Making Art: September Classes in Painting at Bluerock Gallery

Authentic Impressionism Weekend Workshop
with Janice Tanton
September 18 and 19, 2010
Saturday and Sunday 9 am – 5 pm, lunches included

Choose your medium – oil, acrylic, watercolor – and come prepared for an adventure in plein air painting in and around Black Diamond. You will experience the philosophy and practice of the authentic method for French impressionist painting en plein air as it has been handed down from artist to artist. This program is a fundamental underpinning for artists, and teaches one how to see and how to proceed through a canvas from beginning to end – no matter what your particular style, subject matter, or medium.

Saturday morning will be spent in the studio at Bluerock Gallery for demos by the instructor, then everyone will head out into the small town of Black Diamond to paint. Sunday the plein air painting will be on location at the beautiful Diamond Willow Artisan Retreat in Turner Valley. (You could also attend a house concert and stay overnight at this wonderful Bed & Breakfast – contact them directly for details.) Each painting day will end with a critique and discussion session back at Bluerock Gallery.

Janice Tanton is an accomplished, award-winning Canadian artist working professionally for over 21 years. (Her work is currently filling the Bluerock Gallery street window displays!)

Level: Intermediate to Advanced (Participants should have a good working knowledge in their chosen medium.)

Class Size: Maximum 8 participants

Workshop Fee: $295 ($150 deposit to hold your spot, balance due on first day of class)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (For Janice Tanton)

Introduction to Acrylic Painting
with Mady Thiel-Kopstein
September 16, 23, 30 and October 7, 2010
Thursday evenings, 6:30 – 9:30 pm

Four Thursday evenings in the painting studio at Bluerock Gallery will give you a strong foundation for working with acrylics. Join Mady Thiel-Kopstein, an accomplished and experienced painter and teacher (and Bluerock Gallery staff), in exploring the world of painting on canvas with acrylic paints. No previous experience necessary, simply the desire to play with color and complete a small canvas painting. Basic supplies included.

Beginning to Intermediate Level. Maximum 8 participants.

$160 for series of 4 classes. ($80 deposit to hold your spot, balance due on the first day of class.)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (For Mady Thiel-Kopstein)

For your convenience, you can register online. Payment is accepted via Pay Pal. If you have any questions please contact Bluerock Gallery by email or phone.

PLEASE NOTE BLUEROCK’S REFUND POLICY: If you make a deposit towards a class or workshop and find you must cancel less than a month before the series of classes or workshop begins, you will receive a gift certificate for the amount of your deposit to be used toward any future classes. If the class is canceled by Bluerock Gallery, your full deposit will be refunded.

cow-poetics, August 21 – September 7, 2010

Thanks to all who came to the opening night event – it was absolutely fabulous!  And now we have the poetry alongside the photographs in the gallery – come by and read it!

Kim Taylor is a local fine art photographer whose passion is the artful documentation of western cowboys and ranchers. For the last ten years this accomplished horse-woman has been shooting photos from the back of her horse and publishing them in the form of a popular day-planner, On the Trail.  (The 2011 edition is already selling like hotcakes in the gallery!)

We are very excited to be hosting a premier showing of Kim’s fine art prints. We’re quite certain you’ll enjoy the way her photographs capture real-life cowboys, ranchers, working in all seasons with their dogs and horses. She has an eye for beauty and the human element, and a compassionate view of the hard working but rewarding way of life still practiced in the prairies and foothills of Alberta.

www.kimtaylor.com

Opening Reception
Saturday,
August 21, 5 – 9 pm

Light refreshments will be served.

And on opening night, August 21, we’ll revel in the spoken word as we welcome a travelling band of regional poets who have been invited to write a few new poems in response to Kim’s fine art images.  We’ll then hear Kim talk about her experiences and what was actually happening at the time the photograph was taken. We’ll weave back and forth between imagination and experience… and delight in both!

We’re also delighted to include in this exhibit Jean Jackets sumptuously embellished by Calgary designer Sonja McDowell – one-of-a-kind wearable art to enjoy year-round.  We’ll also be showcasing, for a limited time, the fun and fabulous repurposed Cowboy-boot-Purses made by Heather Kyle, also of Calgary.

Community Market Sprouts Up in Black Diamond

Starting last Saturday, July 10th, and ending September 4th, there will be a new outdoor market in Black Diamond, just beside our local coffee shop known as “The Stop” – a stone’s throw from Bluerock Gallery.

We are thrilled to be a part of this market, especially given our interest in supporting local farmers and local food! So we sent over our newest staff person, Grace (who was hired on the spot when she came asking if there were any openings for a summer job on that Saturday morning!). She showed the market customers a sampling of our delightfully varied pottery mugs, our brand new organic cotton T-shirts, and a few of our popular market baskets.

It was a brave beginning, and we intend to be there, rain or shine, every week until the 4th of September! The market runs Saturdays from 9am-2pm.

Our t-shirts are a velvety soft, ring-spun organic cotton. No metals or harsh chemicals are used in the processing of the cotton, and the dyes that are used are all environmentally friendly. We have several fun designs in the store – the ones we are selling at the market say “Support Local” and also have a small Bluerock Gallery logo on the back.

Buy a t-shirt at the market and get 10% off your next shopping experience at the gallery. Just wear your new t-shirt and present your certificate at the time of your purchase!