Depict still lives, landscapes or portraits in oils, acrylics, or watercolors. Perfect for those who have never touched a brush.
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Painting Classes
Explore The Studio
Painting Studio
Spacious and light-filled, this studio on the north end of campus hosts painting, drawing, calligraphy, and mixed media classes. Well stocked with equipment and supplies, a demonstration area, sinks, a library, and a spacious covered patio with scenic views just waiting to be rendered, you’ll never want to leave this studio.
News & Stories: What's Happening in Painting
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February 14, 2023
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October 25, 2022
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August 29, 2022
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July 25, 2022
Building on your feedback, we're...
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July 22, 2022
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May 28, 2021
On the week of our reopening, Carol joined us to teach her class Campus Sketch Crawl. Read below to hear her thoughts on being back in the studio and to see the artwork of campus her students produced!
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May 10, 2020
June Rollins shares a video she made for her watercolor class and gives us some tips for artists while staying at home.
“Like many of us, Rob, my husband, and I have been at home since Mid-March. The first couple of weeks it felt like I had taken early retirement. I was scheduled to teach my first, week-long watercolor class at the Folk School, March 29–April 4, 2020. It didn’t happen. My class was just one of many that had to be canceled. I had planned on sharing the painting steps of “Made For The Sun,” with my class. Instead, I’d like to share them with you in the video slideshow below.”
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February 24, 2017
The intricate paper cuts of Ingrid Lavoie draw you into a fantastic world of whimsy, nature, and storytelling. She enjoys unfolding a new work to reveal the paper’s transformation, and has been teaching others this delightful art form for several years. Enjoy our interview!
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June 8, 2016
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December 22, 2014
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March 18, 2014
Look what friend of the Folk School, Liz Dahmen, found at an estate sale in Beacon, NY this past weekend:
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June 27, 2013
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April 30, 2013
June Rollins is one of our favorite Craft Shop people and bloggers here at the Folk School. But did you know that June is also an awesome artist? This Easter, June painted an awesome portrait of Edward, our beloved Rooster and we loved the card so much, we wanted to find out more about June Rollins’ artistic ventures!
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September 3, 2012
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June 22, 2012
Resident Artist in Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media
Billie Shelburn
Billie has studied painting with a number of prominent watercolorists. She has served on the boards of several art organizations and is a member of the National Organization for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her work is represented in numerous galleries and exhibitions. Billie has taught art classes to both children and adults, and she has also taught creative writing in public and private schools. She enjoys incorporating humor and life situations as a creative outlet, along with therapy-related exercises for artists.
Painting Studio Assistant
Virginia Urani
Virginia studied art at Wichita State University before moving to Kansas City, where she worked as an artist for Hallmark® cards. She attended Kansas City Art Institute and studied with numerous artists. In addition to teaching at the Folk School, she gives private classes in her studio, as well as in Italy. She works in several media, but loves watercolor and considers it perfect for capturing the beauty of mountains and wildflowers. In 2016 she received a NC Arts Council grant to paint studies of trees in the bonsai garden at the NC Arboretum in Asheville, NC. She also received a residency from the Wildacres Retreat Foundation in 2017 to create a book using her paintings. Virginia lives with her husband, John, near Hayesville, NC, and is the Folk School’s Studio Assistant for the Painting program.
Book & Paper Arts, Printmaking, Marbling, Calligraphy, Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, Photography, Writing Coordinator
Rachel Watson
Rachel is an interdisciplinary artist working in alternative and traditional photography, printmaking, jewelry, woodworking, book arts, textiles, and installation. After completing her MFA at the University of Georgia in 2020, she digitized the 7,000-piece collection at Newcomb Art Museum in New Orleans. Originally from Northeast Georgia, Rachel has traveled the world learning alternative photography processes and participating in photography and printmaking conferences. She is currently renovating Elf School, a historic school in Hayesville, NC, where she plans to build studios and continue her art practice while sharing her passion, skills, and experience with others at the Folk School.
Images from the Studio
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