Events

Altered Books

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Join Naomi and create your very own altered book!

Altered books are the perfect way to dive into creativity and develop your ability to express yourself personally. We will incorporate painting, text, and found objects and integrate them to create amazing pieces that are meaningful and personal. If there are objects, photos, or specific things you would like to incorporate, bring it along! Old paintings are great to bring along as well.

All materials provided.

This class is a drop-in class: free to members and $20 for non-members.

 

 

About Your Instructor – Naomi Howe

Naomi Howe - The Art LoftNaomi Howe, a resident of Spruce Head, has been an artist all her life, beginning with pen and ink in her young years, and moving on to watercolor and various mediums in painting. As a clinical psychologist, therapist and educator, she has worked with adjudicated and behaviorally challenged youth, and those with addiction and mental health issues for over 40 years, and saw how important art and music were to her clients and students. In the 1990s she discovered the paper arts and has shown her altered books in the Camden area, as well as teaching drawing classes for the adult ed in Camden and MCST Region 8 for several years while working as day treatment and special education teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School. She loves to create cards and books, teach and explore multi-media, but her passion is to open doors for those who are ready to explore drawing and art as an essential, revealing part of life. She is a violinist and singer and incorporates music into her classes where appropriate.

Mixed Media – Drawing and Collage

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In this class, we will be learning the basics of drawing and collage to develop creative and colorful pieces of art. Additionally, we will incorporate printmaking and painting to integrate our work and create amazing pieces that are meaningful and personal. If there are objects, photos, or specific things you would like to incorporate, bring it along! Old paintings you want to paint over incorporate, also great.

All materials will be provided.

This class is a drop-in class: free to members and $20 for non-members.

 

 

About Your Instructor – Naomi Howe

Naomi Howe - The Art LoftNaomi Howe, a resident of Spruce Head, has been an artist all her life, beginning with pen and ink in her young years, and moving on to watercolor and various mediums in painting. As a clinical psychologist, therapist and educator, she has worked with adjudicated and behaviorally challenged youth, and those with addiction and mental health issues for over 40 years, and saw how important art and music were to her clients and students. In the 1990s she discovered the paper arts and has shown her altered books in the Camden area, as well as teaching drawing classes for the adult ed in Camden and MCST Region 8 for several years while working as day treatment and special education teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School. She loves to create cards and books, teach and explore multi-media, but her passion is to open doors for those who are ready to explore drawing and art as an essential, revealing part of life. She is a violinist and singer and incorporates music into her classes where appropriate.

Journal Workshop – Drawing from Nature

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Come and create with us outdoors!

Explore your creative side with a journal-making workshop design to highlight the beauty of nature.

We will learn to make a simple art journal using a variety of papers and a simple stitch pattern with waxed thread and needle. Then we will draw from nature with pen and ink using found nature items to embellish the journal. Students will have direction and practice for how to draw plants, flowers, bark, etc. and will incorporate poetry, observations, and nature facts as they desire. The result will be a great little notebook to take on a vacation trip or to celebrate the land and nature! Books on the flora and fauna of our area will be available for as a resource.

All material included.

 

About Your Instructor – Naomi Howe

Naomi Howe - The Art LoftNaomi Howe, a resident of Spruce Head, has been an artist all her life, beginning with pen and ink in her young years, and moving on to watercolor and various mediums in painting. As a clinical psychologist, therapist and educator, she has worked with adjudicated and behaviorally challenged youth, and those with addiction and mental health issues for over 40 years, and saw how important art and music were to her clients and students. In the 1990s she discovered the paper arts and has shown her altered books in the Camden area, as well as teaching drawing classes for the adult ed in Camden and MCST Region 8 for several years while working as day treatment and special education teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School. She loves to create cards and books, teach and explore multi-media, but her passion is to open doors for those who are ready to explore drawing and art as an essential, revealing part of life. She is a violinist and singer and incorporates music into her classes where appropriate.

Painting BIG!

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Painting big & painting barefoot.

Let’s explore and expand our creative energy with full body movement and wonder.  Have you ever wanted to get downright dirty while you paint, I have! I’ve started a new method for myself to create with abandon.  Fun will be had by all!

Wear something you won’t mind getting paint on because we’re going to get messy!!

This class is a drop-in class: free to members and $20 for non-members.

About the Artist – Kim Nicoll

Kim Nicoll - The Art LoftPablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
How true that is. As adults, many of us are inhibited by the way we were raised or our education. Creativity is a need we have that tends to get pushed aside by the “have to’s” in life. Generally, creative expression is considered childish or perhaps a luxury. This was certainly true in my case.

But I discovered that art is in my blood and it is a thrill for me to create! I also discovered that creative expression can be extremely helpful for reducing anxiety. Art is a deeply nourishing and therapeutic process. My six-year-old boy has helped me let my silly side free. It has been an absolute joy to discover the world anew through his eyes. I wish to reveal as much of this as possible in my art.

It’s my goal to nurture in people the inner child or inner artist. It’s in each of us! And the Art Loft is a lovely place to take a class. It is my delight to share the love of life, learning, and creativity with people everywhere, and to help their creativity flourish.

See more of Kim’s work on:

Instagram @kimberlyannenicoll

kimberlyannenicoll.com

 

Multi-media Photo Art

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Bring along a copy of a treasured photo! We will be building artwork based on your picture along with meaningful words. Let’s make a masterpiece out of a memory! Additional photos and all materials will be provided.

This class is a drop-in class: free to members and $20 for non-members.

 

 

About your Instructor – Hilary Mank

Hilary Mank - The Art LoftHi! I’m Hilary Mank. I reside in Hope, Maine and work as a local gardener and artist. Surrounding myself with nature always inspires me to paint what I see. From intricate flowers to vibrant vegetables. The natural world shines through everything that I work on.

Although watercolor is my favorite, I do not limit myself to just one medium. My art journey takes from driftwood jewelry making and wood burning to floral photography. There’s nothing like taking a piece of wood and transforming it into art. Exploring new ways to express myself is all part of the process.

I want to share through my work my love of the garden. Making art is a way for me to fill a creative need within myself. Sometimes I do it for the challenge, other times I do it to get my quirky ideas out of my head. My list of ideas is endless and I’m constantly working on making my sketches come alive. Everything reflects my fascination with plants. My friends and fellow artists continue to give me that push to keep creating new art! You can follow along with me on Instagram and Facebook. My handle is Everlongardener. I also have a weekly gardening blog at www.everlongardener.com. My art page can be found at http://www.everlongardener.com/art/.

Thanks!

Hilary Mank

Cardmaking – Block Printing

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Create beautiful cards to send to your favorite people.

Every month we will explore a different technique in cardmaking. In this workshop, Naomi will bring her extensive collection of materials for you to learn block printing techniques to make unique cards and envelopes. You will go home with a collection of cards to have for any occasion.

 

 

About Your Instructor – Naomi Howe

Naomi Howe - The Art LoftNaomi Howe, a resident of Spruce Head, has been an artist all her life, beginning with pen and ink in her young years, and moving on to watercolor and various mediums in painting. As a clinical psychologist, therapist and educator, she has worked with adjudicated and behaviorally challenged youth, and those with addiction and mental health issues for over 40 years, and saw how important art and music were to her clients and students. In the 1990s she discovered the paper arts and has shown her altered books in the Camden area, as well as teaching drawing classes for the adult ed in Camden and MCST Region 8 for several years while working as day treatment and special education teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School. She loves to create cards and books, teach and explore multi-media, but her passion is to open doors for those who are ready to explore drawing and art as an essential, revealing part of life. She is a violinist and singer and incorporates music into her classes where appropriate.

Creating Your Map

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Creating Your Own Personal Map

In this class, we will take you on a personal journey by creating your very own map. It could be a map of your local town, favorite vacation spot, or a journey you are desiring take – your dream journey!
To make this map we will be honing our drawing skills and learning to use Gouache!

This will be a totally fun and free-spirited class!!

You’re welcome to bring some reference photos of your desired location and we will create together! We will also have some suggestions for you both far and near.

This class is a drop-in class: free to members and $20 for non-members.

About the Artist – Kim Nicoll

Kim Nicoll - The Art LoftPablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
How true that is. As adults, many of us are inhibited by the way we were raised or our education. Creativity is a need we have that tends to get pushed aside by the “have to’s” in life. Generally, creative expression is considered childish or perhaps a luxury. This was certainly true in my case.

But I discovered that art is in my blood and it is a thrill for me to create! I also discovered that creative expression can be extremely helpful for reducing anxiety. Art is a deeply nourishing and therapeutic process. My six-year-old boy has helped me let my silly side free. It has been an absolute joy to discover the world anew through his eyes. I wish to reveal as much of this as possible in my art.

It’s my goal to nurture in people the inner child or inner artist. It’s in each of us! And the Art Loft is a lovely place to take a class. It is my delight to share the love of life, learning, and creativity with people everywhere, and to help their creativity flourish.

See more of Kim’s work on:

Instagram @kimberlyannenicoll

kimberlyannenicoll.com

 

A Dress

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The simple shape of a dress is a perfect tool to express yourself. Do you wish to convey light, dark, happy, sad, fun, intense? Let’s address this by creating our own one-of-a-kind gowns –  put your thoughts on a dress, stand back, and look at it. Acknowledge, admire and learn from it. The simple shape of a dress is a perfect way to explore colors and patterns while expressing feelings and seasons of life.

 

 

About your instructor – Joyanna Margo Bernardo

Joyanna Margo - The Art LoftJoyanna Margo is an artist from Rockport, Maine. She began painting abstract florals in 2015 while living in Florida. As a Mainer stuck indoors all summer with air conditioning and drawn blinds, she was compelled to brighten up her home with an abundance of color and found freedom in paint and canvas.

Joyanna Margo enjoys creating intuitive abstract floral paintings using acrylic and mixed media. Her paintings begin as a burst of color, words of a song, or pages from a book. From layers of abstraction, she discerns flowers and reveals them by painting in the negative space around them. She hopes these fanciful paintings will bring you joy.

Joyanna Margo holds a BA in Missions with a minor in Creative Writing and a Master Herbalist certificate. She took a few art classes in high school and college but is primarily self-taught. She is a Resident Artist at The Art Loft in Rockland. She has shown her work locally at:
Aldemere Farm
Boynton-Mckay
Barn Door Baking Co.
State of Maine Cheese Co.
River Arts

Connect with Joyanna at:
email: jmargoartist@gmail.com
facebook.com/jmargoartist
instagram: @jmargoartist
jmargoartist.etsy.com

Cardmaking – Stamping Techniques

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Create beautiful cards to send to your favorite people.

Every month we will explore a different technique in cardmaking. In this workshop, Naomi will bring her extensive stamp and ink collection for you to make unique cards and envelopes. You will learn diverse cardmaking techniques and go home with a collection of cards to have for any occasion.

 

 

About Your Instructor – Naomi Howe

Naomi Howe - The Art LoftNaomi Howe, a resident of Spruce Head, has been an artist all her life, beginning with pen and ink in her young years, and moving on to watercolor and various mediums in painting. As a clinical psychologist, therapist and educator, she has worked with adjudicated and behaviorally challenged youth, and those with addiction and mental health issues for over 40 years, and saw how important art and music were to her clients and students. In the 1990s she discovered the paper arts and has shown her altered books in the Camden area, as well as teaching drawing classes for the adult ed in Camden and MCST Region 8 for several years while working as day treatment and special education teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School. She loves to create cards and books, teach and explore multi-media, but her passion is to open doors for those who are ready to explore drawing and art as an essential, revealing part of life. She is a violinist and singer and incorporates music into her classes where appropriate.

Getting Creative with your iPhone or iPad

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Get creative with the tool you hold in your hands every day!

This class will help you use your iPhone or iPad to express yourself creatively. We will take you through a step by step process using your own photos or stock photography and combine them to make an amazing image.

First, we will use the app SuperimposeX to cut out elements that can be layered on top of another image. Then we use the program Procreate to paint background images. We will also learn how to make our own digital paint brushes in Procreate.

We will put them all together and design a wonderful composite!

This class includes digital downloads of some of Debbie Gay’s stock photography and backgrounds as well as Procreate brushes, a $40 value.

The apps you will need for this class are:
SuperimposeX
Procreate
Snapseed

The total cost for the apps is $15 purchased through your iTunes account.
Please bring your iPad or iPhone and a stylus.

 

 

About Your Instructor – Debbie Gay

Debbie Gay - The Art LoftDebbie Gay has been an artist for 30 years. She has explored many artistic mediums and still does but her current passion is iPad art. Years ago, Photoshop Elements was the tool many artists used for Photography, then Photoshop. She taught herself how to use the programs to realize her vision. When the iPad came there were so many wonderful apps to use for photos and painting that she was completely inspired to use it to the full to express her creativity. She is proficient in watercolor and acrylic painting as well as iPhone and Photoshop applications, and loves to combine them all!

“I truly enjoy sharing my love of creativity with others. I am excited to show you how to use these amazing tools (or your iPhone) to create art. So whether you’re just trying to get to know how to use your iPad or want to create with it I am here to share my knowledge.”