Bonnie Brahms

www.brahms-art.us

 

Watercolor Workshop

FULL 3 days of intense watercolor applications

$135 per day or ALL 3 DAYS for $375.00

 

 

 

Bonnie Brahms is offering a watercolor workshop, at the Stagecoach Gallery Retreat, July 25, 26, 27 2014.

Have you always wanted to work in watercolor but just weren't exactly sure how to begin?

Did you realize you stretch the paper, much like canvas, so the substrate remains taut while you work wet over it?
What kind of paper is used? Hot or Cold press...all these decisions!

Bonnie is going to help you make better sense of the choices and understand why you choose hot or cold pressed paper,  what the grams weights refer to...and that is just for starters!

Day 1
is ALL about the materials used when proceeding in watercolor application.
preparing the paper, choosing the paint and which brushes work the best.

The day's exercise will be understanding value. (this is a HUGE part of any painting process) She will be focusing on the gray scale.
Then working from the chart you create, a small painting will emerge using what you learned from the day.

Day 2
is about unleashing color!

The power color initiates and the mood the color effects.
She will speak of Hue, Local color, Shade, Temperature, Tint, Tone and Value.
Learn to mix color and see the color through transparency, grainy or opaque. 
How to make a chart and grid from the mix.  And watch how pigments move differently with the water.

Using a limited palette, learn how to mix and execute a small study to understand color, reflected light, and local color.
Learn to understand the rules of contrast. 
Light next to dark, warm next to cool, intense pure color next to dull, hue next to hue, wet areas, blends against dry crisp areas.

There is a LOT of study day 2!

Day 3
Making a sketch book journal.

Keeping notes is HUGE in experimentation, working through studies, making plans to execute a painting. 
References are one of the most important aspects.
Especially when you get involved in mixing your own paints.

Bonnie is going to cover note writing, keeping your list of ideas and creative projects, (become a bit organized in processes)
Doodle, sketch and draw...on location!

She will go through her methods and what she uses and help you come up with a workable plan.

Creating a travel workshop...what is best to carry and keeping it at a minimum.

She is going to help you find your subject and learn methods that help minimize the overwhelming grand view.
To get started on your painting.

Then, you are going on location!
Pulling all the lessons together and become more confident in executing your watercolor painting.

This is a JAM packed workshop.  You won't want to miss.  IF you have wanted to work in watercolors but, are just not figuring out what is what, where to start, what to use...THIS is your answer. 

Want to work through some exercises and become refreshed in watercolor, reconnect with the canvas, resonate with nature, free up your inner spirit.
This is the retreat to attend!

 

Come Join us July 25, 26, 27 2014. Take class with 4 distinct instructors working in their recognized fields.

Bonnie Brahms www.brahms-art.us watercolor
Chris Cernetisch www.pastelchris.com pastel painting
Chad Phillips www.chadphillipsphotography.com photography
Mary Hunt www.maryshuntstudio.com traditional glass staining

Direct questions and sign up to:
Mary email- mshemeral@midstatesd.net
phone- 605-337-2308
At the Stagecoach Gallery Platte, SD

The retreat is being held at River Hills Lodge East
located 3 miles south of town
limited space for accommodations are available, inquire if you are interested.
additional accommodations available in town

We look forward to seeing you there!

thank you for looking!

As You Drive Up...The Retreat..

As I wait for Bonnie and Chad to finish getting me their outline for their classes.  I thought I would show you where the retreat July 25, 26, 27th is being held. 

This is a beautiful place.  Imagine it lush and green and the grasses in the fields grown.  The trees green.  You need to look into the future, this picture is taken today in the middle of the winter!.

Come summer, the fields will have some growth from their planted crop.  You might gaze out and see the deer feeding, at the very least the pheasants.  There are wooded trails, a huge pond all kinds of features that will be perfect for sketching and painting.

The inside of the lodge is gorgeous.  By day the living space will hold a class, probably Chads photography class, since his medium is the least messy.
The other classes are located in one of the other 2 buildings.

A communal kitchen is available for use, but there will not be any served meals.  Town is but 3 miles away and there many delicious eating establishments and a full stocked grocery store.

8 bedrooms, sharing 2 beds and a bathroom, each room.  The first 16 people interested in staying AT the lodge must be willing to share the room, or pay double.  Additionally there are 2 hotels in town and several BandB's.  This information will be forthcoming.

In the evening plan to kick back and resonate the day with the fellow participants around the fire-pit.
You can bring along your favorite evening beverage and store them in the bar area just off the fire-pit.

Come fully prepared for a stimulating yet relaxing weekend surrounded by nature, comrades that will begin friendships, imparting wonderful skills and knowledge.

Come to The Stagecoach Retreat

July 25, 26, 27 2014

 

contact:  Mary email- mshemeral@midstatesd.net

 

to join

 

Chad Phillips www.chadphillipsphotography.com photography

Chris Cernetish www.pastelchris.com pastel painting

Mary Hunt www.maryshuntstudio.com staining the glass

Bonnie Brahms watercolors

 

We look forward to seeing you here!

Retreat Class Traditional Glass Staining

 

Staining Glass Techniques used by the Old Masters taught by Mary Hunt

www.maryshuntstudio.com
FULL 3 day workshop
class begins at 8 until...with evening participation

materials are included in this fee
the glass substrates
glass staining stains and binders
patterns
kiln firings

USE of a light box source
USE of brushes and palette knives (encourage student to bring their own)
USE of glass palette
handouts
$435.00

Class will be all about staining glass in the traditional method, using crushed glass. 
Now a days you can purchase crushed glass with the proper mixture of flux and ore and whatever mineral is needed to strike the desired color (enamel) but, back a hundred years or so ago this was mixed on site.

Today with the handy prepackaged vials, we are also blessed to have the formula without lead!  Making use so much more friendly.

There is still a bit (quite a bit) of technical know how involved and this class, we will help you in this area.
With the many binders that can be used when mixing these agents for applying to glass, the many variables involved when you use such and such binder and the effect said binder will end up giving after firing the glass applied with stain offers, there is easily some confusion. 
We can help clear these questions up.

We will cover binders, we will cover correctly mixing the "paint".  The methods of applying the stain, the techniques used to enhance the stains effects for design, and kiln firing applications.  I don't go into kiln sitters.  Mostly because I don't use them.
The brushes involved and how to set up your workspace.
MUCH more.

The picture above is an example of my work, and you can see others on the website, that is not up to date, you get the idea though.

We will go over faces, how to achieve depth through matting tracing and enhancement lines.  The project will be somewhat figural but with gobs of working in shade and trace.
I am leaning to a bee...simple you think...
While achievable, still a challenge.
I am going to have a few other patterns for following available. 
There is potential to finish more than one project.

The project can be used in lots of ways when finished, incorporated into panel work or perhaps used for making a box.  The final outcome is left to the student.  This will not be part of the class.

Materials for the staining project are provided in the class fee, the use of brushes are offered, or bring your own.   
The class will encompass the 3 FULL days of the retreat, and some night work.

Firing the project in the kiln is part of the education and I encourage the participants to remain for that process, but it is not necessary they stay.
The handout goes over the process and the outcome. 
Some people might want to see the occurrence of "glossing" versus "not glossed yet" stage in the kiln. 
That is a personal decision, but the process will be provided.

The project of the 'stained glass' will be completed but not a project using the glass stained. 
The final firing may not be completed when the student is ready to leave, in which case I will mail the final results to them.

This process is not to be confused with the hobby level of painting on glass using Pebeo or like product to decorate glasses, such as the wine glasses being decorated today.
These are Traditional Techniques and museum quality methods.
(My stained glass work is collected and on permanent display in museums)

You as the student are not required to cut any glass, or be a cold working glass artist, a warm working glass artist or a hot working glass artist.
The only requirement is a desire to learn a method of application that is not easily found in the class room that happens to cover working ON glass and making that permanent.

During the down times when breaks are offered, the participants are encouraged to get out and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Lodge we are holding the retreat in. 
Walk the trails, photograph the nature and look for the critters, photograph them.
Participate in the evening with the banter of the fellow artists and join up the sharing of the day from the other instruction being offered at this retreat, around the fire pit. 
This is an enjoyable end to the day and spiritually uplifting way to enter into slumber as we anticipate the next days events.

Fellow instructors will be:
Chad Phillips www.chadphillipsphotography.com photography
Chris Cernetisch www.pastelchris.com pastel
Bonnie Brahms www.brahms-art.us watercolorist
Mary Hunt www.maryshuntstudio.com staining glass

Direct your questions to Mary @ mshemeral@midstatesd.net

These classes are currently being written and the tuition's have not been set yet. 
The Lodge will hold 16 overnighters but they need to be willing to share the room. 
Each room has a bathroom. 
A communal living room and kitchen (for all to use) 
No meals are going to be provided.
Meals can be taken through the several eateries in town, that is but 3 miles from the lodge.
A grocery store is located in town.

In addition, there are a few B&B's and 2 hotels.
This information can be provided and the brochure is being written, now nearly finished!

Consider a weekend being spiritually uplifted through art on the prairie.
Thank you for visiting today.

Mar

Reverse Lampshading Process...

I like the shape of a crystal lampshade, so I purchase them, which this is...lets walk through the process of reverse painting with glass on glass in traditional techniques for museum quality. Using a special mix of paint with fine ground glass and an added amount of flux so the kiln can embed these elixirs at a lower temperature keeping my shades shape, we begin with what is called the line drawing. This is painted on the inside of the shade in the reverse pattern of your intended drawing.

I am showing just 2 sides of the shade. The fist one is a pioneer family in front of their sod house...the second image is on the trail setting up camp for supper...

this becomes the first kiln firing..

Next I totally black matte the inside of the shade.

This shows the inside totally black...then with scrub brushes and picks I gently remove the matted paint to give details to the images.

This takes hours depending on how much detail you wish to portray...I am keeping it simple since the images are not going to have a lot of designs on clothes and that sort of thing they used homespun fabrics and basic basic living utensils

The letters Yous view are portraying a homestead certified ticket which would give the homesteader their location to stop...also a portion of journal recording the trip...here you can see how the scrubbed areas respond to the matte being removed...this is the same portion above "on the trail stopping for supper"

and the pioneer family in front of their sod house...

tomorrow this fires in the kiln and sets the matte process into the glass..next is color!

AEDM day 20-21

I have been diligently working on projects but I don't have anything complete to show...so

Here is the first piece I entered in a show that I used staining techniques...She has over 40 firings to achieve the charcoal look I was aiming for
and I was honored to receive best in show for her...more than 30 years ago!
Mata Hari

She is my own drawing from a freeze frame off the tape I ordered from the history channel "Mata Hari"


Next is the beginning for the next painting which is so heavily textured it is still in drying mode






and I have also still been cleaning the years of grime and paint away from the bevel glass in this restoration, which part is ready for the solder
panel 1 of two...

enjoy the day!
and thank you for stopping in...

go art ppl

AEDM day 11

Well today I worked more on the panel restoration even tho I didn't get all that far

but

instead of the same pictures as yesterday here is a face for a church window I have done for a church here in town

Christ in the Garden

I have been slow most of today

i am hoping for more energy tomorrow

thank you for coming by and for keeping up with the AEDM postings

I truly appreciate your visit and comment

happy evening

Platter One...Done!

Between these 3 photo's it might be possible that you can get a sense of the final results of this turkey platter.

Glass it difficult to photograph and I can't seem to make my flash turn off...I have done it before but either the feature now won't co-operate, or I am not doing the turn off thing right...so the pictures have some glare.

This side to picture has the least glare....

This is not a decal...the process for vitreous staining and enameling to glass has been explained before on this blog so I will kind of just highlight.

The colors are fine ground glass chips with minerals and ores in the mix and flux as well to help imbed the mixture down into the glass creating new glass with a specific design.

High kiln heat fuses the mixture into the substrate and each color has a specific maturation temperature...too much that color fires out.. the chips remain they are glass

the ores are touchy.

So you need to schedule the different color layers according to temperature.

Yesterday marked the last kiln visit for this platter...

Thank you for stopping in!