Carnegie Hall’s Classes & Workshops continue with teaching artist John Coffey presenting Basic Drawing and Watercolor Painting. This unique learning opportunity is taught in small group settings in the Art Studio at Carnegie Hall.
Basic Drawing takes place on Saturday, Mar. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This class, designed for beginners and the more experienced wanting to refresh their basic drawing skills, will focus on drawing and sketching techniques, materials and methods of drawing. The class will include instruction in drawing and sketching simple still life, landscapes, and people. Although different materials will be introduced, most of the class will focus on pencil and charcoal drawing. Students are asked to bring a pad of drawing paper. All other materials are provided.
Coffey will host two watercolor classes, one for beginners and one for intermediate level painters. The first, An Introduction to Watercolors, is scheduled for Thursday, Mar. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m. This course is intended for students with very limited experience. Students will focus on the basics of watercolor painting, exploring the different materials used (paints, paper, brushes, etc.), basic drawing and watercolor techniques, how to stretch paper, and how to plan your painting. All materials provided.
The Intermediate Watercolor Painting class takes place Friday, Apr. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. This course is for students who have had some basic knowledge and experience with watercolors and are ready to improve their skills and take their painting to the next level. The class will focus on technique and composition, working primarily from photographs. Students should bring a photograph of their choice, but it must be a photograph taken by the student. Students at the intermediate level may bring their own brushes if they choose. All other materials will be provided by the instructor.
John Coffey is a watercolorist specializing in landscapes and buildings, primarily in and around southern West Virginia. He grew up in Monroe and McDowell Counties, WV, and currently lives in Mercer County.
Coffey majored in art at Concord College in the 1960s, but didn’t teach himself to watercolor until the late 1980s.
Coffey is a member of the West Virginia Watercolor Society as well as being a Tamarack juried artisan and a past member of the Mahoning Valley Watercolor Society, the Appalachian Artist Association, and the Beckley Art Group. He has been awarded Tamarack’s Best of West Virginia show 2011 – Award of Merit; Beckley Art Group / Cynthia Bickey Gallery, West Virginia Memories Show – Best of Show, and various other Beckley Art Group shows.
Registration is $140 ($125 for members) for each workshop and class size is limited. Students must be 18 years of age. To enroll or for a complete list of classes and workshops and visit carnegiehallwv.org/classes-and-workshops or pick up a Classes & Workshops brochure at 611 Church Street, Lewisburg.