kirah van sickle : the workshops
Kirah offers a variety of educational opportunities. As a certified Golden Artist-Educator, Marabu USA Artist-Educator, and Silver Brush Educator, Kirah has tremendous insight and experience with materials, and professional history in both traditional and contemporary processes. She teaches acrylics, watercolors, oils, pastel, mixed media, monoprinting (gelli arts), and creates custom programming for the individual or small groups.
ONLINE WORKSHOPS
V.I.E.W. by Kirah Van Sickle
Giverny: The Impressionist Landscape in Acrylic or Oil
June 11-12, 2020 1 - 4 pm EDT
Online Only
Level: Beginner and Intermediate - Max 16 participants
Medium: Acrylics or Oil
(Kirah will demonstrate in acrylic but the technique applies for oil as well).
US$178 for 2 sessions of 3 hours each
Link for detailed info and registration:
https://frenchescapade.com/live-online-workshops-kirah/
Let’s channel our inner Monet and explore the keys to Impressionist painting techniques. Working with a double primary palette, similar to that of the masters, we will consider color and composition, the loose "broken color" technique that distinguishes the Impressionist style, as well as address working from photos.
Sessions include step-by-step traditional approaches to building a painting.
Students will be guided on establishing composition, staining the canvas, building the grisaille (underpainting/value study) and adding layered color to a finished painting.
Kirah focuses on the fundamentals of values, composition, and color relationships, as well as brush-handling technique that build confidence and establish a consistent approach to painting each time.
2020 ART + TRAVEL WORKSHOPS
Caves of Painted Dreams (France)*
September 11-20, 2020
Dordogne Valley, France
All Levels
*Still scheduled; will assess in July
"What gives this art its power is that it makes us dream." -Jean Clottes
Dreams, Symbolism and Art in the Painted Caves of France with Carol Aalbers, PhD and Kirah Van Sickle. Explore archetypal images in the caves, in our dreams, and in the beautiful landscape and villages of the Dordogne Valley, France. The painted caves of southwestern France are the perfect metaphor for the internal journey to the unconscious we experience each night in dreams. Relying upon art as a visual language of symbol and metaphor - the language of humans since the first dawning of consciousness, we will explore multiple forms of artistic expression in the context of connecting to our prehistoric artist ancestors.
Fee: $3,050 Per Person Double Room; $3,775 Private Room
Fees include all breakfasts, all lunches at outstanding restaurants, and 3 dinners prepared at the B&B, all site admissions and tour guide services. Dinner other nights is a pot-luck of local market finds hosted each night by a different room. Email kirahart@yahoo.com to be added to wait list.
More info, visit Caves of Painted Dreams.
2021 ART + TRAVEL WORKSHOPS
42nd Annual Artist Week at Sea View Inn
April 2021
Sea View Inn, Pawley's Island, SC
All Levels
It’s time to put the Spring Artists’ Workshop at Sea View Inn on your calendar. The annual workshop continues its 42nd year of combining great painting locations with gorgeous spring weather. The charming shabby chic inn serves three meals a day of low country cooking by Myrtle and Vertrella, adding to the ambience of a most enjoyable workshop.
Kirah takes the artists to a new location each day, having scouted out delightful spots for plein air painting at area plantations, Brookgreen Gardens, and historic cottages on the island. The week is informal and relaxed. Students are encouraged to do as much or as little as they desire. The groups are small enough to get individual attention. All levels are welcome as long as you feel comfortable painting outside. If not, you can work on your own at the inn, or avail yourself of her instruction that focuses on values, color, and the principles of design. Kirah has a natural positive approach to helping individuals achieve their personal goals. She encourages exploring mark-making and improving visual acuity. She always includes handouts and historical context, and will demo in watercolor and acrylic. Kirah is well versed in all painting mediums and happy to work with you in your preferred process. The group winds down by discussing each day’s paintings before supper. Evenings may include videos or slides of other artists’ work. We also reserve a time for painting the wait staff/models.
Positively Plein Air: French Alps
June 16-23, 2021
Annecy, France
Beginner to Advanced
Let’s immerse ourselves in the flavors and colors of the French Alps.
Join Kirah Van Sickle for a French adventure in watercolor, oil and acrylic painting. With the Alps as our inspiration, we will explore a myriad of journal sketching and alla prima painting techniques.
With an approach based on fundamentals of values, composition and color, Kirah will introduce students to exercises and techniques that build brush confidence and achieve bold, fresh and loose results. Students will gain a better understanding of color temperature, limited palette and the dramatic impact in building contrast and dynamic landscape compositions. Both rural and urban subjects will be addressed, using the notan to establish value planes, and color mixing savy.
Kirah will combine instructor demonstrations, extensive reference material and personal guidance directed to the individual artist’s goals and process. Let’s enjoy exploring the amazing sights and flavors…and all that color that is France!
More info: French Alps with Kirah
The Great Alaska Art Adventure
August 18 - August 29, 2021
Alaska
All Levels
Join Kirah for this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime adventure through Alaska. This 12 day land + sea itinerary on MS New Amsterdam - Holland America Line starts in Anchorage and ends in Vancouver with 3 nights at Denali National Park. Sketching, photography, mixed media painting and journal play, lots of excursions with plenty of wildlife and landscape inspiration. Max 15 artists/unlimited companion spots. More info, email Kirah at kirahart@yahoo.com or Karen Thomas at AAA Travel at klthomas@aaacarolinas.com.
Click flyer below for more info.
