(online)
This is an online workshop. All links to join will be provided once you reserve your seat.
Please be sure you can attend BOTH days before reserving your spot: Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22 from 9:00am-4:00pm each day.
REGISTRATION will open soon.
Head over to Our Store when registration is open to reserve your seat!
Once you have purchased your spot you will receive an email with a packet of handouts and a link to join and attend on the Zoom platform.
Italic Variations & Florals
“Find joy daily in the simple offerings….in the splendour of nature, cherished moments with family and friends, and the enchanted pathways waiting to be discovered as art exploration expands our view of what lies at our feet.” —- Connie
Connie Furgason will be streaming in from Alberta, Canada to guide us in creating lively variations of our Italic hand and encouraging us to explore some florals designs that we can to add to our pieces. Please read more about Connie below.
Along with developing our Italic hand to create visual interest, we will focus on ways to combine text and elements of design, resulting in a harmonious blending of florals and words.
Suitable for all levels, but familiarity with the Italic hand is helpful.
session One:
Introduction to Italic variation with ink, then gouache. The focus will be on nuances to create a “dance” in the alphabet by altering pen angle and height. We will then begin some florals in watercolor in preparation to combine with text for finished pieces.
session two:
Working with brush and watercolor, students will be introduced to some loose floral blooms with a focus on how to make the florals stand out and create visually interesting blooms. Students will create a layout with florals and then add text* to their piece. Students are welcome to work on more than one piece.
*Students are encouraged to gather words they would like to work with. It can be a poem, a phrase, or a quote. The choice is theirs.
Supplies:
½” flat watercolor brush
A few round brushes, size 5 or 6, and a smaller size 2 or 4 (good brushes)
Brush for mixing (yucky brushes - save the nice ones for painting)
2H pencil and sharpener
Watercolors: pan or tube of your choice
See Connie’s color palettes below for reference. “I like to have two of each primary color.” For example:
a warm and cool yellow
a warm and cool red
and a warm and cool blue
a pink
but work with what you have!
Watercolor paper: If you have pieces of hot and cold press paper, you can experiment with which surface you prefer
Canson XL watercolor paper is a good, readily available option
One or two pieces at least 9”x 12” in size
Watercolor paper sampler - Wet Paint in St. Paul always has a variety of paper “sample packs”. Generous sizes, large variety - perfect for the type of experimenting we will be doing in this workshop. If you find it sold out on the website, visit the store - they are always making new ones.
Favorite practice paper that will accept wet media for initial stroke practice as well as lettering
Edged pens: Speedball C-2 or equivalent size in another brand
Smaller nib sizes: 1 mm, 1 1/2mm
Favorite ink for initial practice: sumi or other black ink
Gouache: a few colors like a darker and lighter green, a warm and cool yellow, a cool and warm red, and a warm and cool blue. As with watercolors listed above - work with what you might have! Example of warm/cool primaries:
Double Primary Set - this link will take you to a set of gouache from JNB. This set was recommended by Sheila Waters when she taught the double primary palette.
cost:
Members: $TBD
Non-Members $TBD
Class size limited to TBD
A little about Connie
Connie Furgason was raised on a farm in Southern Alberta, where her love of nature and the vastness of the prairie is expressed in her work. Her mother was an accomplished artist and gardener who made the prairie bloom.
Connie started teaching calligraphy and related arts in 1982. Today, she travels across Canada and the US, teaching for guilds, and has been part of the faculty at several international lettering arts conferences.
Connie loves the written word and uses her own text in her work, expressing it through a variety of different mediums, including watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media.
She loves sharing a variety of art techniques with students of all levels and seeing the joy experienced as they discover their artist within.
Connie loves the prairie, the mountains, the ocean, and especially the gift of her four children and 4 grandchildren. Currently, she lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, just 45 minutes from the Rocky Mountains, with her husband Kevin (another creative soul).
refund & cancelation policy
In Person & Online Workshop:
You may cancel your registration for an in person or online workshop at any time. You will receive a full refund only if there is another student to fill your place. Your refund will be processed upon registration of the new student.
Class Cancellation
If CoC cancels an event, you will receive a full refund of your registration.
setting up your space for online instruction
This video is shared with permission. Watch for some tips on setting up a productive, comfortable space for attending a workshop on Zoom. Note: you don’t have to use your phone for a camera as suggested here - but you can try it!