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SUMMARY:Peony Painting with Susan Sands
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate Summer with Peonies\nCelebrate the start of summer with the beauty of blooming peonies in this relaxed and inspiring 90-minute painting class. As we paint together\, you’ll use these lush seasonal flowers as inspiration for a floral masterpiece filled with soft color\, texture\, and charm. In addition\, we’ll pair our peonies with classic blue-and-white ginger jars to give each painting a timeless and elegant feel. \nWhat You’ll Learn\nThroughout the class\, I’ll guide you step by step through simple and approachable painting techniques. First\, you’ll explore color mixing and layering so you can create depth\, softness\, and movement within your flowers. Next\, you’ll practice loose and expressive brushwork that helps petals and leaves come to life on the canvas. Along the way\, you’ll also learn easy composition tips that bring balance and harmony to your artwork. As a result\, you’ll leave with a polished floral painting that feels uniquely your own. \nA Fun and Relaxing Creative Experience\nWhether you are brand new to painting or already enjoy creating art\, this class offers a welcoming and encouraging environment for all skill levels. Even if you have never picked up a paintbrush before\, you’ll feel comfortable following along with the guided instruction. Meanwhile\, the relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to unwind\, connect with others\, and enjoy the creative process. Whether you come with friends or simply treat yourself to a creative escape\, you’ll enjoy a fun and stress-free experience from start to finish. \nEverything Included\nFinally\, come ready to paint\, play\, and celebrate the season while surrounded by beautiful inspiration. Since all supplies are included\, you can simply relax\, enjoy the process\, and focus on creating something beautiful. \nTHIS CLASS IS BYOB! \n     \nSusan Covell Sands \nSusan received a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia and a Masters in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University\, Baltimore. Susan Covell Designs opened in 2000\, specializing in interior painting and murals and moved into full interior design in 2015. Her design work is based in her training as an artist and as a therapist and is rooted in her deep belief that a home should be beautiful\, joyful and comfortable.   \nAs an artist\, Susan creates expressive abstract landscapes\, abstract color studies and large scale paintings of nostalgic items. Her color palette is bright and layered\, with each piece sharing a common theme of moments in time and memory. \nSusan grew up in the Washington\, DC area in a family of builders and creators and now lives and works on the North Shore of Chicago with her husband Jeremy\, son\, Emmett\, and Springer Spaniel\, Scarlett. 
URL:https://gortoncenter.org/event/peony-painting-with-susan-sands/
LOCATION:Gorton Center\, 400 East Illinois Road\, Lake Forest\, IL\, 60045
CATEGORIES:Adults,Art,Classes
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SUMMARY:Peony Painting with Susan Sands
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate Summer with Peonies\nCelebrate the start of summer with the beauty of blooming peonies in this relaxed and inspiring 90-minute painting class. As we paint together\, you’ll use these lush seasonal flowers as inspiration for a floral masterpiece filled with soft color\, texture\, and charm. In addition\, we’ll pair our peonies with classic blue-and-white ginger jars to give each painting a timeless and elegant feel. \nWhat You’ll Learn\nThroughout the class\, I’ll guide you step by step through simple and approachable painting techniques. First\, you’ll explore color mixing and layering so you can create depth\, softness\, and movement within your flowers. Next\, you’ll practice loose and expressive brushwork that helps petals and leaves come to life on the canvas. Along the way\, you’ll also learn easy composition tips that bring balance and harmony to your artwork. As a result\, you’ll leave with a polished floral painting that feels uniquely your own. \nA Fun and Relaxing Creative Experience\nWhether you are brand new to painting or already enjoy creating art\, this class offers a welcoming and encouraging environment for all skill levels. Even if you have never picked up a paintbrush before\, you’ll feel comfortable following along with the guided instruction. Meanwhile\, the relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to unwind\, connect with others\, and enjoy the creative process. Whether you come with friends or simply treat yourself to a creative escape\, you’ll enjoy a fun and stress-free experience from start to finish. \nEverything Included\nFinally\, come ready to paint\, play\, and celebrate the season while surrounded by beautiful inspiration. Since all supplies are included\, you can simply relax\, enjoy the process\, and focus on creating something beautiful. \nTHIS CLASS IS BYOB! \n     \nSusan Covell Sands \nSusan received a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia and a Masters in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University\, Baltimore. Susan Covell Designs opened in 2000\, specializing in interior painting and murals and moved into full interior design in 2015. Her design work is based in her training as an artist and as a therapist and is rooted in her deep belief that a home should be beautiful\, joyful and comfortable.   \nAs an artist\, Susan creates expressive abstract landscapes\, abstract color studies and large scale paintings of nostalgic items. Her color palette is bright and layered\, with each piece sharing a common theme of moments in time and memory. \nSusan grew up in the Washington\, DC area in a family of builders and creators and now lives and works on the North Shore of Chicago with her husband Jeremy\, son\, Emmett\, and Springer Spaniel\, Scarlett. 
URL:https://gortoncenter.org/event/peony-painting-with-susan-sands-2/
LOCATION:Gorton Center\, 400 East Illinois Road\, Lake Forest\, IL\, 60045
CATEGORIES:Adults,Art,Classes
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260604T190000
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SUMMARY:Take Your Painting to the Next Level
DESCRIPTION:Ready to take your painting to the next level?\nThis class is ideal for artists who already have some experience painting in Oil\, Acrylic\, Gouache\, or Pastel and are ready to grow their skills further. If you’ve been wanting to turn a photo into a painting or have started a piece but feel unsure about how to move forward\, this is the perfect opportunity to get expert guidance and renewed inspiration. \nEach student brings in either a reference photo or an unfinished painting to work on during class. From there\, artist and instructor Michael Latala provides hands-on\, individualized instruction to help you make confident artistic decisions. First\, he’ll show you how to evaluate your photo reference—guiding you in choosing what elements to include and what to leave out. Then\, through clear demonstrations\, he’ll help you resolve common issues like washed-out highlights or areas that have gone too dark to read. \nThroughout the class\, Michael gives each student personal attention. If you’d prefer to keep your canvas untouched\, he’s happy to demonstrate his suggestions digitally using Procreate on his iPad Pro. This digital approach allows you to visualize changes before applying them\, which can be especially helpful when exploring different color choices or compositional edits. \nImportantly\, this class is all about progress at your own pace. There’s no pressure to finish quickly. Instead\, you’re encouraged to slow down\, focus on what you’re learning\, and enjoy the process. With consistent support and practice\, you’ll discover how to turn your ideas into beautiful\, well-executed paintings—just the way you imagined them. \nThis series runs on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month: \n\nMay 14\nJune 4\, 11 & 25\nJuly 9 & 23\nAugust 13 & 27
URL:https://gortoncenter.org/event/take-your-painting-to-the-next-level-may-28/
LOCATION:Gorton Center\, 400 East Illinois Road\, Lake Forest\, IL\, 60045
CATEGORIES:Adults,Art,Classes
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