Discovering Your Abstrat Art Style with Jay Ginsherman
Tuesdays January 14th to February 18th, 2025
(6 weeks)
8:00-9:30pm
All materials included
 
In this class students will learn how to develop and practice their own personal style of abstraction. Abstract art is defined as creating forms that use lines, shapes, and colours to communicate feelings, as opposed to an accurate depiction of visual reality. In this class, students will explore their values through collage, line art, colour field and other means of abstraction in order to find their visual voice. Students will engage with other classmates to determine what they find valuable and use that as inspiration for the shapes and other elements that will give their art work a unique and expressive style.
 
Materials Included:
Water color Paint
Watercolor paper booklet 9” x 12” Pencil HB
Eraser
Acrylic Paint
Canvases 16” x 20”
Glue
Brushes, easels, sponges, and  scissors 
 
Class 1. Values
Students interview each other using a questionnaire to determine each other's values. After choosing 5 values, students will divide a piece of paper into five sections and draw shapes and lines that they associate with these values. Students will begin exploring the forms that they came up with.
 
Class 2. Forms
Students will explore the five values and associated shapes chosen using watercolor painting. Students will create five abstract works, one for each value. Students will reflect and examine which shapes and lines resonate with them the most.
 
Class 3. Composition
Students will take the five works they created and cut out shapes that resonate with them or that they are curious about. Instructor will do a lecture on the rules of composition ie. gravity, rhythm, rule of thirds, movement of the eye. Students will use these rules of composition to create a colleague out of their chosen shapes using glue. This could be used for a base for their final composition. Class adds in feedback on what they want to learn for their final work i.e. if they want a demonstration on brush strokes
 
Class 4. Beginning Final Work
Students will sketch out a composition for their final painting. Students may use the cut outs of their previous work in a collage fashion if they so chose. Class can start painting the background or dominant elements of their work depending on what style they are developing.
 
Class 5. Next Steps
Students continue with their final works
This class structure will be determined by feedback from class 3
 
Class 6. Finishing Work and Final Critique
Class will finish their final works, ending with a group critique. Class will debrief and reflect on what they learned. 
 
*Credit will be offered for absences with one-week prior notice. If you are feeling un-well, we will happily reschedule.