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Valdis Gislason
Workshops Offered by Valdis Gislason
Valdis Gislason has over 30 years of teaching experience and brings a passion for art, teaching, and organization to her workshops. For Valdis, developing workshops is almost as much fun as teaching them. The art and calligraphy workshops listed below can all be modified to meet specific client needs.
General Information
In general, Valdis charges $50 per hour for workshops, with a 3-hour minimum. Two-hour workshops cost $120. As an artist in residence, Valdis charges $350 per day, with a one day minimum. For out-of-town, 6-hour workshops, Valdis charges $300 per day plus mileage. When teaching far from Edmonton, accommodation may be required.
Kitchen or Conference Room Classes
All levels
Age: 12+
All of the workshops listed can be delivered to groups of 3 to 6 around a large kitchen, dining room, or conference table in 2 or 3-hour increments. Contact valdisgislason@gmail.com to discuss options, particularly if you live near Edmonton or Calgary.
Art Workshops
An artist once said that if you can learn to write, you can learn to draw. This may be true, but you don’t need to draw well to create good art. What you need is training, practice, and passion. Valdis Gislason’s art workshops will provide training, and lots of practice, to participants of varied age and ability. The passion is up to you.
Fast and Fabulous Flowers (3 to 30 hours)
All levels
Age: 12+
Brighten your life, and that of others, with simple but lively pieces of floral art. This project-based course will systematically lead participants through several watercolour and drawing techniques to create varied and vibrant images of flowers such as daisies, clematis, cyclamen, zinnias, chrysanthemum, tulips, black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, Christmas cactus, cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, hollyhocks, cone flowers, hyacinths, delphiniums, African violets, geraniums, poppies, and more.
Flat Brush Flowers (6 to 12 hours)
All levels
Age: 18+
Learn to use watercolours and a flat brush to paint simple but realistic leaves, tulips, carnations, daffodils, irises, violets, pansies, sunflowers, geraniums, gladiolas, and/or clematis, as time permits.
Feathered Friends (3 to 15 hours)
All levels
Age: 12+
Use a pencil, pigma pen and watercolours (or pencil crayons) to draw and colour birds ranging from whimsical to realistic. No painting experience required. Bring a pencil, eraser, watercolour paints or pencil crayons, a fine-tipped pigma pen and, if painting, two or more watercolour brushes that come to a good point. Paper will be discussed and provided for the first session.
Creative Creatures (3 to 18 hours)
All levels
Age: 12+
Learn to use watercolours and a pigma pen to create an array of whimsical creatures that may include mice, cats, dogs, sheep, pigs, rabbits, lions, cows, giraffes, frogs, elephants, fish, or birds. No painting experience required. Paper and paint brushes will be discussed and provided for the first session.
Cartooning for Fun (3 to 12 hours)
All levels
Age: 12+
Want to laugh while you enhance your ability to draw and think creatively? Anyone can do it. Try cartooning and you will learn to overcome artistic inertia and fear of failure. You will also learn to draw without hesitation and have fun while creating cartoons that will both surprise and amuse. The instructor will systematically introduce cartooning techniques, exercises, and projects that will unleash creativity and make drawing fun.
Beautiful Buildings (12 to 30 hours)
All levels
Age: 18+
Learn to convey the beauty of commonplace buildings and streetscapes using pencil, pen, and watercolours. With lots of input from the instructor, this project-based course will challenge beginner and intermediate painters to identify the essential elements of given buildings and streetscapes and transform them into compelling pieces of art.
Calligraphy Workshops
Is your printing pathetic and your handwriting worse? Try taking a calligraphy course. Instead of printing or writing, you will learn to draw letters and numbers you can take pride in. Really. The fonts on your computer? Someone drew those letters by hand. It can be done. Take a calligraphy course and learn how.
Monomania (6 to 12 hours)
Level: Beginner
Age: 12+
A monoline instrument (for example, a ball point pen) generates a uniform line (as opposed to edged calligraphic pens which create lines that vary in thickness). Learn to use commonplace monoline instruments such as pencils and pens to create distinctive alphabets and calligraphic works of art.
Calligraphy that Counts (2 to 6 hours)
Level: Beginner
Age: 12+
Use simple calligraphic techniques to draw numbers from one to a million. The workshop will introduce variations of monoline and Neuland hands and demonstrate creative applications of both.
Alphabet Art (12 hours)
Level: Beginner
Age: 12+
Learn to draw letters that are veritable works of art. This workshop will introduce alphabets ranging from simple to spectacular.
Calligraphy and Card Design
(18 hours)
All levels
Age: 15+
Learn to design captivating cards, with text, for any occasion. In this project-based course, learners will use basic design principles and calligraphic techniques to create fabulous hand-painted and lettered cards. Only enthusiasm, a pencil, and eraser are needed for the first class, but bring pencil crayons and black pigma pens if you have them. A short list of additional supplies will be provided during the first lesson.
Beautiful Business Cards
(2 to 4 hours)
All levels
Age: 15+
Express your creativity by designing eye-catching business cards that clearly and concisely convey who you are and what you do (or aspire to do).
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