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Home » Education Programs » Adult Education

Adult Education Classes

The Arts

Evening Painting and Drawing

Adele L. Rossetti

Spend relaxing, enjoyable evenings at BBG through May and June, recording on paper the transition from gorgeous spring blooms to vivid summer annuals to cool green landscapes and waterlilies, using watercolor and colored pencils. Receive expert tips on the technique of your choice, and learn new ways to achieve beautiful, lifelike effects when depicting flowers. Bring your own materials; a supply list will be mailed to you upon registration.

Summer Painting in the Garden

Judith Kunhardt

Enjoy the beauty of BBG in June as you paint trees, flowers, and landscapes outdoors. The emphasis is on observation of nature and developing your own response. Practice contour drawing with either pencil or brush as well as spontaneous and layered techniques. This class is appropriate for all levels. Bring your own supplies; a materials list will be sent upon registration.

Woodprinting Utagawa: Pictures of the Floating World

Daniel Gibbons

The Utagawa School of about 15 artists dominated the Japanese print market in the 19th century by providing Ukiyo-e prints (pictures of the floating world) to a popular audience through mass production. The Brooklyn Museum's exhibit of Utagawa woodblock prints will inspire us to make wood and/or linoleum block prints of BBG sites. Two or three sets of numbered prints will be the class goal. Previous experience with linoleum and/or wood block printing is necessary.

Statuary Drawing

Anne Walsh

This course will study the complexities of drawing garden statuary by studying BBG's own beautiful collection. This is an ideal follow-up to the winter Botanical Vessels drawing workshop (not a prerequisite). Bring sketch pads and drawing tools; additional supplies will be on hand. Plan to spend time outdoors.

Chinese Brush Painting

Kwok Kay Choey

Nature is the theme; simplicity is the key. Learn to paint in the Chinese style using a bamboo brush, Chinese ink, and rice paper. Get individual instruction in the basic aspects of this ancient art form, and develop your own style. All skill levels welcome. Materials include inks, brushes, and rice paper.

Pen & Ink Workshop

Mary Jo Anzel

Explore the versatile medium of pen and ink using a broad spectrum of materials. Many drawing techniques will be demonstrated, including use of quill and bamboo pens. Investigate three-dimensional forms and spaces, different ways to look and think, and how to create solid, believable images while experimenting with pattern and composition. Color will be introduced using pastels, colored pencils, and/or waterbased media. Bring your own materials—a list will be sent to you upon registration.

The Magic Hour: Photography at Dusk

Karen Bell

The time just before and after sunset has been called the magic hour; the air turns still and nature can appear at its most impressive. We will explore ways to use this light to the best effect in the beautiful setting of the Garden. Advanced techniques such as selective focus, long exposures and fill flash will be explored, with discussions on composition and technique. This class is for people who are comfortable using cameras and want to extend their knowledge. Film or digital. Bring your camera and samples of your work to the first class.

Saturday Landscape Painting

Daniel Gibbons

Unwind from the week by painting a variety of landscapes on Saturday mornings. Investigate traditional and nontraditional approaches to watercolor painting while discovering your own personal style. Demonstrations are provided with individual instruction. Bring your own supplies; a list will be sent upon registration.

Painting Water

Daniel Gibbons

This course explores various ways of observing and portraying water, including water as reflective surface, as pattern, as texture, as color. Organization of lights and darks will round out your study. Manifestations of water in the garden will provide outdoor settings—from streams and ponds to fountains and waterfalls. Copious examples and demonstrations will be offered to enhance your success. Some experience with watercolor is required.

Drawing for Beginners

Nan Carey

Improve your drawing ability by developing the perceptual skills of seeing edges, spaces, relationships, lights, and shadows. Using the Garden as a visual source, each class will focus on various drawing exercises that teach you to see differently and sharpen your powers of observation. Bring your own supplies; a list will be sent to you upon registration.

Roses in Watercolor

Mary Jo Anzel

Using beautiful bouquets of roses, learn to plan, compose and simplify your watercolor painting. Learn to paint this unique flower in a variety of containers, with fruit and still-life objects. Other seasonal flowers will round out your painting. Demonstrations with an emphasis on expressive brushstroke, bold application of paint, and creative visual interpretation will help develop your style. Bring your own supplies; a list will be sent to you upon registration.

Waves of Pastel

Enid Braun

Using the themes of water and summer colors, develop your understanding of light and dark, and create motion and space on paper with pastels. This course will pay specific attention to organization of shapes for ideal composition, with plenty of room for individual style and attention. Suitable for all skill levels. Bring your own materials—a list will be sent to you upon registration. Section B may be taken as a continuation of Section A or as an entry point.

Botanical and Floral Watercolor

Albert Massimi

Explore the beauty and luminosity of the watercolor medium through nature. You will learn new techniques and increase your drawing and painting skills through discussion, demonstration, exercises, and one-on-one attention. All skill-levels are welcome. Bring your own materials. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Botanical Illustration: Summer Flowers

Wendy Hollender

Gaining inspiration from BBG's summer blooms, the class will explore the garden, returning to the studio for careful study of flowers, petals, developing fruits, seed pods, leaves and stems. (Proper use of a dissecting microscope is taught.) You will learn about color, shape, form, patterns in nature, and how to record observations using botanical illustration and journaling techniques. This course introduces basic pencil and drawing skills, use of colored pencils, and how to identify, name, and label plants and their parts. Suitable for ages 16 and up.

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