Watercolors: Painting the Face & Figure

If you’ve been thinking about learning how to draw and paint the face and figure, come join me for:

Watercolors Sketchbook: Painting the Face & Figure

Tuesdays 10am - 12:30pm 

January 7 - February 25, 2020

Designed to help watercolor artists understand how to see like an artist, discover the value of light and shadow and how to draw and paint the human figure and face. Participate in creative exercises and build the skills to take your artwork to the next level. 

We will work mostly in our sketchbooks, learning exercises to improve our ability to see, draw and paint the face and figure.

Emphasis will be placed on developing a basic understanding of visual anatomy. Subjects will include proportion and construction of the head and figure, drawing and mapping of facial features and watercolor techniques, such as how to mix skin tones. Each of the lessons will introduce new ideas and exercises, and challenge you to think about this tricky subject in new ways.  You will get a creative workout, but in a relaxed, supportive setting.

All skill levels welcome. . For more information and to register click here.

Teen Self Portraits

In my teen art class we have had a lot of fun learning about facial proportions and how our features change with various emotional expressions. I share here some of the portraits done by my awesome students.

We started out studying shading and how the light changes as it falls on the planes of the head.

Then we studied and drew our own faces in a neutral expression.

Next, we learned about surprise and fear. Students were asked to pick one or the other emotion for their next self portrait.

Next, we learned about how sadness shows up on our features.

And lastly, we studied anger.

Self portraits are notoriously difficult and for teens, who generally feel especially self critical, it can be a real challenge. I’m so proud of my students diving into these lessons and creating such amazing drawings of themselves.

I really do have the best job ever.

#selfportraits #graphitedrawings #teenart

#artteacher #lovemyjob

Sketching People

The next class in my sketching series is:

Sketching People

Located at Cloud 9 Art School
18414 103rd Ave NE
Bothell, WA 98011

Wednesdays 10:00am - 12:30pm 

November 13 - December 18, 2019
(no class on November 27)

We will cover tips and techniques for drawing and watercolor painting people.

Considered one of the most challenging subjects, sketching people can be fun and boost your confidence in your artistic abilities.

We will study the basics of proportion, how to capture a likeness, how to add color and volume. We will draw from photographs, by looking in the mirror and from drawing other people in the wild.

All skill levels welcome. 

Designed to teach skills, give encouragement and create the environment needed to explore and develop our natural creativity with an emphasis on sketching skills. Focus on drawing, watercolor painting and keeping a sketchbook.

Come join me for this fun class!

$175 Register at https://charlenecollinsfreeman.com/workshops

#bothell #woodinville #kenmore #kirkland #millcreek #canyonpark

#urbansketching #urbansketchingseattle #urbansketchingworkshop #sketchpeople

@cloud9artschool

@charlenecollinsfreeman

I made a pretty box!

I recently took a workshop on how to make a Japanese box with a hinged lid. The workshop was held at Cloud 9 Art School, taught by the talented Deb Wachel.

I took pictures along the way. Here they are. You can see the process and my final product. I was pretty tickled with that. I’ll be making more of these boxes! (Deb is teaching this again in a few months. If it looks like fun to you, don’t wait to register. It’ll fill up for sure!)

It was a really great way to spend a few hours with a group of other women, all excited to be making and creating.

Mt. Si Artist Guild Small Works Show 2019

I am honored to have been asked to be the juror for the Mt. Si Artist Guild Small Works Show 2019.

Mt. Si Artist Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster and promote the visual fine arts through encouragement, education and events. This gathering of artists in the Snoqualmie Valley also facilitates opportunities for the community to engage with artists and enjoy the arts.

For this show all work had to be 2-dimensional (no sculptures) and the final framed artwork must measure 154 square inches or less, including the framing. The minimum size for framed art is 8” x 10.”

The exhibit will be held at the Art Gallery of SnoValley, downtown Snoqualmie.

Please join me at the art opening on September 15, 2pm to 4pm.

Art Gallery of SnoValley

8130 Railroad Avenue

Snoqualmie, WA

#artshow #MtSiArtistGuild #MtSiArtistGuildSmallWorksShow

#artgallery #artgalleryofsnovalley

#artshowjuror

Sketching Perspective & Street Scenes

  This fall I am offering a workshop on Sketching Perspective &  Street Scenes.

Wednesdays 10:00am - 12:30pm

September 11 - October 30

$225

Designed to help sketchers learn how to draw and paint street scenes. 

We don’t need to be photorealistic but we do want some reasonable accuracy to be able to capture what we see and more importantly to capture how we respond to it. We really aren’t sketching just buildings.

We are sketching the spirit of a space, the energy, and the mood. We will sketch buildings, people, cars, trees, and all those details that give places their personality.

Each of the lessons will introduce new ideas and exercises, and challenge you to simplify this complicated subject. All skill levels welcome. 

For more information and to register please visit 

www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com/workshops/ 

Drawing for Beginners

I am offering a Drawing for Beginners 6 week workshop this fall for adults & teens

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm
September 14 - October 19

$150.00

Drawing is the foundation of the visual arts and anyone can learn to draw! This class will build a solid foundation of drawing skills to strengthen your ability to express your creativity! Based on the Betty Edwards book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, students will be guided through the process of developing drawing skills to render realistically using line and contour, shape and form, light and shadow, space and depth, proportion and perspective. Principles of composition will also be covered.

All skill levels welcome.

For more information and to register please visit
www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com/workshops/

#bothell #woodinville #kenmore #kirkland #millcreek #canyonpark

#drawing #drawingworkshop #beginningdrawing

#artcamps #summerartcamps

@cloud9artschool

@charlenecollinsfreemanart

Travel Workshop 2020: Scotland!

Scotland Sketchbook Tour 
Edinburgh, Loch Ness, Glencoe, the Highlands,
St Andrews & Fishing Villages of Fife

June 2 - 11, 2020

Are you ready to travel, sketch, and take in the nature, history and magic of Scotland? Art workshops, a lovely modern hotel centrally located in Edinburgh, group tours and  beauty everywhere. Come join me on an art adventure. You can come to sketch and paint or come along just to enjoy the journey.  I have partnered with World Tours Studio again to bring you my next art adventure!

With plenty of both group activities and time to explore on your own, we will have sketchbook workshops, daily breakfast at our hotel, group tours, a few group dinners and countless amazing moments. Most afternoons and evenings will be yours to take in Scotland at your leisure. 

Cost for this artistic adventure is $3200.

Included on this tour:

Accommodations in a modern, centrally located hotel in Edinburgh (based on double occupancy) 

Daily Breakfast

Welcome Group Dinner

Hop on Hop off bus tour of Edinburgh (ticket good for 48 hours and includes entrance fees to 

   Edinburgh Castle

   The Royal Yacht Britannia

   Palace of Holyroodhouse

Day trip to Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Tour

Day trip St Andrews & Fishing Villages of Fife Tour

Sketchbook art lessons on all days except travel days

Farewell Group Dinner

Not included:

Airfare

Meals not listed above

Space is limited so don’t wait to register!

Click here for a downloadable printable application and information form.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

A non refundable deposit of $700 per person payable to Charlene Collins Freeman is required at time of application to secure a spot on the tour. 

$3200

1st payment/non refundable deposit for registration due December 30    $700

2nd  payment  due February 15th        $1250

3rd/ Final payment due April 30th  $1250

Paying by check:

Make checks out to Charlene Collins Freeman and mail to:

Charlene Collins Freeman

Cloud 9 Art School

18414 103rd Ave NE

Bothell WA 98011

Payments must be postmarked by due dates. Alternatively payments can be made online using credit cards here. There is an additional 5% fee for online payment.

You will need to purchase your airfare, meals not included in package and extra curricular expenses such as museums, personal transportation, transportation from airport to hotel on day of arrival and transportation to airport upon departure.

CANCELLATION & REFUND: 

All monies collected except the initial $700 deposit are fully refundable up to 60 days prior to travel date.  All cancellations must be received in writing. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance. 

Inspired and Grateful

Thank you to everyone who came to the opening reception last night for Inspired, the two-person exhibit of my watercolors (www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com) 

and Mukul Soman’s (www.mukulsoman.com) photography.

It was great seeing so many faces, familiar and new, and seeing your interest in our work. We loved answering all the questions you had for us regarding what inspires us, how we work, and what lies ahead.

Inspired will be on display until November 1, 2019 at the  Kenmore City Hall Gallery (18120 68th Ave NE. Kenmore, WA 98028)

Please enjoy the attached short video created by Mukul for this show.

Fall art classes for kids and teens starting soon!

I will be offering weekly art classes for teens on Monday evenings (5pm - 7pm) and weekly art classes for 9 - 12 year olds on Tuesday evenings (4:30pm - 6pm). All my classes are held at my art school, Cloud 9, in Bothell.

To register, click here.

Kids and teens are required to bring their own supplies (click here for a list of supplies that links directly to Amazon).

If these days and times don’t work for you, check out all the kid and teen classes offered at Cloud 9.

Come learn, be inspired and have fun!

Learn to Draw by Copying the Masters

The Painter and the Connoisseur, pen and brown ink, 10 x 8 1/2 by Pieter Bruegel (1525 - 1569)

I've had such a great time putting together the curriculum for a new drawing class I am offering starting in September: Learn to Draw by Copying the Masters.

Part art history and part drawing techniques. I've loved every bit of research and every exercise we will cover. I really do have the best job in the world.

Copying old masters' drawings is a time-tested discipline. The experience of copying from numerous master artists, not only exposes us to drawing techniques, but also to the thinking process behind those techniques. By examining the techniques used by great artists, we gain insight into the way they worked, and we can learn the lessons that they in turn learned from great artists before them.

When we talk about copying successful artists, what we are really talking about is learning from them. The goal is to then use what we learn to create our own unique works of art, and hopefully, in the future, young artists will copy from us!

Located at Cloud 9 Art School
18414 103rd Ave NE
Bothell WA 98011

www.cloud9artschool.com

Mondays 11am - 1pm

Starts September 9, 2019

You can register for classes month to month. You can join at any time and stop and start up again as your schedule allows.

Drawing is the foundation of the visual arts and anyone can learn to draw! This class will build a solid foundation of drawing skills to strengthen your ability to express your creativity!

Register at https://charlenecollinsfreeman.com/workshops

#drawing #copyingthemasters

Inspired (and you're invited!)

Inspired

Charlene Collins Freeman & Mukul Soman

August 16 - November 1, 2019  

Please join me for this two-person exhibit of 

watercolors by Charlene Collins Freeman (www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com) 

and photography by Mukul Soman (www.mukulsoman.com)

Opening Reception  Friday, August 16 6:30pm - 8:00pm 

Please join Mukul and me for the opening reception of Inspired, a celebration of how we inspire each other and how we are both inspired by the beauty of our natural world.

Kenmore City Hall Gallery

18120 68th Ave NE. 

Kenmore, WA 98028 

Sponsored by the The Arts of Kenmore (artsofkenmore.com) and City of Kenmore, Washington

Watercolor Techniques

If you’ve wanted to learn more about painting with watercolors, come join me for my workshop on learning watercolor techniques.

Watercolor Techniques

Located at Cloud 9 Art School
18414 103rd Ave NE
Bothell WA 98011

www.cloud9artschool.com

Tuesdays 10am - 12:30pm 

September 10 - November 19, 2019

$295

This 11 week workshop will focus on learning watercolors techniques such as glazing (painting in thin layers), masking fluid, producing glowing colors, and painting details with watercolors. These methods are my favorite ways to achieve exactly the color, level of detail, and brilliance I want. And it's fun!

I will provide the first few images for paintings. Then students will be encouraged to bring in their own photographs or sketches to work on their own unique paintings with my guidance.

To register and see the suggested art supplies list, click here.

Paint All Day

On Tuesdays throughout the summer I’ve been offering Paint All Day Tuesdays for adults & teens.

Here are a few photos of what people have been working on and sharing during open studio in July. What a joy! Thank you all for spending the days with us painting, drawing and laughing.

These sessions will continue for a few more weeks. July 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27. If you want to join us, bring your painting projects, drawings, sketches, journaling, any creative endeavor your are pursuing! Charlene will provide guidance, demos and critiques. 

Bring your lunch or walk to one of the many nearby restaurants to pick something up. Spend the entire day being creative with others! A place to explore, paint, learn!

All skill levels welcome. 

Tuesdays 10am - 3:30pm $40.00/week
or 
Tuesdays 10am - 12:30pm $20.00/week
or 
Tuesdays 1pm - 3:30pm $20.00/week

You can register for the full day sessions at https://charlenecollinsfreeman.com/…/paint-all-day-tuesdays…

Or half day sessions at https://charlenecollinsfreeman.com/…/month-to-month-waterco…

Located at Cloud 9 Art School
18414 103rd Ave NE
Bothell WA 98011

www.cloud9artschool.com

#bothell #woodinville #kenmore #kirkland #millcreek #canyonpark
#openstudio #paint #draw #sketch #livecreatively
@cloud9artschool
@charlenecollinsfreemanart

Thank you for such a great opening!

Last night was the opening reception for my one person watercolor exhibit at Realogics Sotheby's International Realty on Bainbridge Island. I am honored to have been selected as the featured artist for the month of July. The opening was fantastic: a great band, wine, food, loads of people and great vibes all around.

Thank you so much Realogics Sotheby's International Realty! And thank you to all of you who made the trip to come to the opening.

My watercolors will be on exhibit until July 31 at Realogics Sotheby's International Realty at 240 Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island 98110.

Bainbridge Island’s First Friday Art Walk

Save the Date!

I am honored to have been selected as the featured artist for Realogics Sotheby's International Realty.

My watercolors will be on exhibit from July 5 to July 31. 

Opening Reception will be during Bainbridge Island’s First Friday Art Walk.

July 5th from 6-8 pm.

Wine, small bites, and live music!

Realogics Sotheby's International Realty

240 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island 98110

Please join me!

Illustrated Idioms

English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of both written and spoken English.

Think…

Raining cats and dogs

Back to the drawing board

Pulling someone’s leg

Because idioms don't always make sense literally, I thought it would be a fun project to try to illustrate them. I introduced students to 100 idioms, listed from popular idioms to those to not usually used in everyday conversation. First I read off idioms and asked students to tell me what they meant. Their explanations of what the expressions mean were all over the board. From accurate to wildly imaginative. Perfect!

Then I handed out the writing list of expressions and let students pick two or three that appealed to them most. I asked that they come up with two or three sketched ideas for each expression since our first response is usually quite literal and cliché. After they had sketched several versions of the idioms, they picked their favorite and turned it into a final drawing.

I had a lot of fun watching their interpretations evolve and more importantly, everyone loved this project. I’ve decided to offer it throughout the year ahead and then compile it into a collection of illustrated idioms.

Here is a sneak peek into what I’ve collected so far.

Visual Storytelling Art Exhibit at Tsuga Fine Art!

I’ve been interested in learning more about illustration and visual story telling for quite some time. Tara Larsen Chang, an instructor at Cloud 9 Art School, kicked off a series of classes in January of this year and I signed up. For the past five months, along with quite a few other students, I’ve learned so much about the art of illustration. How to come up with ideas for stories and how to translate those ideas into sketches, composition studies, value studies, color comps. So much to learn. So many artists to inspire us. It’s been an amazing course.

And now, as we are nearing the end of the course, we are all working towards our final pieces which will be on exhibit in June.

I am so excited to invite you to our group show of artwork from our Visual Storytelling Illustration series of classes!

VISUAL STORYTELLING
The Art of Narrative Painting

Pop-Up Show with Tara Larsen Chang & her students

Tsuga Fine Art & Framing

10101 Main St.

Bothell WA 98011

June 25 - July 20, 2019

MEET & GREET THE ARTISTS: SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 4PM–7PM 

The artwork in this exhibit has been created by students of Tara Larsen Chang’s series of classes on the art of storytelling. These paintings are the culmination of five months of theory and practice, brush strokes and personal stories blended together in this show of narrative works.

Each piece represents a specific memory, wish or relationship that the artist has crafted together, blending imagination, emotion and principles of design.

Each student’s story unfolds before your eyes, inviting you to enter visions that are tender, exhilarating, or emotionally resonate – and deeply meaningful to the creator.

Come see our final pieces, glimpse at our sketches and process for creating the pieces and meet all the artists!

My piece for this class is titled Sea of Stars (watercolor, gouache, color pencils) and measures 22 x 15 in. / 50 x 38 cm.

Storytelling in my artwork is a new direction for me. Instead of painting directly from a photograph, the challenge in Tara’s class pushed me to create my own narrative using parts of photos, memories, my imagination to create a story.

I chose to use a photo of my brother, Richard, and me taken many decades ago as the starting point for my painting. I focused on the bond between young siblings embarking on a journey of wonder and awe as they set out to explore a magical universe. The idea of growing up together, learning about life and discovering both exciting and frightening possibilities along the way, led my choices.

When I showed Richard the original photograph of us, I mentioned to him that even from a young age, he had his arm protectively around me. His response was that I was missing the fact that he was leaning into me for support.

I love this feeling of give and take, adventure, and the sense that we are all under a sea of stars together.

Drawing the human head & facial expressions

Come join me for this drawing class on understanding the trickiest subject of all, the human head and facial expressions.

DRAWING THE HUMAN HEAD & FACIAL EXPRESSIONS FOR ADULTS & TEENS

Mondays 10am - 12:30pm 
July 8 - August 19

$175.00

Designed to artists understand how to see like an artist, discover the value of light and shadow and how to draw the human face.

We will work in sketchbooks, learning exercises to improve our ability to see and draw with creative exercises. Emphasis will be placed on developing a basic understanding of visual anatomy. Subjects will include proportion and construction of the head, drawing facial features and mapping lights and darks. Each of the lessons will introduce new ideas and exercises, and challenge you to think about this tricky subject in new ways.  You will get a creative workout, but in a relaxed, supportive setting.

All levels welcome. 

For more information and to register please visit www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com/workshops/

#bothell #woodinville #kenmore #kirkland #millcreek #canyonpark#drawing #drawingthehumanhead #drawingfacialexpressions@cloud9artschool@charlenecollinsfreemanart

Kids & Teens: The Art of Illustrated Maps

In both my teen class and 9-12 year old class, we’ve learned about making illustrated maps.

Illustrated maps are different than regular maps because they are meant to capture the experience of a place, not necessarily the geographical details. Illustrated maps can be of actual places or imaginary places, places visited or places we hope to visit. They can be of cities, countries, our backyard, our childhood town memories, or an imaginary planet.

Students learned about various components that go into maps. Borders, a title, symbols, legends, inset maps, compass roses, and the illustrated map itself. We don't need to include all these components but including some helps it look more like a map than just an illustration.

Here are some of the maps created. Bon voyage!