Cape Cod Conservatory Expands Art Classes for Adults

Cape Cod Conservatory Expands Art Classes for Adults

Oil painting, photography, jewelry making and stained glass making courses offered

WEST BARNSTABLE -- The Cape Cod Conservatory announced today that it is adding five new courses specifically for adults at its West Barnstable campus.  The classes include beginning and advanced art, photography, jewelry making and stained glass making. 

“Over the past several months we have reached out to our remarkable creative community,” said Cape Cod Conservatory Executive Director Jeff Myers.  “The depth and breadth of what the Cape has to offer is outstanding.  These new courses represent the best of the best.”

OIL PAINTING FOR BEGINNERS
Ron Tinney is currently one of the Cape’s most sought-after landscape artists.  But it wasn’t always so.  In fact, as recently as eight years ago he’d never even bought a canvas.  Today his masterpieces grace the walls of galleries and homes all across the Cape.  How did it happen?  “I always wanted to learn to paint,” said Tinney.  “One day I saw a sign for evening classes and the first lesson was a life-changing event.”  Tinney will share his story and his remarkable skills with others – at an evening class, of course -- at the Conservatory.

“Ron is the embodiment of what we’re all about: Inspired Artists… Inspiring Students,” said Myers.  “Ron is a born artist and born to teach.  His personal experience and skills and his recent success will serve as excellent models for anyone who, like Ron eight years ago, has never picked up a paint brush.”

“I know what it’s like to stare at a blank canvas for the first time and wonder ‘How am I ever going to do this?’” said Tinney.  “A big part of this is just taking the fear out of it by developing an understanding of the basics.  From there, it’s easy… and fun!” 

Tinney’s classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30- 9 pm at the Conservatory’s West Barnstable campus starting February 27.  They will run for 8 weeks. 

OIL PAINTING FOR EXPERIENCED ARTISTS
Loretta Feeney has been known to artists on the Cape for years.  Her work has been exhibited around the world with subject matter ranging from France to Fenway.  She is the winner of three Gold medals in National Competitions in addition to many other awards of merit for her oil painting.  While her work is highly admired by collectors, galleries and fellow artists, it’s her teaching skills that really set her apart.  “I really love what I do and I always share that with my students,” said Feeney.  “I help bring out the student’s own style, giving them tools to help bring their vision to reality.”
The key to any painting, says Feeney, is how you start it.  “With a solid start you will almost always end up with a great addition to your portfolio.  But a bad start makes it tough to pull it out.”  Loretta’s classes at the Conservatory will appropriately focus on techniques for starting a painting, to make sure it has the best possible chance for success.  “It’s like building a house,” she added.  “You need a solid foundation.  Once you do that you can build a masterpiece.”

Feeney’s classes will be held Monday and Wednesday evenings and Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  They begin February 19th and run for 6 weeks each.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Doug Long has been a working and teaching photographer on the Cape for more than 20 years.  His classes and seminars are always standing-room only, and for good reason:  in an easy-going way he helps people take much better photographs.  Doug notes that, while learning the ways of digital cameras and related technology becomes more critical every day, knowing the basics is still key to being an educated photographer.   He stresses that we can open our eyes with greater vision by exploring the visual arts, design and photographs of the masters - current and the past. 

"Whether you're shooting with a digital camera or a film camera, the basics are the same," said Long.  "Find your own vision and have fun doing it."   

These courses – one for adults and one for the young set – are designed to be highly user-friendly to anyone who wants to get better results from their camera.  Anyone who got a digital camera for Christmas will certainly get a lot out of it.  The course will start with an introduction to the great themes:   Nature, Portrait, Human Condition and Still Life.  Two other courses will follow in the series.  The second course will center on advanced techniques; the third course will use the Cape as a backdrop for on-location nature photography.  "We live in one of the most beautiful and photogenic places in the world," Doug added.   "This course will teach you to look at our Cape in a whole new light and capture it with your camera." 

Doug's classes will start February 25 and run for six weeks.  The class for adults is from 1:30 – 3:30 PM and the class for youth (age 10 and up) is from 4 – 5:30 PM .  Students need to bring their own camera.  

JEWELRY MAKING
Etta Goodstein is synonymous with beautiful jewelry on Cape Cod.  This spring she will share her secrets for making the Cape’s most popular jewelry and provide her students with the skills to create their own styles of wearable art.  Etta has been making jewelry since high school when she realized she could combine all her interests – design, weaving, painting, sculpture -- in one area.  After college she took a job in Boston.  It only took six weeks to realize she wanted to be self employed.  Boston’s loss quickly became the Cape’s huge gain.
And now her students can benefit from her years of experience – and fabulous success.  
As this is being written, Etta is in Australia sourcing the beautiful stones – opals and black diamonds are favorites – that are the inspiration for much of her work.  She often sees her designs in nature and living on the Cape provides her with a wealth of subject matter.  Bangkok and India are next on her itinerary.
“I love to work with gems.  Their colors really influence my concepts and become integral to the designs,” said Etta.

Students in Etta’s classes will learn all the basic skills needed to to make jewelry in the class as well as later at home.  The fundamentals include basic design, working with metals, stone selection and finishing.

Etta’s classes will be held on Tuesdays from 10 am to noon beginning in early April.  A modest lab fee equips students with tools that they can continue to use at home once they have the skills.  Space is very limited due to the nature of the classes.

STAINED GLASS
Whether it’s a modest lamp sitting on a table or a huge masterpiece dominating a cathedral wall in Europe, stained glass never fails to impress the senses.  Its beauty, whether illuminated by a light bulb or the sun, is at once subtle and overwhelming.  How are these works of art created?  And can I do that?  The answers to these and many other questions will be provided in a series of classes by members of the Guild of Fine Glass Artists. 

This organization is well known all over the Cape as an open working studio founded by three accomplished Cape Cod glass artists: Christie Andresen, Donna Mahan, and Stephen Donnelley. Although each artist incorporates glass into their art, their diverse applications range from classical Tiffany Style design and theory to sculptural work using recycled objects and to abstract designs including wrought metal and negative space.

Together, the three glass artists bring more than 60 years of experience to their three comprehensive stained glass making classes. Each artist will introduce you to their particular style of design, giving traditional stained glass construction basics, and then exploring new methods and concepts. For beginner and accomplished artists alike, these classes offer new insight into glass as an art form and sculptural medium.

The classes will start in March; due to the nature of the work space is very limited and early registration is strongly encouraged.

“All of these courses represent exciting new offerings by the Conservatory,” said Myers.  “Each one is designed to provide the students with the best possible experience; as a group these classes help us realize our mission to enhance the culture of the Cape and serve the community.  Anyone attending these classes – and the many more new ones we’re developing  -- will become inspired as they enhance their creativity and discover new interests.”

FOUNDED IN 1965, THE CAPE COD CONSERVATORY IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING THE CULTURAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH INSTRUCTION IN MUSIC, ART, DANCE AND THEATER. WITH ALMOST 1,000 STUDENTS AND A FACULTY OF MORE THAN 60, IT HAS CAMPUSES LOCATED IN WEST BARNSTABLE ON ROUTE 132 AND ON HIGHFIELD DRIVE IN FALMOUTH, NEXT TO ITS HIGHFIELD THEATER.