Course curriculum

  • 01

    Intro to the Course: CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMPLETE THIS

    • This Class is SUPER-FUN - after you complete Module 1! Stay With Us!

    • Introducing Your Instructors and the Content of This Class

    • The Two Tracks: Exploring Nature with Acrylic, Watercolor and Colored Pencil AND Exploring Nature with Mixed Media

    • The Two Tracks: Understanding Where You Belong

    • The Basics of Learning Online in This Classroom [No, you don't need the optional Zooms!]

    • Zooms. And the Only Two Laws of this Online Classroom - which cannot be ignored. [Take this seriously.]

    • Is this an Art Class? Yes or No, what do you think?

    • What This Class will and will NOT do for you

    • Do You Have to be Able to Draw to Be a Happy Painter or Pencil Colorist?

    • Flowers, Animals, Trees, oh my! Basic drawing.

    • Art Supplies: The Cost Issue
  • 02

    Module 2: What is Mixed Media? Why is such a powerful way to explore Nature?

    • How do we define mixed media? Why is mixed media such a powerful way to connect to nature? Types of papers.

    • What if I can't do it well?

    • What is Nature? What learning resources do we have? Thinking about labels.

    • One Resource to Explore Now. Others to explore after this class.

    • Artists Talk About Creating Mixed Media and Nature Art

    • Phil Davies! A great teacher....
  • 03

    Module 3: New Substrates. New materials. Mark-making!

    • New Substrates and How to use them. Glues and Attachments

    • More tools and ideas to spark your nature creativity!

    • Put Your Paintbrush Down! New Tools and Mark-Making concepts.

    • Thinking about Bringing Nature Art Out into Nature

    • Rick's Nature Art Journey
  • 04

    Module 4: Easy Add-Ins to the Medium You Know: Adding to Acrylic, Watercolor or Colored Pencil

    • Begin at the Beginning.... One of Earth's Thousands of Alphabets

    • Permanent Ink

    • Scratch Boards, alone or in mixed media nature art

    • Colored Paper. Card Stock.

    • Washi Tape up Close

    • Demonstrating Washi Tape

    • Spatter. Coffee and tea. Dry flowers. Masking Fluid. Yarn, twigs and so much more!

    • Creating A Grid of Choices To Help Guide You to Try Everything

    • A Grid, a List, Post Its, 3x5 cards, fancy techie options
  • 05

    Module 5: Mixing the Media that You Already are Proficient In

    • Permanent Ink and Watercolor or Colored Pencil

    • Watercolor Enhanced by Colored Pencil

    • Acrylic and Watercolor, on watercolor paper (notecards)

    • Our First Adventure in Creating a Wider Scene from an Existing Object

    • Ideas for Creating a Scene From a Card, or Magazine Photo. How many of them can you imagine using?

    • More Acrylic or Watercolor with Glues

    • Cindy Triplett Teaches Watercolor Pencils
  • 06

    Module 6: Compositional Principles. Introducing Collage Integration.

    • The Joy of Nature Collage

    • Where you place an image matters

    • Re-Purposed or 'Found' Objects - a Key Resource for Mixed Media Compositions.

    • Ideas from the Pre-Req Class that are Really Mixed Media

    • Celebrating the Winter Solstice With Mixed Media - some ideas

    • A Winter Solstice Mixed Media Project: Enlarging A Rising Sun
  • 07

    Module 7: Negative Painting

    • The Joy of Negative Painting

    • Lettering

    • Painting a Forest, negatively

    • Negative Painting Demo - using oil pastels
  • 08

    Module 8: Altered Books. Illustrated Maps. Greta the Gator

    • The Paint Lab

    • A Mixed Media Altered Book

    • Components of an Illustrated Map

    • Constructing Your Illustrated Map

    • Meet Greta the Gator
  • 09

    Module 9: Getting Three-Dimensional

    • Working in three dimensions!

    • What will you add?

    • Adding elements to plastic

    • Examples of Simple Plastic Work. What would you add on?

    • Substrates to support Rock and Other 3-Dimensional objects

    • Multiple Objects Create a Scene

    • Constructing 3 dimensionally with Wood Putty

    • How-To Wood Putty. Fingers or putty knife. Ready to paint. This shape would also work for a bear!

    • Bas Reliefs with Nature Themes: materials, substrates, paints, attached (glued) with wood putty

    • Papier Mache as a Substrate

    • Integrating Human-Manufactured and 'Found' Items with Natural Substances in Your Nature Art
  • 10

    Module 10: Advanced Ideas. Ongoing Chat Groups. Future Classes

    • Oil Pastels. Chalk. Crayon, especially wax

    • Watercolor Pencils. More on oil pastel, acrylic ink and water-soluble crayons (aka crayon pastels)

    • Yes, we have chat groups, nature walks, and more

    • Like this form of learning? Every subject needs its own mix...

    • Where's the good stuff? Rick's space art