7 Essentials

Self-Study Class Includes Lifetime Access, Online Community & More!

7 Lessons – $72

What makes a successful (and fun) art practice? Anita shares 7 of the core essentials that help her to be free, focused, energized and prolific in her mixed-media work. This is an art buffet for all!

Now available as a self-study class.

TEACHER: Anita Lehmann

Class Description

7 Essentials
The Studio Practice of Anita Lehmann

I get excited when I go to my studio because I get to play… but also because it means getting deeper into my work. Along with the play there is something happening in the background, a discipline of sorts that I have broken down into 7 Essentials. These are tools that I can use to get started, find inspiration, push to a finish or just free myself to be expressive.

I happen to have found 7 of these for myself, including things like Gathering, Brainstorming and “Painting like Crazy.” My hope for this class is that you can explore them, pick and choose what works best for you and finally discover some of your own.

We will be working in a variety of media and I will be giving you some fun assignments to test these out for yourself. I’ll be working with birds, flowers, laundry, and still life. You are welcome to follow along with my subjects or choose your own.

I really hope you can join us to practice and share together!

Anita

_____________________

Class Itinerary

Essential 1 – Collect & Gather
This first essential gives you the opportunity to discover your passions in your art practice; it’s a “gathering of evidence.” Let’s find a box, label it with your theme and fill it up with meaning.

Essential 2 – Field Sketching
Let’s get outside or another space the inspires. This essential provides another opportunity to gather evidence and acknowledge your surroundings, where ALL the senses are on fire. These free-flow drawings will give one a freedom of expression while back in studio, too.

Essential 3 – Memory Map & Brainstorming
A key essential is mapping or brainstorming and letting your ideas generate more ideas. Pose a question and where does it take you?

Essential 4 – Recipe
Pick a Format, a Media and an Idea — and stick with it for a series of pieces. Keeping things simple is key in this fourth essential. With so many art supplies, papers and format (I know I have plenty), employing a recipe in which to work clarifies ideas and concepts, resulting in clear, cohesive artwork.

Essential 5 – Design
One of my favorite essentials, Design is my pathway to strong art. Simultaneously, I am challenging ideas or concepts — a free-flow aspect of usual note-taking, media explorationa nd looking for opportunity in one’s idea. Every thought, diagrammed, in an open and non-judgemental way is freeing and enjoyable.

Essential 6 – Edit
Intention wins in this Essential. I sometimes attempt placing too much into one painting, so I ask myself, “What is really needed here?” or “What is my intention?” Clarity is key; powerful work happens when you edit.

Essential 7 – Paint Like Crazy
Woohoo! Now the fun begins. Many times I have been given this essential: Practice, Practice, Practice; Explore, Explore, Expore… Paint like crazy!

Anita Lehmann is a registered architect in the state of Washington. She is also a teacher and an artist. After receiving training at the University of Washington, she taught freehand drawing in Rome and in Seattle, and currently offers small group classes in drawing and painting. Her other skills include architectural design, graphic design, community planning and design illustration. Using figures as disparate as bugs and urban monuments, Anita has designed several series of alphabets, which have been acquired by the Smithsonian Institution. Prior to receiving the 2013 NAIUSI fellowship, Anita was a graduate student at the University of Washington Rome Center, in Rome, Italy in 1985. See more of her work at www.anitahlehmannartist.com.

Here are the basic supplies you will need for this class! Feel free to substitute materials that you already have on hand.

• favorite paper, minimum 9″ x 12″

 • Medium-size drawing and painting paper: bristol or Saunders watercolor paper, 140# or equiv. 

• Pencils: HB, 2B

• Pencil Sharpener: good quality

 • Erasers: White Stadler Mars, Kneaded 

• Charcoal: Generals Compressed is best: 2b, 4b

 • Watercolors

 • Watercolor Brushes: round, 1” – 2” flat, not too small to work with water-based media

 • Artist Tape

 • Pastels: soft pastel (recommend PanPastels and applicators and/or Diane Townsend Artist’s Pastels)

• a Box to use as a container

• sketchbook

Nuts & Bolts

When you purchase this class, the class overview should show up in your My Classes page immediately and you have forever access.

A private Facebook group will available for you to (optionally) share your artwork and enjoy and learn from the artwork of others. The Facebook group will open the Friday before class begins; you may also email your teacher directly with questions or feedback.