Why choose Amy?
I am known for my down to earth and personally engaging teaching style as well as my ability to accommodate many learning styles in one session.
I teach skills, not projects. A true artisan can adjust to any situation and to do that you need skills not a set of steps to follow.
My classes are never "cookie cutter" or "copy the instructor." You will leave each class with a new set of skills that can be applied to all of your decorative art projects and jobs.
How Class Scheduling Works
Classes come to you. Contact Amy about having a class at your school or meeting. You can either choose from the classes listed on the website or we can taylor one to fit your needs.
See a class that interests you? Contact the studio.
CLASSES
All prices are per student if taken at the studio and include all supplies and lunch. Please contact Amy for pricing for your group or school outside the studio.
Muralist Essentials (7 Days)
The best of all the mural classes rolled into one intensive course. Learn the skills covered in Color Theory, Drawing, Landscapes and Tromp Loeil I.
There is no short cut to being a great muralist, but this class will get you started on the right foot or finally give you the direction you have been seeking.
Sunday is a full day of Color Theory
Work on a mural landscape Mon-Thurs afternoon
Study drawing Mon-Thurs. morning
Finish with two full days of Tromp L'Oeil
Trompe l'Oeil I
One of the hottest techniques in the industry today. Learn the how and the why behind making an object appear 3-dimensional. At the end of this class, you will have the tools needed to make an object look 3-D without having to do still-lifes, light studies or finding a picture with exactly the right lighting. Learn:
The 4 elements in all good tromp l'Oeil, including the 1 that most people miss.
How and why to place dark and light.
The science and art behind color choices.
Your single most useful tool (and it’s free!)
Top resources for shapes and forms.
Trompe l'Oeil II (Fool the Eye) (3 Days)
Take your tromp l'Oeil skills to the next level. Combine several objects and textures in a single painting. (Prerequisite: Tromp I)
Use of shade, shadow, highlight, and reflected light to create multiple textures and shapes in a single painting.
Composition and design of a Tromp l'Oeil painting
Working with clients on a design
Additional masking and brush techniques
Landscapes (3 Days)
The backbone of any good muralists portfolio. An exploration of all the "basic" elements needed to paint landscape murals. Each painting will include: trees (foreground and background), hills, mountains, grass, water, flowers (foreground and background) and sky.
Each student works on a different landscape chosen from a supply available at the studio.
Use basic color theory
Learn to scale up a drawing
Learn the basics of large-scale landscape painting
Discover some of the tricks theatrical scenic artists use to create mural-sized landscapes
Drawing for Decorative Artists (2 Days)
The one skill everyone avoids but no one should be without. Improve and expedite all your murals and decorative paintings. Make your life easier and let drawing become a tool instead of a stumbling block.
I can not stress this enough.
You need to know how to draw in order to paint well. Skipping this step is like trying to walk before you crawl. It seems like a great idea at the time and then haunts you later.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Click Here to find out more about having Amy teach or speak at your event or school.
Successful Business and the Creative Mind (1/2 Day)
Discover how the creative mind works and why thinking creatively will actually help you in business! Including:
The 4 processes in the creative brain that will change your business approach.
Anxiety and how it works for and against you.
The #1 tool you need to corral your business thoughts.
Using your right-brain tendencies as an advantage in a left-brain arena.
The 5 things you can do right now to turn, so called, negative traits into positive ones.
What I Wish I Knew Then (1/2 Day)
The biggest mistakes creative business owners make and how you can avoid them. Including:
The top 3 things to avoid when starting or running a creative business.
The 1 universal truth about business that no one talks about.
Money, enough said.
Building a personal business framework.
Deciding how and when to start or start over.
TELESEMINARS
What is a teleseminar?
Back to top"You're an excellent teacher. The individual attention is wonderful."
– Celi Glembocki
"This is a practical class. Amy gives a lot of information as well as tools to take home. I will use this information to make my murals easier and less intimidating. Thank you!."
– Jeannie Jenkins
"Very enjoyable class and atmosphere. The instructors are fully hands-on and interested in the success of each student."
– Linda Smith
"The class (Landscapes) really teaches what you need to know."
– Sussy Noriega
"Amy’s classes are very thorough and easy to follow for all skill levels."
– Karen Thompson
"Amy is very professional and knowledgeable. She knows exactly what and why we do something wrong and is able to teach you how to make it better."
– Heidi Hankey
"Explanations are very clear and specific. She emphasizes ease of techniques."
– Alision Roy Harrison
"Amy got me past intimidation and brought out talent I never knew I had."
– Sandie Isbister