has evolved throughout history.

If you are currently taking a pottery class through Hopkins Community Education at any level of experience, join us at Open Pottery Studio on Saturdays to work on a piece from class or on a personal project. Use your own clay from your class or purchase additional clay from the attending instructor for $40 (check or exact cash). While our instructors supervise the open studio for the hours of 9:30-12:30, no instruction is provided. We need a minimum of 3 students registered for a particular Saturday session to run, so if you want to participate, you can help instructors and students by registering before Noon on the Thursday before the Saturday session that you want to attend. No Drop-Ins.

Bob Ross taught a technique that shows anyone can paint. This class will show you step by step how to create a beautiful painting. The class is up to 4 hours long and all supplies are provided. At the end of the class, you leave with a beautiful 12x16 oil painting anyone will be proud to display on their wall. Each meeting this summer will have a different focus: June 10th: Ocean Storm July 22nd: White Egret August 10th: Sunset Lake No experience necessary! Open to anyone ages 7+ (with a parent).

Bob Ross taught a technique that shows anyone can paint. This class will show you step by step how to create a beautiful painting. The class is 4 hours long and all supplies are provided. At the end of the class, you leave with a beautiful 12x16 oil painting anyone will be proud to display on their wall. Our focus today: Woodland Path. No experience required! Open to anyone ages 7+ (with an accompanied adult).

In this class, you will create Van Gogh's famous "Cafe Terrace at Night" painting in acrylics on an 8 x 10 inch canvas mimicking his style. You will learn a bit of history about him as you follow step-by-step instructions.

As creatives, it can be easy to get stuck in the mindset of creating art for others, but it is important to remember the power of the artistic process for our own self-care. Using watercolors as our guide, we’ll release expectations and let our creativity be free to flow. We will begin by simply creating circles and exploring color, then will continue to build onto this practice with doodling and paper cutting. This class will focus on the process rather than the product and is meant for creatives of any level. Materials to bring to class: A set of watercolors Watercolor paper Brush Some extra watercolors will be available for class use.

The Natural Way to Draw Learn the basics of drawing in a supportive, beginner-friendly class. Explore pencil, charcoal, and sketch crayons while creating drawings inspired by nature and still life. No prior experience required: beginner- and intermediate-level welcome! Material List ebony pencil 6B pencil 4B pencil kneaded eraser hand held metal pencil sharpener 11"x14" drawing pad 11"x14" newsprint pad vine (willow) charcoal sticks (soft) masking tape 1/2" Conte sketch crayons four color set (black, brown, sanguine, white) 15''x16" sketch board (or slightly larger) *all sizes are approximateNote: This class has been scheduled for 7 meetings. The December 15 date is held as a makeup date in case a particular date is cancelled.

Gouache is a watercolor medium that dries with a matte finish and can be transparent or opaque, unlike traditional watercolors. In this class you will explore this medium as you learn about mixing, layering and creating texture all well following step-by-step instructions as you create from an example in class. All supplies included.