For 2009 we're all about crossing things off our "things to do before we die" list. This is less of a written list and more of a list that stays in our head. Each time we pass Heath Ceramics on Beverly, we say to ourselves, we really want to take a ceramics class. So we finally signed up and took our first of many over at The Village Art Project in Studio City. Let us know if you've ever taken the dive and signed up for an art class in the comments!
Our first ceramics class was in college but unfortunately we did mostly hand building with the clay. We say unfortunately because all we wanted to do was throw on the wheel. We're finally getting our chance with this batch of ceramics classes and we have to tell you--it's awesome! Working with clay might be one of the most therapeutic things you can do for yourself. While it wasn't the motivation, making items that we can use decoratively in our home is a plus as well. We'll keep you posted on how our ceramic creations turn out!
How about you--what art classes have you taken recently? What was your motivation? Were you able to use the finished products decoratively in your home?
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I have yet to take a ceramics class. I took a bunch of art classes in college since I'm an artist, but I never took ceramics. You've inspired me to find some art classes in my area and try it, though!
I have a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, but after 20 years, I was hankering to take an art class. I live across the street from the Brooklyn Museum and a couple of years ago I took an artist's bookmaking class, that was held every Saturday for 8 weeks. It was great and I met some terrific women. We start up an ad hoc artist guild and held semi-monthly get togethers where we made art after we ate brunch.
I've been wanting to take a ceramics class. I live in the valley, so I'll have to check this out - Thanks for posting :)
Let us know how you enjoy your classes!
Fun! I'm in a ceramics class at the Creative Arts Group in Sierra Madres. They charge $170 for 10 week classes, unlimited clay. It's an incredible deal! The teachers are great.
My work used to reimburse me up to $700 a year for classes. Silly me didn't take advantage of this until the last few years it was offered. I took several classes at Otis: welding (taken twice), glass fusing, jewelery making, and an intro to woodworking. Welding was my favorite and has been the most useful to me. I made a metal screen and an awesome (IMO) coffeetable. The Jewelery class was my second fave of the bunch. I think the best part of taking classes at Otis is having access to their facilities and their lab techs. Even though the welding class hours were on saturday in the morning, I could still go in m-f from 5pm-10pm (if I recall correctly) and use all the equipment. sweet!
I took a stained glass course when I moved to Montreal. Stained glass is a surprisingly vibrant and modern art form here.
two years ago for my birthday my husband gave me pottery classes (wheel) that were fantastic, great teacher, great class, tons of fun. I thought it couldn't be beat- then last year he gave me welders classes for artists. Plasma cutting is awesome!!!!
I can not wait for this years gift!
I've taken art classes, and by far my two favorites were 3D design and ceramics. Not only did we get to work on the wheel, but we created clay sculptures with basic outline rules from our professor. Art classes are so much fun! It lets you take your mind off of the "hard stuff."
up here in San Francisco I took a few classes on letterpress last year at the SF Center for the Book (sfcb.org). I was doing alot of screenprinting on my own, and I wanted to see what letterpress printing was all about. The classes gave me great perspective on setting type and the printing process, and now I can rent out time on the presses for my own projects!
i teach high school and often spend my planning period working on projects in the art room; the art teacher has become a great friend and has taught me so much!
besides summer vacation, free art classes are the best benefit of my job!
I took an oil painting class through UC Berkeley Extension during a hectic time in my career; it turned out to be the only thing that could take my brain off work. The instructor would give the lesson, and then he'd play the jazz hour on public radio while we painted. It was awesome.
for the philly ladies who haven't discovered it, you can take all the free art classes you want (yes, you read that correctly) for an annual $60 membership at fleisher art memorial. we're talking etching, screenprinting, ceramics, lithography, photography, etc. some (the more popular ones) are limited enrollment and involve a lottery, but there are also plenty of open-enrollment classes as well:
http://www.fleisher.org/classes/
Pottery is awesome! I potted today! :-) I always tell people to do it now, don't wait.
I often think of the acrylics painting class I had. On introduction day, there was a woman who had just turned 50 and told us she decided to finally take an art class. As she was saying this, one of the other woman started to laugh. She had also just turned 50 and experienced the same thing.
So now when I debate about a new endeavour, I just think "hey don't wait til you're 50!"
ceramics (wheel) is very relaxing, almost like meditation
I still love to take art classes! Pottery is a great one. Community colleges are a great resource for these because often when you pay for the class, you have either unlimited wheel access or very cheap wheel fees by the hour. One of my favorite classes was anarchitectural drawing classI took when I moved to Portland. The professor lead us around the city to various destination that we sketched. I learned my way around and learned some interesting historicfact about some of the buildings and sites.
As far as using my art for decorating... I tend to use mostly my ceramics or photography, and even then sparingly. Too much around the house seems vain... plus, when I look at it I always seesomething I could have done differently or better.
i took all sorts of "lessons" as a kid, including drawing & painting--and hated them. but i decided to try reclaiming my artistic side this past fall and signed up for an hilarious class called "gutsy abstract painting"...and it's fantastic. the teacher is very chill, there are no requirements other than to keep painting, and i've even painted something i don't mind having out where people can see it. it's rather amazing how for a couple hours each week i get to just disappear into painting and stop listening to all the other clutter in my brain.
Littlebunnyfoofoo,
Thank you so much for the link! I had no idea this place existed. As I was reading the comments before yours, I began making a mental note to begin looking...and then there was your post. (Can you tell how excited I am?)
Funny, I'm actually contemplating a ceramics class or sewing in Apr. I did ceramics way back when I was a child and I remembered I loved it. They also have glass classes but not sure about the almost $600 price tag!