Needham Community Education

This class will explore abstract painting concepts for artists of all levels. Come experiment and expand your visual boundaries! Explore the visual language of painting in a non-objective, non-figurative fashion and interpret what you see or feel around you as a reflection of your feelings and mood using acrylics. You’ll learn new ways to view and interpret the world and discover how to make compositional choices through line, form, shape, color, texture, and more. Try new and exciting products to build up texture, work colors together, and use a variety of alternative mediums to build up a surface, impasto, texture, gloss, matte, embedding objects into paints. You will be guided through a series of exercises designed to master these important abstract painting concepts and techniques to make great abstract paintings. A materials list can be found here.

In this one-day workshop, Carolyn Letvin will teach the process of making and enhancing prints made from real fish. Originating in Japan during the mid-1800s, the process was used by fishermen to record their catches for accuracy when selling the fish. It subsequently became a popular, nature printmaking art form of its own. Using acrylic paint, students will create beautiful prints, then learn how to enhance the image to make them come alive on the paper. All supplies, including the fish, will be provided. Note: A $15 materials fee is payable to the instructor in class.

Needle felt your very own adorable gnome using a puff of wool and a lot of love! This beginner felting course will teach students how to create simple shapes from wool and makes a great introduction to the wonderful world of fiber. This little guy can be turned into an ornament and makes an adorable handmade gift with a lot of personality. Students will come away with basic needle felting skills and an introduction to simple doll making, as well as needle felted sculpture. A variety of skin tones, beard hair, and gnomish accessories will be available to personalize your gnome. Very beginner friendly, but all skill levels encouraged! Note: A $15 materials fee is payable to the instructor in class.