Spring Classes

Abstract Drawing
VIA ZOOM
Tuesdays April 9 – May 14th (6 weeks) 10am-12pm

This class will cover the basics of abstraction and composition through the accessible and flexible media of drawing. Weekly emails and follow up between sessions will encourage students to build an abstract focused sketchbook.

Intuitive Painting and Process
Thursdays, April 11- May 16th (6 weeks)
10am-12pm
Held at the Springs Gallery/Studios 521 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha

Even when using a reference, many artists choose to insert their own intuition, aesthetics, and style into the painting process. Working on creative exercises to help build students painting repertoire, students will create a series of three paintings over 6 weeks that resonates with the look and feel they desire.

Cost: $130, supplies not included Beginners Welcome!

To register for this class please contact me via email: bekiborman@gmail.com Payment options will include cash, check, PayPal, and Venmo. 

Please note that by registering for a class at my studio, you agree to hold The Springs Gallery/Studios and Beki Borman harmless of any liability of injury or loss. 

Drawing into Paint: Adding Chalk Pastels to Acrylic Painting Saturday, August 3, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

One Day Workshop at the Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI

Members: $165 | Non-Members: $175

Course ID: 2D2421

Register online

*This workshop must meet a minimum number of students by June 29, 2024.

Concept

Acrylic paint, in its versatility, pairs well with many other media. Chalk (or soft) pastels are a great complement to acrylics as they are water-soluble, boldly colored, and expressive in mark. Combining acrylics and pastels offers a broad range of creative possibilities.

Knife Painting Workshop

At the Monroe Arts Center
1315 11th Street, Monroe, WI 53566
website

Did you miss my opening? The show will be up until April 6th, on which date I will also be holding a knife painting workshop!

Event Details: Painting with a palette knife creates a sense of color vibrancy that is added to the artwork. In this class, participants will learn the basics of painting using only acrylic paint and a palette knife. This course is great for anyone looking to try something new, or brush up on some techniques and learn a new trick or two. This is a course designed for any skill level.

Class Date: April 6, 2024

Class Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: Start Center (Multipurpose Room – located on the west side of the building)

Age: This class is geared toward adults 18 years and older.

Registration Fee: $75 per person. All Supplies are included in registration fee.

Mixed Media Florals

One Day Workshop at the Springs Gallery/Studios
521 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha

Saturday, March 16, 10am-3pm

Delve deep into the heart of art making with this fun and playful class. Focusing on materials, we will discuss how to effectively layer, texture, and attach media in various ways. Using the natural inspiration of florals, we will explore the process of decision making and evaluation. This class is open to all levels of experience.

Cost: $60, some supplies included

To register for this class please contact me via email: bekiborman@gmail.com Payment options will include cash, check, PayPal, and Venmo. 

Please note that by registering for a class at my studio, you agree to hold The Springs 

Classes at the Wilson Center!

Register for any of these classes online: website

Painting Skies
Thursdays, March 21 – April 11 (4 sessions) 6:00-8:00pm 

Practice blending, color mixing, and brushstrokes through skies, one of the most versatile subjects in art. Working from Photos, students will use acrylic paint to capture different skies. Clouds, sunsets, blues, and more will be covered as we tackle a different sky view weekly. 
Supplies not included. 
COST: $90 
CLASS LIMIT: 10 

Small but Mighty Paintings
Thursdays, April 18 – May 9 (4 sessions) 6:00 – 8:00pm 

Working in acrylics, students will complete several little paintings. We we will focus on the different ways that small painting can make a big impact. Technique, style, materials and more will be covered. 
Supplies not included. 
COST: $90 
CLASS LIMIT: 10 

Mixed Media Abstracts

At the Cedarburg Cultural Center

Saturday, April 13: 9 am-3 pm

Delve deep into the heart of art making with this fun and playful class. Focusing on materials, we will discuss how to effectively layer, texture, and attach in various ways. In discussing abstraction, we will explore the process of decision making and evaluation. This class is open to all levels of experience. Supplies not included.

$95 CCC Members / $114 Non-Members. Register online

Mini Paintings

I have a number of smaller framed works for sale at $100 each at sizes 8″x8″ (9″x9″ with frame) or 8″ x 10″ (9″x11″ with frame). Contact me schedule an appointment to see the full collection at my studio!

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Your Brain on Art

I recently picked up Unthinkable by Helen Thomson at the local library. It is a book about unique brains. Each chapter explores the story of a patient whose brain is notably different than the “norm” for various reasons. My favorite Chapter, “Seeing Auras”, is about a gentleman who sees colors with people not in a psychic reading sort of way, but as an add on to things like body language, emotion cues, etc.

Thomson goes on to discuss a brief overview of synesthesia. Synesthesia is defined by Merriam Webster as: “a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated”. A synesthete can hear color or see colors with music. There is an overlap in sensory experience. Thomson explains that these sensory pathways in our brain already run close together, and it is believed that synesthesia is a result of “pathways of communication between sensory regions that don’t normally exist”. (Thomson, 80).

Thomson then suggests that we may all have aspects of synesthesia and can
strengthen or build these crossovers with use. Now to get to why I am writing about this on my blog: I think artists inherently build unique ways of seeing the world through the act of making art. A plein air painter will begin to notice colors in light that a non painter might not. A sculptor my feel the sensation of certain sounds or smells in the molding of clay or bending of metal. From personal experience, I know that I see shapes and colors in places I once did not. And many of my students have expressed similar sentiments.

Simply put, the practice of art is not just about developing the skills of mixing greens, using the right marks, or understanding perspective. The repetition and practice of art regularly is literally rewiring your brain and changing way you experience the world. This cannot be learned. You must grow it by making art regularly like building a muscle. Artists of all experience levels benefit from challenging themselves and being uncomfortable. It is only when we step out of our comfort zone that we create new connections, break mindless habits, and add complexity to our senses.

Helen Thomson, Unthinkable, Harper Collins, 2018