Maryjo Koch - 2012 Class Schedule

Dear Students,

Welcome to a new creative year. This year I will be offering classes in both oils, watercolor, and gouache. We will learn how to paint from the natural world. We also will be learning the art of journaling and collage using all different types of medium and techniques to give our journals our personal touch, whether it be a nature, travel, garden, or personal journal. In May, we will be painting outdoors at the Mills gardens here close to Bonny Doon. We will be trying different techniques with different mediums. We also will be having our traditional bird nest painting classes throughout the year. Plus many more fun classes to fill out our year of creative enjoyment.

I would also like to announce the publication of my new book, ‘Eat Sleep Fly” which will arrive this spring. We are wrapping up “The Artist, The Cook, & The Gardener”, which will be published end of this year, or spring 2013. I want to thank all our recipe testers out there for doing such a great job. I, along with Jenny, Eve, and Wendy really appreciate your time and effort. I am also proud to announce that I will be Victoria Magazine’s Artist in Residence 2012. Look for this lovely, inspiring magazine which publishes bi-monthly. It’s my favorite. Check out the Jan/Feb issue For a nice article with my nest paintings.

All my classes are for beginners all the way up to advanced 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.

I look forward to seeing you all. There is a maximum 8 students per class except outdoor classes. It is important that all students register with a deposit for ½ of the class payment. I need to have contact info, especially during the winter months.

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

Learn How To Creatively Create Your Own Personal Journal

For this class I will help you put together your own individual journal. Be it for a trip, garden, nature, or personal, you will learn many creative ways to put that special touch into your own journal and make it stand out and be uniquely yours. We’ll learn quick painting techniques, page structure, composition, how to turn photos into paintings, plus collage techniques. Bring a journal that is appropriate for what you want to work on, along with your photos, ephemera, pens and watercolors. If you have an xacto knife, sharp scissors, yes paste, and a cutting mat, bring those too. Let me know what you want to work on ahead of time so I can have ephemera for you ahead of time to add to your journals. $150. This class is full.

Learn How To Creatively Create Your Own Personal Journal

Same class as above. It’s recommended to take both classes, but not mandatory. $150. There are 5 more openings in this class.

The Art of Painting Leaves in Watercolor and Gouache

This is a great class on learning many of the techniques of painting in gouache. A good class for beginners, or just to learn basics. We learn basic washes, shadowing, highlighting, detailing, dry brushing, all the techniques that you need to know while painting lovely garden leaves. You’ll even learn how to paint water drops on leaves. You’ll learn how to love this medium as I do. Bring your art supplies and gouache if you have it. If not, I will supply you with the colors you need. I will also have brushes For you to buy. I’ll supply the board. $150.00

Painting Owl Feathers in Watercolor and Gouache

Learn how to paint the feathers of owls such as the Barn Owl and Great Horned Owl. Learn how to layer on colors to make the feathers look soft; how to fringe the edges of the feathers that are used to quiet flight, and how to recreate the barred texture of the feather’s surface. When you are finished you will have a beautiful feather and not know the real from the painted version. Bring all your supplies. I’ll provide board. $75.00

Painting Iridescent Feathers in Watercolor and Gouache

In this class we will learn how to paint feathers that have iridescence, such as the pea fowl, peacock, hummingbird, wild turkey, and pheasant, to name a few. We will learn how to recreate the illusion of iridescence without using iridescent paint. Bring all your supplies. I’ll provide board. $75.00

Illuminating Your Initial in Watercolor and Gouache

Learn how to create your own illuminated initial. We start with an initial from a decorative alphabet. Then we flourish it to recreate our own unique initial. Create an initial for stationary, business card or label. You can also create an initial for someone special. Bring all your supplies. I’ll provide board. $150.00

Painting Butterflies & Moths in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint these beautiful insects from my collection. We’ll learn about painting on tinted, and black board. Learn the art of dry brushing to create texture, detailing of veins and markings, and much more. Bring your supplies. I’ll provide board. $150.00

Painting Bees, Bumblebees, and Other Insects on Flower Petals in Watercolor and Gouache

Using a flower petal as our “petalstil” we’ll learn how to paint the insects that visit flowers. The colorful flower petal makes the perfect backdrop for these lovely little insects. You can turn your illustrations into fun cards, stationary, bookmarks, or labels. Bring your supplies, and arches hot-press watercolor block. $150.00

Dragonflies & Skimmers Illuminated in Watercolor & Gouache

For this class I’ll have the letters D and S transferred onto a tinted board for you to paint then illuminate with dragonflies and skimmers, painting them in gouache. Learn how to paint their gauzy wings and iridescent bodies. Bring all your supplies, I’ll provide the boards. $150.00

Painting Bird Nests in Either Oils, or Watercolor & Gouache

This is our traditional bird nest class. If you enjoy painting details of dry botanicals incorporated in the weavings of a bird nest, you’ll love this class. You have the choice of using oils for a more painterly look, or watercolor and gouache for a more detailed look. Using the smooth texture of hot press watercolor paper, or board, precise brushes, and best quality paint, we’ll re-create a masterpiece made simply by a bird. If this is your first nest painting class I’ll guide you through all the steps. Bring all your supplies, including your hot press watercolor block (at least 10x14) if painting in watercolor or gouache. If painting in oils, bring your canvas or panels and non-solvent oil painting supplies. This is a 3-day class. If you can only come for 2 days, please let me know. $225.00 3 days $150.00 2 days

Painting Bird Eggs in Watercolor & Gouache

This is one of my favorite subjects to paint. There are so many beautiful tints and textures that are so fun to paint. Just learning how to paint an egg is one of the first lessons from the masters. You learn everything from a single egg, shadowing, highlighting, blending, perspective, etc. You’ll also learn how to paint bird eggs in a little box, in sand, with grass, or the inner cup of a nest, it’s your choice. This is a good class for beginners as well as advanced. Bring all your art supplies plus your hot press watercolor block. $150.00

Painting Water in Watercolor & Gouache

For this class we start by learning how to paint water drops on leaves and flower petals, then we learn how to paint creek water, pond water, and moving water surrounded by rocks and stones. You will learn from my step-by-step method. The creek we learn to paint (in the studio) is from my studies of Redwood Creek in Muir Woods (Marin County) when I worked on the book for the Golden Gate Parks called “Web of Water”. Bring your watercolors and gouache, and your hot press watercolor block along with your art supplies. $150.00

Techniques for Recording Plant Life, Birds, Insects, and the Written Word in a Journal

Learn different techniques using different mediums such as watercolor, gouache, acrylic, pitt pens, sketching wash graphite pencils, sketching pencils, mixed media, and Graphitint colored graphite wash pencils. Learn how to create different affects either alone or combined. I’ll demonstrate with these different mediums and will have these available for you to try. I’ll demonstrate my techniques that I use for the written word. Bring a good quality notebook to record what you learn. This is a great class to take before a planned trip, or before we paint at the Mill’s garden. $75.00

Painting Quick Landscapes, Trees, & Buildings in a Journal

For this class you will learn the techniques I use to create my journals. We’ll learn how to quickly illustrate what we see and how to make it look ‘professional’. Bring a good quality notebook or journal with good paper to record what you learn. Bring your art supplies, watercolors and gouache (if you have them), a micron black 005 #1 archival ink pen, a dark wash Derwent sketching pencil. I’ll supply acrylic and gouache if you do not have them. $75.00

Sketching at the Mills Garden Using Pitt Artist's Brush Pens

Pick yourself up 3 small sets of Faber-Castell Artist Pitt Brush Pens, the Landscape, Basic, and Shades of Grey (more colors if you like, they sell them separately). Each set contains 6 brush pens. This will be enough to sketch and record the landscape, botanicals, olive orchard, barn, and garden statuary at this beautiful estate. All you need are the pens and a favorite journal to record the days spent in these lovely gardens. Follow me as we meander through the paths and learn to brush sketch trees, flowers, buildings, and garden statuary. For local artists, Palace caries all the different colors and the sets. Bring a folding chair or stool, hat, sunscreen, and lunch. First day we meet at my studio at 9:00, please be on time. We will then drive to the Mills, which is 15 minutes from my studio. $100.00

Painting at the Mills Garden in a Journal

Follow me as we meander through the many gardens at this beautiful estate. With journals in hand we will learn how to quickly record and paint in watercolor the many botanicals growing there. I’ll teach you how to use your brush to create quick studies of roses, succulents, lavender, exotic botanicals, grasses, seed pods, iris, and many more. At the end of the weekend you will have a journal filled with plant life in all its delicacy and variety. These painted sketches are meant to be quick to capture just the essence of the plant to record, not a detailed study. Bring a good quality journal, preferably with a hard cover and spiral bound. The paper should be watercolor paper. Bring a good quality watercolor set, a tube of white gouache, one watercolor brush size 3 or 4 with an excellent point, a small water container, cloth, and folding chair or stool. Do not bring pencils or erasers. Bring your lunch, a hat, and sunscreen. We meet first in my studio at 9:00, please be on time. It takes 15 minutes to drive to the Mills. $100.00

Painting Roses in Watercolor & Gouache

June brings us roses. Learn how to paint this lovely flower in watercolor and gouache. Learn how to capture the depth, softness, fragility, richness of color, and the interwoven layers of petals. Bring your arches hot press watercolor block and painting supplies. $150.00

Painting Bird Nests In Watercolor & Gouache

This is our traditional bird nest class using watercolor and 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 texture of hot press watercolor paper, or board, precise brushes, and best quality gouache and watercolor, we'll recreate a masterpiece made simply by a bird. Bring all your supplies, including your hot press watercolor block (at least 10x14 in.). I'll provide board if you prefer a three-day class let me know. $150.00 for two day class or $225.00 for three day class

Painting the Forest Floor

While walking along forest trails have you ever looked down at the beauty of the earth beneath your feet? The dry leaves, little moss and lichen covered twigs, pebbles and stones, beetles, seed pods, etc. For this class each student will have their own ‘miniature forest garden’ to paint from. I’ll recreate little gardens from our forest. Choose your medium and recreate your garden on paper board. These are very fun to paint, with beautiful results. Bring the supplies you need and I’ll guide you along the way. I’ll supply the board. $150.00

Fooling Everyone with the Art of Trompe L'Oeil in Watercolor & Gouache

The Greek painter Zeuxis painted grapes so deceptively realistic that birds flew down to feast on them, even pecking at the picture. The Italian Proto-Renaissance painter Giotto painted a fly onto a saint’s nose that was so lifelike that the master tried to shoo it away with his hand. I’ve experienced this myself while illustrating my own books. We’ll learn what masters did to ‘fool the eye’. Then, we’ll learn how to create this art form. It’s all technique with shadow, highlight, and realism. Bring your art supplies plus Arches hot press watercolor block. $150.00

Painting the Ocean in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint foam patterns, waves, breakers, and the rhythm of moving water. I’ve created a step-by-step method to make it easier to accomplish. Bring all your art supplies plus your 10 x 14 Arches hot press watercolor block. $150.00

Painting Shells, Beach Glass, Stones, and Seaweed on the Beach in the Studio in Watercolor & Gouache.

Have you ever come across a beautiful shell lying in the sand and wish you could paint it? Now you can learn all the techniques you will need to know to create a painting in my studio using shells and various sands from around the world from my collection. We will also learn how to paint beach glass, stones, and seaweed. We will then add sea foam, and an edge of water. A very fun class to learn lots of different techniques. This is a good class for beginners or young artists as well as advanced students. Bring your Arches hot press watercolor block no smaller than 7 x 10. Your watercolor, gouache, and art supplies. Make sure you include a tube of permanent white gouache (preferably Winsor & Newton, and a sharp xacto knife. $150.00

Painting Large Shells in Acrylic

Choose a Green Turban, Trumpet, Nautilus shell, or one of the many large shells from my collection, and learn how to paint it in acrylic. Create a beautiful painting of one shell or several. Paint on white or tinted board. Bring your acrylics or use from my supply. Bring your art supplies, I’ll provide the tinted board. $150.00

Landscapes at Costanoa in Watercolor

Join me at this lovely coastal resort and learn how to paint landscapes in watercolor. This is a comfortable place to paint. The hillsides are lovely with open space, an expanse of sky, and trees that grow nearby…all for us to paint. There is a restaurant for lunch, or you can bring your own and enjoy a picnic in their comfortable outdoor area. Bring a stool, easel (if you have one), hat, watercolors and supplies, and cold press watercolor block or boards. Meet me at the Costanoa parking lot no later than 10 AM. Bring a lunch if not eating at the restaurant. $100.00

Painting Birds in Watercolor & Gouache

Learn how to paint a bird from a museum specimen. This is the best way to learn…when 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 reflection. Bring your art supplies and your Arches hot press watercolor block (10 x 14, or anything close to that size). $150.00

Painting Bird Nests in all Mediums

Please refer to April 13, 14, 15 class for information, it’s the same class.

Painting Botanical Studies for a Nature Journal in Watercolor & Gouache

For this summer weekend we’ll learn how to paint studies of plant life in our nature journals.. Start a nature journal by recording different plant life from wild native plants that grow here in the Santa Cruz mountains. Learn how to record these observations in a journal. We’ll learn how to paint and draw, creating studies that we can use for future use. Bring a journal with good quality paper that you would like to keep for your observations. Bring your watercolors, tube of permanent white gouache, and art supplies. $150.00