Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!
Drawing 1: The Practical and Entertaining Art of Drawing with Ed Buonvecchio January 13–February 17, 2025: Mondays, 9am–12pmThis basic course is an introduction to the art of drawing for the beginner, but it is also a great refresher course for the seasoned artist. Drawing can be a useful and fun tool in our daily lives taking us away from our stressful day, giving us a way to express ideas or memorialize experiences. Learning to draw can give us the skill to design something we want to make, to serve as a launchpad to creating other forms of art or teaching others your learned drawing skills.
In this six-week ongoing studio class we will learn skills and tools needed to draw what you see. We will practice the use of graphite pencil and ink pen. We will learn how to draw lines, geometric shapes and organic shapes and turn them into three dimensional forms while learning about the importance of value, shading and perspective. At the end of each class we will draw from a still-life subject based on the lessons of the day.
iPhoneography Crash Course
LIVE in-person at Sedona Arts Center and ONLINE with Kelli Klymenko January 31: Friday, 9am–2pm Arizona TimeIn today’s technological world, even professional photographers and artists are recognizing the iPhone as a useful (and even practical) photographic tool. Join photographer artist, Kelli Klymenko in his one-day class for beginner and advanced students and you’ll go beyond the basics and learn to shoot professional quality photographs with your iPhone.
You will learn how to shoot, edit and share remarkable landscapes, portraits and the macro world around you using only your iPhone. Kelli will guide you through simple tips and tricks that will take your photography to the next level. Discover how to capture the essence of a place and your subjects rather than just taking a picture. You will also learn basic video and video editing techniques for use with apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, BlueSky, etc.
Learn how to get the highest resolution images on your iPhone and apps
Practice creative techniques including HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Shoot panoramas
Learn about the latest editing, filters and stylizing apps
Learn about iPhone equipment: remotes, tripods and more
Learn how to use the hottest new tools on your iPhone
Introduction to Gouache with Lili Anne Laurin February 1–2: Saturday & Sunday, 9am–4pm This workshop will focus on enhancing the artists’ knowledge and landscape painting skills in gouache. Deepen your understanding of the medium, from its unique properties to essential tools including supports, brushes and mediums. We will explore key aspects of compositions and color strategies to harness the full potential of gouache. Instructor demos will help you grasp the techniques behind crafting vibrant engaging paintings. There will be plein air set-ups provided for hands on experimentation. Whether working from Sedona photo references or your own inspiration, you will receive personalized guidance to build confidence in using gouache outdoors or in your studio practice.
Gaining a Perspective: Sharpening Your Drawing Skillset ONLINE with Jude Valentine February 5–26, 2025 Wednesdays, 12–2pm AZ TimeLearn the ins and outs of how to draw convincing buildings, landscapes, interiors and round objects with the use of linear and empirical perspective. We’ll be understanding this drawing concept through demonstrations, hands on drawing exercises, individualized instruction and looking at examples of some of the accomplished Renaissance and modern masters. Learn how to use perspective to your advantage to make great drawings!
Unleashing Your Creativity with Patricia Saxton February 7–28: Fridays, 1–3:30pm Unleash your creativity! Would you like to paint more, draw, or make collages? Would you like the art you already make to “loosen up”? Be more refined? More bold? Need how-to instruction? Inspiration? Permission to play? Enjoy a sense of community?
Whether a seasoned artist or a complete beginner, this course is designed to spark your creative juices in an environment that’s conducive for exploring and expanding your abilities. Bring your own fine art project, start fresh or follow instructor-led prompts for these once-weekly sessions filled with personalized guidance, inspiration, questions, answers and fun.
The Living Abstract: Using Happy Accidents ONLINE with Julie Bernstein Engelmann February 8–22: Saturdays, 11am–3pm The Living Abstract is a foundational workshop that helps you set your painting up for success and capture the living moment.
In three weekly sessions, discover ways to let the paint sing, navigate the mid-process “beautiful mess,” and bring your painting to fulfilled completion—without losing its life force and what makes it beautiful.
On Days 1 and 2, you’ll be guided step-by-step through a sequence of intuitive and “happy accident” techniques that build on each other to create a painting that is authentic, dynamic, and deep. Along the way, you’ll learn about color mixing and composition to enhance your painting.
On Day 3, see your painting through the eyes of depth and flow. This key approach cuts through confusion, so you can complete your painting and bring it to life in a harmonious and soul-satisfying way.
Alternative Firing:
A Crash Course in Alternative Finishings with CJ Henderson February 9 & 16: Sundays, 10am-2pm & 9am-3pmJoin us to experience an introduction to the exciting world of alternative finishing techniques. This crash course workshop is great for a first time clay experience or for the experienced potter to explore a number of new finishes. We will be using non-traditional finishes such as Raku, Saggar, Obvara and horse hair to create beautiful surface results.
We will meet on two consecutive Sunday’s, the first, to create our pieces and the second to fire them.
Introduction to Silver Clay with Joan Roberts February 12 – 13: Wednesday–Thursday, 9am-1pm Joan Roberts has been creating distinct wearable art pieces with metal clay for 2 decades. She will share techniques, methods and a few secrets to successful creation of jewelry pieces. Silver Clay is a mixture of microscopic particles of silver, distilled water and a non-toxic organic binder. When fired the silver sinters into a solid piece of “fine silver.” Participants do not need past experience in metal work or other clays to be very successful.
This class is divided into two mornings so pieces can be finished and loaded into a kiln at the end of the first day and finished and polished on the second. Participants will be provided with enough clay to create up to two pairs of earrings or a pendant.
Building Bold Landscapes in Soft Pastel with Alison Crary February 15 – 16: Saturday–Sunday, 10am-4pm Learn how to create bold and vibrant landscapes in soft pastel. This course will be broken into steps to simplify the process. Each step will include instructor demonstration with questions encouraged, followed by student practice, group discussion and individual feedback.
We will start by simplifying the scene into basic shapes and value masses to build a compelling composition from a provided reference photo. The next step will be to explore color relationships, both for the underpainting and the pastel layered over it. These steps will help students gain confidence to build their finished piece, with instruction regarding the painterly handling of pastels to build an impressionistic style landscape painting.
Creative Aging: Unwind, Create, Connect with Michael Sjostedt February 25: Tuesday, 10am-12pm (Ages 65+)Explore the joy of artistic expression and social connection in this engaging workshop designed for adults 65+. Create one-of-a-kind bookmarks, notecards, and small art pieces using vintage magazines and ephemera. Whether you’re crafting for yourself or creating gifts for others, this hands-on session promotes creativity, skill-building, and meaningful social engagement.
Scholarships Are Available! See Our New Terms and Application
Scholarships are an important part of Sedona Arts Center. It has a long history in providing students in need of financial assistance, the ability to hone their skills and creative talents. Art classes and workshops also allow an emotional break from daily life and offer social interaction with fellow lovers of art. We are proud to offer our scholarship program, with the help of The Kling Family Foundation and the Debbie Winslow Scholarship Fund, which allow us to continue this long standing opportunity.
Our mission is to connect, enrich, educate and lead through the inspiring power of the arts and creative discovery.
Sedona Arts Center is one of Northern Arizona’s most well-established cultural organizations and serves as the creative heart of Sedona. Founded in 1958, the nonprofit is based in Uptown Sedona and offers year-round classes, exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events that enhance the creative life of the Verde Valley.
