4-Week Session: Working It Out! with Cecilia Rossey

The Museum School at the Cape Cod Museum of Art presents:

Working It Out! with Cecilia Rossey

(4) Fridays, June 7 - June 28, from 2:00 – 4:30 pm.

Member $150/ Non-Member $165 

Artist Cecilia Rossey designed this four-week course to help artists start their process and experiment with various mediums.

As an artist, facing a blank matrix: paper, plate, or canvas, can be daunting. When contemplating a work of art many face the difficulty of where to start. Conveying a concept from a 3-dimensional world to 2-dimensional artwork is always a challenge but challenges lead you to explore the mysterious world of art. While inspiration is sought, the practicalities of “how” will be learned.

Painting, Print, Installation, Watercolor; this class is designed to help you pick the best medium for your idea stressing basic design elements i.e. line, color, and contrast. For example, a woodcut eliminates delicate fine lines that may be better achieved by creating a drypoint plate or using pen and ink. An appreciation of fine papers may lead you to the creation of a monotype or collage. It’s important for a student to know which works attract them and how they can be achieved. To execute one’s visual imagination it’s important to take the courageous first step, make your mark. Implementing design elements gives one the structure to work it out using the tools and language of the fine arts. No solvents will be used in this class.

Materials

For the first session, students should bring sketching materials, pencils, pens, markers, a sketchbook, or drawing paper;  For the following sessions, their favorite medium: watercolor, oil, printmaking inks, pastels, and/or appropriate paper or substrate. For those who wish to try printmaking, materials will be provided.

Course Outline

Week 1: Composition and balance: sketch exercises using pen, pencil, brush, or collage, stressing basic design elements.

Week 2: Select a limited palette. After refining the sketch we will delve into the power of color with exercises exploring value, texture, and contrast. (Students can experiment with watercolor, oil paint, collage, or one of the various printmaking techniques. This class, however, is not intended to give instruction in the various mediums but to help the student decide which medium may best render their intention for further exploration.)

Week 3: Students will concentrate on the execution of a completed work or try their hand using the printmaking press.

Week 4 Critique: Final touches/communication. When is a work finished? Too much, too little, something off? Presenting your work to the public begins with a positive critique from your peers. Comments help the artist define their approach as they hear responses from classmates.  However, the artist develops confidence as they insert the last marks as final. 

Image credit: Cecilia Rossey, Spirit Flies, Color Linocut

Cecilia Rossey is a multi-media artist trained in the fine and theatrical arts dedicated to the art of printmaking.  Experienced in curating art exhibits, theater, and dance productions in Italy and the States. She is a Founding Member of the Dance Project of Tampa, FL, and the Eclectic Arts, Buffalo, NY. As an artist/printmaker, Rossey leans towards storytelling. Once an idea peculates she chooses the medium that best conveys the concept whether it be linocut, Solarplate etching, or mixed media. As she begins a project, Rossey stays open to possibilities and allows the mystery of design to proceed. Specializing in printmaking, Rossey loves process; the endless possibilities of mixing ink, manipulating color density, and choosing a receptive paper while respecting the integrity of that paper. The final work is a journey through the process as lines and color reveal form. Learn more.

The Cape Cod Museum of Art is committed to making Art accessible to everyone in the Cape Cod Community. The Museum School Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to qualified, year-round Cape Cod residents ages 6 and up. Click here to apply.

Cancellation policy: CCMoA must be notified 1 week prior for refund.