Dear Students,

Welcome to a new year of unlocking your creative spirit. This year we will be working with collage projects, journaling, plein air painting, as well as illustrating and painting in the studio.

Spring of this year my book "The Artist, The Cook, And The Gardener" will be published and available everywhere. I will be receiving my advanced copy any day now. It was a project that started here, with you, my students, enjoying painting and lunching together. I look forward to seeing all of you as well as new students for more of those delicious days.

All my classes are for beginners all the way up to advance and professional, ages 12-100. We all enjoy painting and learning together in a relaxed environment, listening to good music, lively conversation, and gourmet lunches, which are included with each class, except when painting outdoors.

There is a maximum of 8 students per class except outdoor classes. It is important that all students register with a deposit for 1/2 of the cost of the class. For students with gift certificates, just indicate this when registering.

All classes are held in my studio unless noted, 10 AM – 4:30 PM.

Art of Collage…Collaging on River Stone

Learn how to created a beautiful work of art by collaging on stone using antique ephemera including stamps, special papers, wall paper, acrylic paints. This is a very fun class. I will provide everything you will need for the class. You will also enjoy a winter lunch. $85.
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Painting Winter Botanicals in Watercolor and Gouache

Enjoy a winter day learning how to paint cones, evergreens, and winter florals . We can paint on tinted board, which I will provide, or your Arches Hot Press Watercolor Block. This is a botanical illustrating class where you will be using my step-by-step Method. You will learn how to blend, shade, highlight, to create a realistic botanical. You will also enjoy a winter lunch. Bring all your art supplies. $150.
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Painting Insects in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint in detail the many different insects that visit your garden. From bees to dragonflies, bumble bees to beetles. Learn how to capture their natural beauty in color, form, and iridescence. This is a good learning experience that will help when you add insects to your botanical illustrations. Bring all supplies including your Arches Hot Press Watercolor Block, at least a 9x12" size. You will also enjoy a winter lunch. $150.
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The Art of Collage … Collage on Antique Post Cards

For this 2 day class you will learn how to create works of art on the surface of a post card. I’ll teach you the techniques that I’ve developed over the years using special papers, ephemera, antique stamps, paper napkins, paints, and transfers, which I will provide. Please bring the following to class: a sharp small xacto knife, small pointed scissors, Yes Paste, a cutting mat, and your art supplies. You will also enjoy a winter lunch. $155.
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The Art of Travel Journaling

Learn my special techniques to use for a travel journal. I’ll show you how to create techniques that you can use to make your travel journals works of art using collage along with painted images. First day I’ll take you through the steps. Learn how to prepare a journal before a trip; how to add color and paint to give pages luminous glow; how to add maps and ephemera; and how to create covers and title pages. Second day we learn how to quickly sketch and paint. How to paint from photographs, and transfer from photos onto journal pages. Bring a small notebook for the first day to record techniques and information. For the second day, bring a journal that you would like to use for a trip, one that you can paint in, preferably with watercolor paper, and that has a blank cover. Also bring your art supplies. I will be providing some ephemera to use the first day for demonstrating techniques. You will also enjoy a winter lunch. $150.
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"THE ARTIST, THE COOK, & THE GARDENER" BOOK SIGNING

I will be sending out announcements and invitations in February.
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The Art of Collage Journaling – Creating a Collage Journal of Joy

For this 2 - day intensive workshop we will learn how to collage in a journal using the theme "What brings us Joy"? It may be bird watching, grandchildren watching, music, painting, gardening, etc. Using images from media sources, special papers, antique ephemera, paints, rubber stamps, transfers, etc. we will learn how to create a journal by collage that illustrates what gives us joy. "There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost", Martha Graham, choreographer. I love this quote. The message is telling us to unlock our creative spirit. Bring a good substantial blank journal that can withstand collage, a sharp xacto knife, small pointed scissors, Yes Paste, a cutting mat, and your art supplies. I will provide special papers, media sources, rubber stamps, some antique ephemera, etc. A week before class, choose your subject of joy (it can be many) and any ephemera to illustrate it, plus anything else that you would want to include. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $155.
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For the month of April, I will enjoy the pleasure of three students traveling from Brazil to attend classes, April 8–19. You are also invited to sign up for their requested classes. The three students are accomplished watercolorists from the National School of Tropical Botany of Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. I think we will all enjoy their company. Classes during this time are limited to only 5 more students for each class.
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Painting Feathers in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint the feathers of owls, wild turkeys, pheasants, hawks, etc. Learn how to layer on colors to make the feathers look soft; how to fringe the edges of owl feathers that are used to quiet flight; how to recreate the barred markings of the feather’s surface; and how to recreate the illusion of iridescence without using iridescent paint. When you are finished, you will have a beautiful feather and not know the real from the painted version. Bring all your supplies plus your Arches hot press w/c board. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $150.
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The Art of Painting Bird Nests in Watercolor & Gouache

If you enjoy painting details of dry botanicals incorporated in the weavings of a bird nest, you’ll love this class. Using the smooth surface of hot press watercolor board, precise brushes, and best quality gouache and watercolor, we’ll recreate an architectural masterpiece made simply by a bird. I will teach you my step-by-step Method that I taught myself while working on my book "The Nest: An Artist’s Sketchbook". Bring all your supplies. Make sure you have a good tube of Winsor & Newton permanent white gouache. Bring an Arches hot press watercolor block, at least 10 x 14". Or an Arches hot press watercolor board. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $225.
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Painting Bird Eggs in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint eggs using all the various tints and shades of beautiful natural colors ranging from pale blue, blue-greens, ochres, buffs, tans, pinks, and violets. Then learn how to recreate their various markings of spots, scrawls, swirls, etc. using different brushes. This project is a good exercise in blending and shading for Beginners as well as advanced students. Bring your supplies and your Arches hot press watercolor block, at least a 7x10". You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $$75.
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Painting Birds in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint a bird from a specimen. This is the best way to learn because you have the specimen right in front of you to observe. Learn how to paint the bill, feet, feather structure, feathers, and how to make the eye look "alive" with color refection. Bring your art supplies and your Arches hot press watercolor block or board. 10x14", or anything close to that. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $150.
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The Ancient Art of Animal Tracking in the Field & in the Studio with Maryjo and Tracker Tiffany

Come join us for a very informative and fun day learning the art of animal tracking from a professional tracker. Find out who inhabits our forests and hillsides here in Bonny Doon. Who are the animals that leave footprints on our sandy trails. Reading tracks is not easy, the animal tracker must be prepared to use his/her ingenuity to interpret what he sees. So I invite you to join me and Tiffany to wander our trails and learn a little about this ancient science. We will then learn how to sketch with graphite wash pencils and graph paper to record what we find. Then we will learn how to make a plaster cast to preserve the tracks that we find for future study of the track in tangible form. We will then return to the studio to redraw our tracks in a sketchbook, label and record information that we learn. Bring a good quality sketch Book, small 6" ruler, and a Derwent graphite wash pencil (dark). I will supply the plaster of paris and what we need for the castings. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $75.
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Plein Air Journaling

For this class we will be painting outdoors. This will be the choice of the students from Brazil. It also depends on weather. We have a choice of the surrounding area Here in Bonny Doon next to the nature reserve, at the Mills Gardens, or up the coast. We will be adventurers for the day. We will be sketching with Graphite wash pencils, and painting with watercolors. Bring a good quality spiral bound watercolor Journal, a landscape journal (watercolor), your watercolors, brushes, cloth, water container, and whatever you need or take when you are on a painting trip. If you have a folding chair, you can bring that otherwise we have the studio folding chairs. Bring a bag lunch. $50.
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Painting Dragonflies in Watercolor & Gouache

Capture the beauty of these lovely insects. We’ll paint from my collection, learning how to capture the gauziness of their wings and iridescence of their body. For the first day we’ll paint in watercolor and gouache on a tinted or black board. I’ll provide the board. Next day we’ll paint on Arches hot press watercolor board. Bring all your supplies. You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $150.
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Collage and Shadow Box Workshops by Sunny Koch

My daughter and collage artist Sunny Koch will be teaching Collage and Shadow Box workshops in the studio this year. She will explore several themes in separate classes… roots, bird, sea, journey, faith, butterfly, dream, and cabinet of curiosities. Sunny will guide you through selecting, editing, and assembling your collected materials, and constructing a collage based on your theme.

A Collage will be created on a flat surface, an archival panel. It may be constructed completely flat, or with a few dimensional objects, as Sunny does.

A Shadow Box can be created in a wood cigar box that has been unhinged, using the bottom of the box to display both dimensional objects and flat materials. You may also use any type of wood box, old wood drawer, or a store-bought shadow box. You will learn how to create a collage or scene in a box, using foreground, middle ground, and background.

A Habitat Box is a type of shadow box. It is a natural environment or nature scene created in a box. Similar to a diorama, it combines art and science as a small-scale scene. You may use beautiful cutouts of birds, butterflies, and sea creatures from prints intermingled in your nature scene. Any type of wood box mentioned above will do. Research Joseph Cornell for examples.

The workshops will mostly be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 AM to 4 PM, at Koch Studios, and will require you to bring your own lunch. If you wish to continue working on your unfinished collage, you may register for any of Sunny’s workshops. After registration, a materials list will be emailed to you.

You may view examples of Sunny’s collage on her website, or in her book. She also offers private workshops in the studio at $50/hour. Contact Sunny with your questions regarding her workshops.
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Collage with Sunny Koch - "Roots"

Create your own artful family-tree collage inspired by Sunny’s illustrations Discovering My Roots and Tracing Our Roots. It may be a family tree with leaves crafted of sepia toned photographs, hand-scripted letters, maps, fabric, decorative papers, and naturalist ephemera. You may also create a related but unique collage, as the theme speaks to you personally. A wonderful class for those wondering how to compose a collage with collected family ephemera. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Painting at the Mills Garden in a Journal

We will be studying botanicals in plein air. The Mills garden is filled with every kind of botanical that you could think of. We will meander through the gardens with our journal and paints in hand, recording what we find amongst the roses, iris, succulents, grasses, lavender, just to name a few. This is a color learning class. Observing botanicals outdoors in natural light helps us distinguish correct colors. I will show you how I determine correct color, also how to sketch and draw botanicals from life. Bring a watercolor (spiral bound) journal, watercolors, a good watercolor brush with a pointed tip, pencil, eraser, cloth water container, oxgall (if you have it), folding chair, hat, and a bag lunch. First day we meet in my studio. If you have been to the Mills before you needn’t meet at my studio. Arrive at the Mills no earlier than 10:00 AM. If you are meeting at my studio, arrive no later than 9:30, best by 9:15. $100.
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Roses as a Botanical in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to capture the beauty of roses using watercolor and gouache. We will learn how to paint leaves and stems as well as the flower itself. The dark shiny leaves make it a good exercise to learn shadowing and highlighting. Learn how to create beautifully blended petals and the soft texture of their ruffled edges that capture light as well as areas of intense color. Bring all your supplies. I’ll have rose colors to share with you if you don’t have just the right color. Bring your Arches hot press 140 lb. watercolor block, 10x14" or no smaller than 9x12". You will also enjoy a spring lunch. $150.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Roots"

Create a shadow box or habitat box that illustrates and adorns your unique family story, as Sunny’s Tree Love. A personal story that is told by your collection of family mementos, vintage photographs and handwritten letters, naturalist and paper ephemera, found objects and heirloom curiosities. A perfect class for those wondering how to compose a work of art with collected family treasures. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Bird"

Compose a shadow box or habitat box inspired by the birds that sing and soar above us. You may decide to create your own A Good Egg shadow box as Sunny did; with a photograph of your little loved one nestled in a hand-made nest of natural fibers, moss, lichen, and feathers. Or create a bird habitat box, a handcrafted woodland environment for your beautiful paper cutout bird to perch on, a la Joseph Cornell. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Collage with Sunny Koch - "Bird"

Create a collage inspired by your bird kinship, as Sunny’s Were I A Bird and Bird Soul. To adorn your theme, you may decide to use handmade papers, vintage photographs, prints and hand-scripted letters, feathers and eggshells, paper and naturalist ephemera, seedpods and pressed botanicals. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Painting Orchids in Watercolor & Gouache

For this class we will be studying the art of John Day (1824-1888), the eminent English orchid grower and collector. He not only grew orchids, but also painted watercolors from his collections. The Day archive located at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is used daily by scientists and horticulturists. His paintings are not only gloriously beautiful, but are of scientific value. By studying and observing the way he painted we will then proceed to paint our own version of an orchid. If you have a favorite orchid to paint, bring it to class. I will also have orchids available. Bring your art supplies as well as your Arches hot press watercolor block or board, no smaller than 10x14". You will also enjoy an early summer lunch. $150.
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Painting Berries as a Botanical in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint the various varieties of berries in season. We’ll be painting them as a botanical, including their leaves and stems. If you have a holding jig with clamps to hold the woody stems, please bring it to class. Bring your art supplies including a Arches hot press watercolor block at least 10x14". You will also enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Sea"

Create a beautifully composed sea environment as a shadow box or habitat box, with your collection of naturalist sea finds, found objects, treasures, curiosities, and paper ephemera, inspired by Sunny’s The Ocean Between Us. You may decide to use photographs, or printed sea creature cutouts, to accent your theme. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Painting Dried Botanicals & Seed Pods in Watercolor & Gouache

Seed pods of plants should be given just as careful attention to detail as the rest of the plant. Drying plant stems with spiraling tendrils, dry folded leaves, and interesting seed receptacles can make a lovely illustration, especially on black paper. The twists and turns of dried citrus leaves make for a good exercise in learning how to create 3-dimension and form. You’ll learn how to shadow and highlight for this exercise. Bring your supplies. If you have a magnifying glass for discerning the forms of some of the tiny seeds and smaller pods, bring it to class, it will be a big help. Bring you Arches hot press watercolor block. 9x12". I’ll supply black board if you wish to paint on it. You will also enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
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Botanical Ornament in Graphite and White Color Pencil on Tinted Board

For this class we study the ornament designs inspired from botanicals for the Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. From reproductions of the drawings we will re-draw these beautiful images of turned leaves, flowers, buds, stems, and twisting grasses that were used to design ornament for French motifs. Used for French Architectural reliefs, inlay work, fabric, light fixtures, and furniture design and other sources. This will improve your drawing skills for botanicals, and anything else related to it. Bring a mechanical pencil 0.5mm with 2H lead and a white color pencil, plus an eraser. I will provide the tinted board. You will also enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
Class Info | Registration | Directions

Collage with Sunny Koch - "Sea"

Imagine and create a collage that illustrates your kinship to the sea and its creatures, as Sunny did in Mermaid, Mussel Lady, and Cancun Couture. It may be a whimsical sea creature, mermaid, or one dressed in fine sea and shell couture. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Painting Shells, Beach Glass, Stones, and Seaweed on the Beach in the Studio in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn all the techniques you will need to know to create a painting in my studio of shells, stone, seaweed, and beach glass lying on the beach. We will add sea foam and an edge of water. A very fun class for all ages. Bring your art supplies, make sure you have Winsor & Newton permanent white and yellow ochre gouache. Bring your Arches hot press watercolor block no smaller than 7x10", a sharp xacto knife and artist low tact tape. We’ll enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
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Painting Bird Nests in Watercolor & Gouache

Refer to same class in April. This is a 3 day class. $225.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Journey"

Through our lifetime we will experience many types of journeys of the body and soul. They may be internal, physical, spiritual, of land, or of imagination. Learn to create a shadow box based on your experience, process, destination, or direction. Artfully illustrate your unique theme, while displaying your journey’s mementos, curiosities, finds, collections, and ephemera. A perfect class for those wishing to capture a memory, or wondering what to do with everything collected on a fond trip. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Floral Images of Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe, (1887-1986) is one of America’s best-loved artists. Her art has long fascinated us. Her paintings of the Jimson Weed is so beautiful as well as all her other flower paintings. O’Keeffe takes you into the depths of the flower she’s painting, which is what we will try to do with our own paintings. In this class we will first study O’Keeffe’s flower paintings…how she designs her pieces, how she simplifies flowers, the colors she uses, etc. Then we will paint an enlarged flower using the same principals as O’Keeffe did in oils, except we will use gouache. Bring your art supplies, and your Arches hot press watercolor block, 12x16". You will also enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
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Painting Skulls in Watercolor & Gouache

Besides painting flowers, O’Keeffe also loved painting skulls. We won’t be painting the large ones she did. We’ll be painting the small ones that inhabit my shelves, fox, raccoon, rabbit, coyote, birds, all painted in gouache. You can choose between black paper, tinted or white paper. Bring your art supplies. Make sure you have a good tube of Winsor & Newton permanent white. I’ll supply the boards. Bring your Arches hot press watercolor block if you wish. You will also enjoy a summer lunch. $150.
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Collage with Sunny Koch - "Journey"

Through our lifetime we will experience many types of journeys of the body and soul. They may be internal, physical, spiritual, of land, or of imagination. Learn to create a collage based on your experience, process, destination, or direction. Artfully illustrate your unique theme, while displaying your journey’s personal ephemera. A great class for those wishing to capture a memory, or wondering what to do with everything collected on a fond trip. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Finishing Up Work

This has been a request, to have a weekend where you may come into the studio to finish up a painting and get help if needed. Well, here it is! Take advantage of this time for extra help and to finish projects that were started but never finished. You will also enjoy lunch. $150.
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Collage with Sunny Koch - "Faith"

Create an exquisite collage based on faith. You may center your collage on a poem, quote, lyric, or scripture. Though you may also focus on hope, love, gratitude, grace, mercy, forgiveness, renewal, redemption, praise, worship, or prayer. Each collage will be intentionally designed and crafted to remind and focus you on your purpose, while it uplifts and encourages you through your spiritual walk. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Butterfly"

They symbolize the soul, love, good luck, rebirth, metamorphosis, and transformation. Compose a shadow box or habitat box inspired by the beautiful butterflies and moths that embellish this world. You may decide to use found butterfly wings, a full specimen, vintage butterfly scrap art, or a cutout from a lovely butterfly print. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Dream"

Whether it is a fantastical dream of night or day, hope or desire. Create a shadow box that is whimsical, visionary, introspective, otherworldly, imaginary, of aspiration, or ambition. We will also study the work of collagist Joseph Cornell, known for his collages, nostalgic assemblages, and shadow boxes of ideas, memories, and dreams. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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Shadow Box with Sunny Koch - "Cabinet of Curiosities"

Convert an old wood box or drawer into a box of wonders! If the box doesn’t already have compartments, we will begin by reconstructing the box interior into shelving and nooks for your collection of specimens, ephemera, and mementoes. Artfully display or cleverly hide your treasures in jars, bottles, boxes, and containers… in such a way that is scientifically poetic. You may choose a specific theme, or work spontaneously. Bring your own lunch. $130.
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