How's your eye?

Take a photography class to hone your camera and composition skills, stage better shots for painting and create more beautiful memories for you and your family. Click here for details and registration.

Since 1997, San Francisco Bay Area photography instructors, Roc DeWilde, Emeritus, and his wife, Margaret, have been the creators and directors of the ORION Youth Workshops. The Developing Your Eye Photography Workshop is one of six programs offered there, open to youth and the young at heart that want to focus on artistic design, hence applying photographic art fundamentals to create beautiful and powerful pictures.

Roc’s media assignments have included five US Presidents, with cover photographs and campaigns for editorial, fashion and advertising in Time, Life, People, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, WWD, Redbook and many other national and international publications.

Roc DeWilde's professionalism and artistic work has been honored by Graphis Magazine International with the Art Director's Club of Zurich, Switzerland giving him several awards, including first place - Best Usage of a Photograph in an Advertisement. 

Europe's Der Spiegel Magazine described him as "…an American extraordinary photographer who shoots with drama..." Mary Dunn, Picture Editor with People Magazine said "...Roc directs his subjects masterfully that they look 'alive'...each picture has an anecdotal quality; they express moments."

Click here to view sample photo-art images from Roc's Quixotica exhibit.

Horsing around in class

 

Ten students were caught horsing around in class this past Sunday! Pat Viera taught the first of two paper collage classes, featuring a beautiful horse made with her own handpainted papers. The process is fun and the end result is fabulous for beginners and seasoned creatives alike.

Call us to register for her next class on June 13th; 1-4pm.

The price includes refreshments and time to relax on the patio.

Pots and pots and more pots!

We had 14 students here on the patio this past Sunday for our clay pots class - it was an amazing clay day! So many creative ideas for making slab, coil and pinch pots. Now it's on to the glazing, on to the kiln!

Join us for our next patio art class with Pat Viera, local collage artist. Call to make your reservations early.

Painting with alcohol inks

We all had a great time learning something new at our April patio class with Lisa Fulmer. Lisa showed us to use alcohol inks to tint glass jars and paint on glossy photo paper. We got messy and happy and super creative! 

Thrift store bottles and jars became colorful sun-catchers and bud vases to sit in a window or outside on the patio. We also learned easy techniques for dripping, brushing, blowing and smudging alcohol inks to create cool mini art postcards.

Thanks to Lynda Weir for capturing these happy moments from the day!

Call us to register early for your spot in the May class.

The art of succulents

Here's a lovely recap of our March First Sunday class from Lynda Weir...

"I took the succulent class at the Art Cottage - it was a perfect day full of sunshine that made smiles bloom! There were six students, and I must say everyone in class had a grand time. 

Fro gave us a tour of her garden and said we could take cuttings from any of her plants and then she used a little rhyme to explain the elements of creating a pleasing design when planting a pot or container - something thrilling (tall plant), something filling (ground cover) and something spilling (hangs over the edge). She also said we were free to use whatever treasures we found in the garden, such as small clay pieces, shells, or painted rocks,  It was like being a kid on an Easter egg hunt! All of us very adult ladies became so excited and we were dashing throughout the garden, looking in every corner. 

Fro had all manner of planting containers on hand, which included clay pots, tin boxes, wooden drawers, large shells and more. While we were all doing some creative planting, she served everyone a slice of pound cake with berries and cream, along with a glass of pink lemonade. 

It was such a pleasure meeting the other women and seeing joy on everyone’s face. Fro is such a giving, gracious person and a wonderful teacher - not only of art but also of life!"

Call us to reserve your space now for the April class, which will actually be held on the second Sunday due to the Easter holiday.  We'll be painting glass jars and paper flowers with alcohol inks.

Attendance is extremely limited, but we will create a waiting list and offer a second session if there's interest. All supplies plus refreshments are included!

Special guest artist - Spike Mills

Goomee Planter  (California Redwood, 16x10")

Acclaimed artist Spike Mills is visiting from Canada - and we're so delighted to feature some of his work here at the aRt Cottage during the month of May!

Spike carves and paints unique sculptures and masks from fallen trees and reclaimed wood.

Chupcan Queen  (White Cedar, 34x10")

Mt. Diablo Goomee  (California Redwood, 48x14")

Growing up in Wawa, Ontario, Spike spent much of his boyhood outdoors, exploring the woods, climbing the hills and scavenging the beaches of nearby Lake Superior.

Spike saw faces everywhere...shimmering on the lake, lurking in the woods, etched onto the rocks. The images "freaked me out," says Spike, because he knew they existed only in his mind. His parents dismissed their son's visions as fanciful daydreams, but the faces were very real to Spike, and seemed to emanate from a parallel world that both frightened him and beckoned to him. He wondered if he could unite with the faces...and now that boyhood curiosity has morphed into an obsessive life's calling. "I knew then that I could manifest what I was seeing and bring these faces to life," he says. "I'm still at it."  

Click here to read Spike's full bio.

Take an art class with us!

Join one of our talented local artists for an exciting class - learn a new technique, play with different mediums, take home a creative work of art!

Click here to register for your desired class(es) - seating is limited to 6-8 students per class. Make your payment by mail or bring it in person ONLY (cash or check) to the aRt Cottage - 2238 Mt. Diablo Street, Concord CA 94520.

Saturday 1/12/19: 1-3pm  $45

Paint Pouring with Pat Calabro

Learn the basics of this exciting painting trend! $25 extra for supplies if needed.

Sunday 1/13/19:  1-4pm  $30

Art Crayon Techniques with Lisa Fulmer

Learn 5 different ways to work with Marabu Art Crayons. All supplies included.

Friday 1/18/19:  6-8pm  $25

Floral Study 1 with Deena Sheranko

Learn to quickly sketch and color flowers with watercolor and ink. All supplies included.

Saturday 1/19/19:  1-4pm  $55

Gel Plate Printing with Pat Viera

Learn the basics of making gel prints on paper. Most supplies included; bring your own gel plate or buy one from Pat for an extra $25.

Saturday 1/19/19:  6-8pm  $25

Floral Study 2 with Deena Sheranko

Learn to quickly sketch and color flowers with watercolor and ink. All supplies included.

Thursday 1/24/19:  6-8pm  $40

Make Your Own Font with Alex Savakis

Develop your own handwriting into creative digital lettering. Supplies and digi-conversion included.

Friday 1/25/19:  6-9pm  $40

Sip & Uncork Your Creativity with Cheryl Jones

Make an adorable serving tray with wine corks. All supplies (and wine!)  included.

Saturday 1/26/19:  1-3pm  $45

The Magic of Alcohol Inks with Laurie Mansur

Learn how to paint a landscape, a floral or an abstract composition. All supplies included.

Click here to download our class flyer. Waiting lists for additional classes will be created as needed.

New Workshop - Puffy Hearts

Come to the aRt Cottage to make puffy hearts for Valentine's Day!

Saturday, February 11, 2017

1:00 - 4:00pm

 $ 45.00 (supplies included)
Instructors:  MJ Coleman and Fro

Call 925-956-3342 to register

We have lots of craft supplies so you can make as many artful hearts as you want - such a wonderful way to create a handmade Valentine. This class is for adults only and space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

We'll start with upcycled plastic bottles for the foundation, then you can form your dimensional heart with tissue paper, ribbons, mesh, yarns and fibers, paints, markers, stamps and stencils!

Come make Valentines with Fro!