May Classes
Featured
Instructor: Shawn Krueger
Beginner - Advanced
4 Week Class
Tuesdays 6:00pm-9:00pm
May 5th - 26th
Class Maximum: 14 Students
Materials are included in all of our classes.
Explore the quiet beauty of nature through the subtle and expressive approach of Tonalism. In this class, painter Shawn Krueger will guide students in developing landscape paintings that emphasize mood, harmony, and atmosphere.
Working from reference, memory, and imagination, students will learn to simplify form, control values, and build compositions with a limited palette—drawing inspiration from American Tonalist painters like George Inness and Charles Warren Eaton. This course is especially suited for those looking to deepen their understanding of tonal relationships and poetic landscape interpretation.
Instructor: Alec Zemper
Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced
4 Week Class
Wednesdays 6:00pm-9:00pm
May 6th - 27th
Class Maximum: 14 Students
Materials are included in all of our classes.
In this course, students will learn advanced techniques of drawing in graphite and charcoal. Various approaches and topics will be covered including toning and preparing paper, working at large scale, composition, and effect. This class is designed as a follow-up to our Drawing Fundamentals course, but can be taken independently.
Instructor: Alec Zemper
Beginners & Intermediates
4 Week Class
Thursdays 6:00pm - 9:00pm
May 7th - 28th
Class Maximum: 14 Students
Materials are included in all of our classes.
Focusing on a non-toxic method of painting in oils, this class is designed as an immersive in-depth primer for oil painting and its materials and process. If you are interested in painting but do not know where to start, or you have some experience and are looking to improve your foundational skills, this is the class to take. Students will be completing 3-4 paintings in this class.
Instructor: Leah Morrison
Beginner - Intermediate
4 Week Class
Fridays 11:00am-2:00pm
May 8th - 29th
Class Maximum: 14 Students
Materials are included in all of our classes.
Learn the essential techniques of watercolor painting in this class designed for beginners and those looking to strengthen their foundational skills. Students will explore brush control, washes, layering, and color mixing while painting studies from natural subjects. Emphasis will be placed on building confidence, understanding the unique properties of watercolor, and developing a clear, controlled approach to the medium.
Instructor: Alec Zemper
Beginner - Advanced
6 Week Class
Fridays 6:00pm-9:00pm
May 8th - June 12th
Class Maximum: 10 Students
Materials are included in all of our classes.
Join us in learning the classical method of drawing the long-form nude figure in this six-week course. Participants will work with a single, sustained pose throughout the duration of the class, honing their skills in accurate observation, anatomy, proportion, and rendering.
Using Graphite, students will explore foundational techniques such as block-ins, measuring, preliminaries, and the careful study of light and shadow to achieve a highly lifelike drawing.
This challenging class is foundational in pushing our abilities well beyond what we believe we are capable of.
Instructor: Alec Zemper
Beginners - Advanced
Weekend Immersive
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-3:30pm
May 30th & 31st
Class Maximum: 12 students
All of our classes include all materials.
Experience the changing light, color, and atmosphere of Lake Michigan through the practice of plein air painting in oil. This class takes place on-site along the lakeshore, where students will learn to observe and capture landscapes directly from life. Emphasis will be placed on tools, materials, composition, color harmony, and painting efficiently outdoors. Open to all levels.
*Students will meet at Ghosthouse, and are welcome to carpool if they choose.
Instructor: Madison Memering
Beginners - Advanced
Weekend Immersive
Saturday & Sunday 10:00pm - 3:00pm
May 23rd & 24th
Class Maximum: 14 students
All materials are included in all of our classes
In this field-based illustration course, students will visit Western Michigan parks and trails to study, collect, and illustrate native Michigan forest fungi. Led by artist Madison Memering, the class will focus on observational drawing, watercolor techniques, and pen and ink practices. This class is designed for nature loving artists along with curious beginners. We invites you to slow down, observe closely, and develop your skills while considering the small things that make up the natural world around us.
Instructors: Alyssa Simone
Beginners & Intermediates
4 Week Class
Mondays 6:00pm - 9:00pm
May 4th - 25th
Class Maximum: 12 Students
Camera use and Film are included in class admission.
In this introductory class, students will explore the fundamentals of black and white film photography using 35mm cameras with Photographer and teacher Alyssa Simone. Emphasis will be placed on the essential elements of strong image-making: composition, light, shadow, and mood. Working with black and white film encourages a deeper understanding of tonal relationships and form, allowing students to focus on structure, contrast, and atmosphere without the distraction of color.