Materials and Methods in Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials and Methods in Contemporary Mixed Media with Lynn Sisler

Wednesdays, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22 (7-9pm) on Zoom

$320 CAA Member; $350 General Admission

Maximum number of attendees: 15

Registration close date: March 27, at 5:00PM

No prerequisites- open to everyone, from beginner to professional.

In this eight-week online course, students will be guided by instructor Lynn Sisler through an exploration of various mixed-media tools, mediums and techniques. Teaching from her own artist studio, Sisler will guide students through the concepts of design, composition, mark-making, and color in a visual journal, on paper, and on canvas. Developing a growth mindset alongside a sense of play and experimentation, students will discover new ways of seeing with a constructivist spirit. As they delve into the exercises, students will gain a better understanding of how to be more intentional yet deepen the expressionistic, intuitive, and personal side of painting. Over the eight weeks, students will collaborate, share and build on their skills and insights, culminating in final artworks that embody their refined creative perspectives, tools, and techniques.

Required Textbook: Paint Alchemy by Eva Magill-Oliver

“Experience wonder and excitement as you mindfully take your painting techniques to the next level" -Eva Magill-Oliver, author of Paint Alchemy.

Required Materials

Book: Paint Alchemy by Eva MaGill-Oliver. Some materials are listed on p.16-17 in the book, including "specialty items" or optional materials that you may want to have on hand during class. Many of these items can probably be found in your home.

Must-have items list:

A variety of synthetic brushes: Flat 1"-4". Round sizes 6, 10, 12. Filbert size 6. Flat "bristle" inexpensive brushes 2" and 3"(can find at the hardware store). A detail brush (size 1 or 2).

X-ACTO knife with blades, scissors, pencils(mechanical is helpful), 1" painters or artist tape, markers, ruler, printmaker's brayer (optional), water containers.

A mixed-media (140 lb cold press paper) book-bound (as opposed to spiral-bound) sketchbook 8.5" x 11". A pad of 8.5" x 11" or larger watercolor or mixed media paper 140 lb (a good option is Acuma Mixed-Media Pad). Primed canvases 10" x 10", 11" x 14", 18" x 24", and any additional sizes of your choosing.

Acrylic glass to be used as a palette (such as Plexiglass) OR other large palette. Paper towels. Heavy matte gel or gel medium. A piece of cardboard or card stock. Sponge, yarn, rubbing alcohol, spray paint, salt, straws, coffee/tea. Crayons and/or oil pastels. A variety of ink colors. An assortment set of acrylic paint of at least 10-15 colors, including black and white. A set of tube watercolor paints. Colored and/or watercolor pencils. Mod Podge (matte). Spray bottle. We will gather additional materials as we go, such as magazines, printouts, etc.

Lynn Sisler is an American artist working in New England. Born in 1969, she received her MFA at Maine College of Art in 2021 and completed a BFA in painting with a minor in Art History from Northern Illinois University in 1991. She is currently an assistant professor at Springfield College and she is represented by Elizabeth Moss Galleries in Portland, ME. Sisler works in oil and pencil over a saturated acrylic ground, which reflects the underlying emotion and intention of the painting. Recent works borrow color from Werner’s Nomenclature, a collection of 19th century swatches found in nature and used by naturalists. Interested in the idea of collective memory, Sisler often turns to her own childhood to talk about animals in various contexts. Captivated by the interconnectedness of ecology, her figures overlap, revealing new spaces. Sisler’s interpreted narratives feature animals, plants, and humans, often blended as one entity, in a magical, folkloric construct.