Tuesday and Thursday, June 22 and 24 | This two-day workshop focuses on the monarch butterfly's life cycle in symbiotic relationship to its host plant, milkweed. Depict flight by learning basic butterfly anatomy and wing positioning. Understand basic metamorphosis and how the butterfly interacts in the pollination process. Color application can be in watercolor and/or colored pencil. All levels welcome!

Bees play a vital role in our environment, especially when it comes to pollination. Honey bees and native bees are all abuzz this time of year. Learn to capture their behavior and create a composition featuring your favorite native flower! Color application can be in watercolor and or colored pencil. All levels are welcome!

Monday-Wednesday, September 26-28

Spend three full days exploring the wonderful world of watercolor, in-person with artist Mindy Lighthipe. Learn valuable techniques to help you create nature-inspired sketches and formal watercolor paintings. Emphasis will be on accurate details, color mixing, and application—all helping you gain confidence in your watercolor journey. Each day, a series of techniques will be demonstrated as students work on a variety of subjects from leaves to butterflies to flowers, and so much more.

Please note this class requires participants to show proof of having received all eligible Covid-19 vaccinations, as recommended for their age by the CDC, in order to participate. Because of the dynamic nature of this situation, we ask that you agree to abide by potential future changes in CMBG’s Covid-19 policy designed to address evolving public health recommendations.

Monday-Friday, August 21-25,10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Explore the fascinating world of insects and the vital role they play in pollination. In this five-day workshop, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. We’ll also focus on creating compositions where the insects interact with plants. Lectures and demonstrations will provide students with an opportunity to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Insects are included in the course fee, and students will be able to keep their models.

Meet the Beetles! (No, not those Beatles, but these are just as compelling—we promise.) With over 400,000 different types, explore the largest group of insects on the planet through form and shading, creating a beetle line drawing prepared for color. Coleoptera models, photos, and online resources will be a source of endless creativity and inspiration.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Working in watercolor or colored pencil, bring those intricate beetles to life as you learn to create iridescence, shimmer, and beautiful shine along with those tricky translucent wings.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Butterflies, moths, and skippers? Oh, my! Members of the Lepidoptera family are rich in texture and pattern, making excellent models for line drawings. We’ll focus on anatomy and creating a natural positioning of a butterfly or moth from pinned specimens and photos. Students will end the day with line drawings prepared for color.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

In watercolor or colored pencil, students will work from their own line drawings and explore color-applying techniques that create form, texture, and patterns in those kaleidoscopic Lepidopteran wings.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

We know insects play a vital role in pollination, and in this class, we’ll apply that knowledge to our compositions. Create a piece featuring a specific plant and insect of choice, and learn tips about researching plants, pollinators, and creating a visual life cycle.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Delve deeply into the art of graphite drawing. Using simple botanical subjects, this online class will give students confidence in accurately depicting various fruits and vegetables. Using a light source and three-dimensional armature and an emphasis on highlights, mid-tones, and shadow areas, artists will develop an understanding of concave and convex shapes. Students will complete a three-part series of drawings, line, armature, and full tonal graphite drawing. This is a two-day online Zoom class on Thursdays, March 7 and 14. The classes are recorded and available for future viewing.

In a continuation of Form & Texture with Graphite Part I, students will further develop their understanding and application of graphite to more complex natural subjects. By using pineapples, pine cones, the interior of a pepper, and so on, students will develop their skills, including working on rendering different pigments in greyscale. Explore the tonal quality and textural differences between the papery skin of garlic and the deep, dark shine of an eggplant. Learn to translate multi-colored subjects into tonal values, all while maintaining form and perspective. This class will meet via Zoom from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on March 21 & 28 and April 4 & 11. Pre-requisite: Suggested as a continuation of Form and Texture with Graphite Part I. These classes are recorded and available for future viewing.