Enriching Lives Through Art: Adult/Teen Classes

• 6-Week Wheel Throwing Class for All Levels
• Instructor: Ann Buchau
• Dates: Six Wednesdays
• September 30; Oct 7, 14, 21, 28; November 4
• Time: 6:00-8:30 pm
• Ages: Adult/Teen
• Maximum enrollment: 5
• Fee: $120 members / $150 non-members
• Location: 3-D Studio, Salmon River Fine Arts Center

Learn how to throw basic forms using the potter's wheel. Your instructor will guide you step by step as you learn how to wedge, center and create simple vessels. You will also learn trimming techniques and how to successfully glaze your pots.

Students enrolled in this class will also have the option to come in during a designated time on Tuesdays (6-8:30 pm) or Friday (1-4 pm) to practice and work on their pieces. (Although there will be a monitor, there is no instructor for the open studio.) Total class time is 12.5 hours with the option of an additional 25 hours of open studio time during the class session. All tools and materials are provided. No outside clay or glazes are permitted in the Pottery Studio.

This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the art center with your request. This discounted class is made possible through “Enriching Lives through Art,” a grant generously funded by the John Ben Snow Foundation.

• Three-Day Pumpkin Throwing Workshop
• Instructor: Antonia Cantu
• Dates 3 Sessions:
• Thursday, October 1
• Friday October 2
• Thursday, October 15, glaze day
• Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
• Ages: Adult/Teen
• Maximum enrollment: 5
• Skill Level: Beginner/Introductory
• Location: 3-D Studio
• Cost: $52 members / $65 non-members

Create a one-of-a-kind ceramic pumpkin from start to finish in this three-day hands-on pottery workshop! Over the course of three sessions, you’ll learn how to wheel throw, handbuild, and glaze your very own pumpkin, creating a unique piece that will be ready to display just in time for Halloween.

Day 1 – Throw Your Pumpkin
Learn how to use the pottery wheel to throw your pumpkin form. You’ll shape and refine the body of your pumpkin, creating the foundation for your finished piece.

Day 2 – Add the Details
Once your pumpkin has had time to firm up, we’ll bring it back to life with handbuilt details! Create the stem, vines, leaves, faces, textures, or other spooky and whimsical decorations to give your pumpkin its own personality.

Day 3 – Glaze Your Pumpkin
Choose your colors and glaze your finished pumpkin. We’ll explore glazing techniques to bring out all of those wonderful textures and details. After firing, your pumpkin will be ready to become a beautiful Halloween decoration you’ll enjoy for years to come.

No previous pottery experience is necessary. Come ready to get your hands dirty, have fun, and create a pumpkin that is completely your own! Join us for a fun and hands-on experience exploring the timeless craft of pottery at the Salmon River Fine Arts Center! All tools and materials are provided. No outside clay or glazes are permitted in the Pottery Studio.

Students enrolled in this class will also have the option to come in during a designated time on Tuesdays (6-8:30 pm) or Friday (1-4 pm) to practice and work on their pieces. (Although there will be a monitor, there is no instructor for the open studio.) Total class time is 6 hours with the option of an additional 12 hours of open studio time during the class session.

This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the art center with your request. This class is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust.

• Linoleum Block Printmaking:
• Print Your Own Halloween Designs
• Instructor: Jessica Wiggins
• Dates: Two Fridays, October 9 & 16
• Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
• Ages: Adult/Teen
• Maximum enrollment: 10
• Skill Level: Beginner/Introductory
• Fee: $36 members / $45 non-members

Get into the spooky spirit with two evenings of Halloween-inspired printmaking! In this hands-on adult/teen class, you’ll create your own original spooky design and learn the basics of printmaking. Think creepy-crawlies, mysterious moons, black cats, haunted houses, strange botanicals, and anything else delightfully spooky that inspires you!

But we won’t stop at paper! Once you’ve created your print, you’ll use it to print your design onto canvas totes, bags, shirts, and other creative surfaces. We’ll experiment with different materials and see just how many things we can turn into one-of-a-kind Halloween creations. No previous printmaking experience is necessary. Come ready to get a little messy, experiment, and make something wonderfully weird!

This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the art center with your request. This class is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and through “Enriching Lives through Art,” a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust.

Self-portrait of Walter Sheehey

• Composition Bootcamp:
• See Better. Compose Better. Make Better Photographs.
• Instructor: Walter Sheehey
• Date: Saturday, October 10
• Time: 10:00 am - Noon
• Ages: Adult/Teen
• Maximum enrollment: 12
• Skill Level: Beginner / Introductory
• Fee: $32 members/ $40 non-members

Have you ever taken a photograph that looked great through the viewfinder, but somehow didn't work when you looked at it later? The problem may not be your camera. It may be composition. Join us for Composition Bootcamp, a fast-paced, hands-on photography class designed to help you understand why some photographs grab your attention while others fall flat.

In this two-hour class, we'll explore the fundamental tools photographers use to create stronger, more compelling images, including: the rule of thirds; leading lines; negative space; filling the frame; the golden ratio and golden spiral; frames within frames; symmetry and centered composition; patterns and repetition; foreground, middle ground and background; visual balance; diagonals and curves; perspective and point of view; scale and layering; simplifying the frame; avoiding distracting backgrounds and visual mergers; and knowing when to break the rules.

We'll look at how these techniques affect the way a viewer's eye moves through an image and, more importantly, how you can begin to see composition before you press the shutter. This isn't about memorizing a list of rules. It's about learning how to make deliberate choices about what you include, where you place it, and what you leave out. Whether you photograph with a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or smartphone, you'll come away with practical techniques you can start using immediately. No advanced photography experience is required. Bring your camera, bring your curiosity, and get ready to start seeing your photographs differently!

Please bring your camera to learn. This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the art center with your request. This class is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust.

• Alcohol Ink Autumn Leaf Tile
• Instructor: Robin Eaton-Novak
• Date: Saturday, November 7
• Time: 10 am – 12 pm
• Ages: Adults (16 and older)
• Maximum enrollment: 10

Join us for a fun and colorful fall project with alcohol ink! Participants will explore the vibrant, fluid qualities of alcohol inks while creating a beautiful fall landscape and autumn leaf artwork on a tile size of your choosing . We’ll experiment with blending, layering, and using blow pens to move and manipulate the ink, then add detail and texture with Sharpie and white markers. No previous experience is necessary—just come ready to experiment, embrace the unexpected, and create your own unique autumn-inspired artwork! All materials will be supplied.

Note: Alcohol fumes may irritate sensitive lungs, and isopropyl alcohol can irritate the skin. Masks and gloves will be available upon request. Please wear appropriate clothes for painting, and feel free to bring your own apron if you have one. Art smocks will be available as well.

This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the arts center with your request. This class is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust.

• Pet & Animal Photography:
• Capturing Personality, Expression & Action
• Instructor: Walter Sheehey
• Date: Saturday, Nov 14
• Time: 10:00 am - Noon
• Ages: Adult/Teen
• Maximum enrollment: 12
• Skill Level: Beginner / Introductory
• Fee: $32 members/ $40 non-members

Love taking pictures of your pets? Learn how to take better ones!

Photographing animals can be both challenging and incredibly rewarding. They don't always sit where you want them to, look at the camera on command, or hold still while you adjust your settings—but that's also what makes animal photography so much fun!

Join photographer Walter Sheehey for a two-hour, beginner-friendly class exploring techniques and creative approaches that can help you create better photographs of pets and animals.

We'll look at everything from camera settings and focusing techniques to composition, lighting, perspective and timing. You'll learn why shutter speed is particularly important when photographing active animals, how to get sharper images, where to focus, and how to choose settings for everything from a sleeping cat to a dog running at full speed.

We'll also explore the artistic side of animal photography. Learn how getting down to an animal's eye level can completely change a photograph, how to simplify distracting backgrounds, how to use natural light, and how to capture the expressions and little behaviors that reveal an animal's personality.

The class will cover choosing choosing the right camera settings for pets and animals; choosing the best shutter speed, aperture and ISO; using autofocus; capturing sharp eyes and expressions; using composition and perspective; working with natural light; photographing pets indoors; photographing animals in motion; anticipating behavior and capturing the decisive moment; creating portraits that show personality; recognizing and avoiding common mistakes.

No previous photography experience is required. Whether you're photographing your own dog, cat, horse, bird or other favorite animal, you'll leave with practical techniques you can put to use the next time you pick up your camera.

This will be an instructional, demonstration-based class, so no live animals will be present. Bring your questions, your camera if you'd like, and your love of animals!

This is an in-person class. Register in person or online at Salmon River Fine Arts Center Square Site. *Financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend and are unable to pay the full fee. Please email the art center with your request. This class is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation & Memorial Trust.

• FREE Weekly Drawing Class
• Thursday 6 - 8 pm
• Instructor: Ann Buchau
• All ages welcome

Enjoy this online step-by-step drawing class in the comfort and safety of your own home via Zoom. Each week your instructor will focus on a different topic, technique or subject with the ultimate goal of improving and developing your own unique style. This class is open to our members and to anyone in the local community with a desire to draw — any age, any level. To attend, simply email us at info@srfac.org to get your name on the list. After you register for this free class you will be emailed a link with instructions.

This class is made possible by generous donations from Drs. Patricia and Jay Chapman as well as many of our members and participants.

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Drawings of rocks by the Free Drawing Class June 11.