Allied Arts will be hosting Art Space, three workshops for teen artists between the ages of 12-18, over the next three months.
“We wanted to cater to an older demographic with more focused workshops and continue teaching beyond the summer,” said Kristin Allen, program coordinator for Allied Arts.
According to Art Space instructor Molly Fox, the goal is to teach teens new techniques and concepts that can be used to hone their art rather than solely introduce new art forms. Fox has been professionally creating for about three years and primarily works with oil paints but also dabbles in gouache and acrylics. She has been featured in multiple galleries and taught prior workshops on various mediums.
“I think the world needs more art and artists. Many young people struggle with finding how to begin or refine their art to pursue it in the future and I want to show my students that there are concepts and techniques you can learn that can apply to various art forms and be used to take their art to the next level,” said Fox.
The workshops will be held on Aug. 9, Sept. 13, and Oct. 4 at Allen’s Market, located at 101 Floyd L. Griffin Jr. St., and will cost $25 per student.
“Each class will go over the fundamentals of the topic, guide the students through how to approach or use that fundamental, and then challenge them with a project to complete using the concepts taught that day,” said Fox.
The August class will focus on color blending and textures. Students will learn about primary, secondary, and complimentary colors and start with the fundamentals, blending techniques and how to create texture. At the end of class students will create a landscape painting using these techniques.
“I want students to use the techniques to create a landscape in their own style. A big emphasis of these workshops will be using what I teach them as a guide to hone their own ideas to complete the project presented,” said Fox.
In September, students will expand on color blending and texture by focusing on shapes, shadows, and form. Using the Chiaroscuro technique, students will study shadows to understand the contrast between light and dark to create a three-dimensional effect.
“Students will be building using light and shadow,” said Fox. “For the project, students will turn those black and whites into layers to create a still-life.”
In October, students will focus on composition and creative freedom learning about concepts such as the rule of thirds, focal points, and more. The project will be to create a scene of their choice applying all class fundamentals with guidance from Fox, as needed.
“To be able to take what I've taught and apply it to their art will offer them the freedom to pursue art in the future,” said Fox. “There is a stigma about pursuing art as a career, but I want students to see that their art can improve, can transform, and that creating is something beautiful and necessary.”
To sign-up for Art Space, visit milledgevillealliedarts. com or call 478- 452-3950.