A Colourful Array of Creative Courses this Fall at Oxygen Art Centre
By The Nelson Daily Sports
WOW what a line up! Painting, drawing, printmaking, music, fibre and performing arts! Let your creativity flow this fall, whether you’re building skills or wanting to try something for the first time, there’s a course for you at Oxygen Art Centre.
If you are starting out on a creative path there is Beginner Ukulele with Catherine McGrath; this course is designed for people who have little or no experience playing ukulele and will begin with the very basics – how to tune, hold, and strum the ukulele – followed by the introduction of two simple chords and a number of catchy two-chord songs.
Following right after is Intermediate Ukulele which is designed for people who have taken the preceding beginner class, the summer ukulele intensive, or who are able to play three-chord songs in the keys of C and G with a steady rhythm.
The class will explore new keys, new chords, and more complex strumming patterns as they relate to a bunch of fun songs from a variety of genres. Beginner’s Brush 1 is a two-day weekend workshop and is a great opportunity to discover painting. Artist Deborah Thompson will introduce students to the basic concepts of painting through demonstrations and hands on painting exercises.
There are two performing arts courses: Script Analysis Techniques for Actors with Jordana Champagne where you can take the guess work out of your performance by learning script analysis techniques in this 6-week workshop. Meet Your Clown – A Playful Introduction to
Clowning with Marya Folinsbee where no theatre experience is necessary! Tap into the clown energies (that are in all of us) through play, movement and story.
Life is the only experience required to growl, groan, wail and moan! Each week in Singing the Blues with Bessie Wapp you will learn a blues song, and explore the rich swamp of the human voice in a relaxed & supportive environment. All levels are also welcome for Blackout Poetry with Raya Liebich and Low-tech Printmaking with Natasha Smith.
Gain fresh eyes on the writing craft and the essence of poetry over three classes investigating Blackout Poetry and create poems out of an existing text by removing words on the page to reveal a new message.
In Low-tech Printmaking learn a variety of fun techniques that can be done without the use of a printmaking press and create a series of original prints.
There are two more weekend intensives to round-out Oxygen’s fall semester: Exploring Natural Dyes with Seathra Bell is an introduction to natural dyeing. Students will cover the basic techniques of preparing fabrics for dyeing, mordants, and cooking of various natural dye materials to create beautiful colours.
Drawing Lab with Deborah Thompson is a two-day weekend course that is designed for those who are interested in developing a series of drawings with a narrative focus. Some basic drawing experience is necessary but mostly a desire to work with drawing as a way of exploring story.
Whatever you are planning this fall make space to be creative. Sign up now as spots are limited.
For more information and and to register, visit: http://www.oxygenartcentre.org
Photo credit: Maria Follinsbee
