Studio Arts

Sun Printing: Cyanotypes & Nature

Tuesday, April 16 ~ 2pm to 4pm

Join us for this fun staff-collaborated class learning all about the fun and easy art of cyanotype printing with nature. 577 Organic Garden Horticulturist Samantha Day will lead the group to forage and gather interesting plants and bits of nature from the grounds of 577. Then, 577 Program Coordinator and Artist Isabelle Tucker will demonstrate how to make your own light-sensitive cyanotype paper.

Enjoy arranging your natural objects on the surface, exposing your paper to light, and capturing your design of ghostly white images on the distinctive deep blue background of cyanotype prints. Depending on the size of paper you choose, each participant will make two to four prints. All supplies are included and paper sizes will vary from 4.5″ x 6″ to 9″ x 12″.

This class will take place rain or shine, so please dress for the weather.

577 Staff Instructors: Samantha Day and Isabelle Tucker

Fused Glass: Colorful Garden Stakes

Thursday, April 18 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Create colorful garden stakes to brighten your garden or yard no matter the time of year. Everyone will make three (3) yard stakes in the colors with lots of step-by-step guidance. Design with your choice of colors on a 4″ x 12″ piece and two 3″ x 8″ pieces of glass. 

Projects will be left with the instructor who will “fuse” the glass details together by firing the projects in a home kiln before returning them to 577 for pick-up. Your instructor will return your fused glass attached to the stakes. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included. 

Community Instructor: Geneen Wise

Watercolor: Pansies

Friday, April 19 ~ 2pm to 4pm

Friday, April 19 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Celebrate spring by learning to paint whimsical watercolor pansies in a relaxed and supportive environment. Explore these cheerful blooms using simple practice exercises before creating your own painting.

Completed projects will be approximately 8″ by 8″. All experience levels are welcome and all supplies are included.

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Jewelry Making: Polished Stone & Crystal Necklace

Friday, April 19 ~ 5:30pm to 8pm

Join us for a fun evening making a polished stone or Swarovski crystal necklace. Learn to create a necklace using an easy stringing or straight beading method, and complete the project by learning how to put on a pendant and add clasps.

Necklace length can be individually customized between 16″ and 20″ when complete. No previous jewelry-making experience is needed. Students must bring their own needle nose pliers and jewelry wire cutters. All other supplies are included.

Community Instructor: Betty Crocker

Sustainable Art: Handcrafted Upcycled Sketchbook

Monday, April 22 ~ 2pm to 4pm

Upcycle an old book destined for the landfill into a unique sketchbook. Participants will enjoy a fun and relaxing afternoon preparing their recycled book and experimenting with multiple mediums including watercolor, acrylic, collage, various drawing utensils, and more.

Learn about design layout as you explore how to incorporate what’s already on the page. Each participant will leave with an artistic, personalized DIY sketchbook ~ the perfect spot to get lost in scribbling, sketching, coloring, and writing. Participants will take home a small sample size of gesso to continue working at home. All supplies are included and all experience levels are welcome.

For previous “Making an Upcycled Sketchbook” students, we welcome you back for more upcycled fun! Feel free to bring any previously made sketchbooks to further explore materials, concepts, etc., build upon what you already have, and even share what you’ve been creating. Book sizes may vary.

577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman

Create Calm: Colorful Abstract Collage

Thursday, April 25 ~ 5pm to 7:30pm

Enjoy a relaxing class creating a fun and colorful abstract collage project in this Earth Month-themed Create Calm experience. Begin class exploring and gathering collage papers and reused ephemera from a large selection of recycled and donated options. Spend time playing with a variety of available art supplies to paint and scribble your way to creating your own collage paper.

No experience is necessary. A choice of templates will be available, and your instructor will share design tips and tricks to make it your own. The second part of the class will be reserved for quiet time as we use the papers we’ve made and gathered to cut, paste, and create a personalized work of art. All supplies are included and completed projects will be approximately 9″ by 12″.

The Create Calm series at 577 is taught by staff instructors and designed to allow students to experience simple projects in a soothing environment. Each class will focus on beginning methods in a variety of art mediums to help students of all levels tap into their innate ability to create a state of calm while working with their hands. Expect the first part of these classes to include instruction while the second part is reserved for gentle music and quiet work time to encourage the mind to rest, reflect, and relax in a quiet community.

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Acrylic Painting: Peaceful Forest Path

Monday, April 29 ~ 10am to 2:30pm

Join us for an enjoyable afternoon in Virginia’s House painting with acrylics. Learn step-by-step how to paint a path through the woods in tints, tones, and shades of earthy brown. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included for you to create your own work of art on an 11” x 14” canvas in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.

Please note: You are welcome to bring snacks to enjoy throughout class and we encourage you to bring a lunch for our midday break. (Refrigerator and microwave available.)

Community Instructor: Mary Claire Roe

Nature & Art: All About Dandelions

Tuesday, April 30 ~ 6pm to 7:30pm

Learn all about dandelions in this staff-led collaborative class exploring nature and art. First, explore the life cycle and benefits of dandelions with 577’s Organic Landscape Horticulturist Bennet O. Dowling. Explore the grounds foraging for dandelions to use as a reference. Then, join 577’s Program Coordinator and Artist Isabelle Tucker to capture sunshine on paper by drawing and blending with colorful pastel pencils.

Spring is the perfect time to honor this amazing plant and capture its golden beauty on paper with pastel pencils. Completed drawings will be on 11″ x 14″ black paper.

577 Staff Instructors: Isabelle Tucker and Bennett O. Dowling

Fused Glass: Flag

Thursday, May 2 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Create your own 7″ by 9″ fused glass American flag to display in your yard on a stake or as a stand-alone piece inside your home. Students will receive step-by-step guidance. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included. 

Projects will be left with the instructor who will “fuse” the glass details together by firing the projects in a home kiln before returning them to 577 for pick-up. Your instructor will return your fused glass attached to the stakes if chosen. 

Community Instructor: Geneen Wise

Watercolor in the Gardens: Birds

Friday, May 3 ~ 2pm to 5pm

Tuesday, May 14 ~ 2pm to 5pm

Each class of this enjoyable watercolor summer series will feature a different subject in nature. In May’s class, we’ll focus on painting birds in honor of the “The Biggest Week” as our region becomes a temporary haven for migrating birds.

Class will begin inside Virginia’s House in the Dining Room with guided watercolor exercises and learning tips and tricks for capturing our feathered friends on paper. We’ll gather our supplies for the second half of class and head outdoors to paint the birds in action, weather permitting. In the event of bad weather, we’ll stay inside and paint from photo references.

All experience levels are welcome. All supplies are provided. Students are welcome to bring their own favorite bird photos and paintbrushes or other supplies if you have them.

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Thrifted Painting Party: Spring Blooms

Saturday, May 4 ~ 10am to 11:30am

Celebrate the blooms of spring with 577 by painting a spring scene onto a thrifted painting. You will give an old thrift store painting a fun and juvenescent twist with acrylic paints and markers. Think sunshine, flowers, chicks, bunnies, birds, gardens, rainbows—anything spring! We’ll enjoy the afternoon with lemonade, painting, and relaxing music.

Students must bring their own thrifted painting. Check thrift stores, garage sales, and even the closet or basement.

577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman

Paper Marbling: Suminagashi

Tuesday, May 7 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Get hands-on to create your own colorful marbled paper while exploring the history, tools, and techniques of this beautiful artform.

Paper marbling exists in many cultures all around the world, and this class will dive into the Japanese form of suminagashi. This ancient method results in soft patterns of subdued color. Each student will receive five (5) large 27.2” x 13.4” sheets of calligraphy rice paper to cut down into various-sized projects.

All are welcome for this class, and if you’ve taken Paper Marbling at 577 before, we invite you back for more marbled fun! Students ages 16 to 17 may participate without a parent.

577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman

Creative Card Making

Thursday, May 9 ~ 6pm to 8:30pm

Create five (5) Spring-themed all-occasion cards, including a fun fold “never-ending card”, which will be a new technique for participants who have taken these classes before. Learn the best stamping techniques, how to apply card-based adhesives, and fun ways to use various card-making tools. Completed cards are perfect for sending to friends and family.

Join us for an evening of creating together! No experience is required, and all are welcome. Class Tip: We recommend you dress in older clothes or wear an apron to protect from ink and glue.

Community Instructors: Pat Szymanowski & Patricia Piper

Watercolor: Create a Traveling Studio

Friday, May 10 ~ 1pm to 4pm

Create your own traveling art studio in a repurposed cigar box. Learn how to add a flexible, low-pressure creative practice to your life. Perfect for anyone looking for a way to enjoy watercolor painting in a small space at home, outside on the go, or during your summer travels.

The first part of the class will be putting together and personalizing our kits. In the second part of the class, we’ll get familiar with our new mini-studio by moving outside to paint some simple warm-up exercises and create one to three nature postcards. In the event of bad weather, we’ll spend the second part of class on the enclosed porch in Virginia’s House.

All supplies are included to create your kit. Items include: Repurposed cigar box (sizes and shapes will vary); water jar/container; 1 round paintbrush; fabric roll-up brush protector; 6 colors of high-quality watercolor paints; 2 watercolor postcards; 1 small paint palette; 1 small mixing palette; 1 watercolor pencil

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Create Calm: Colorful Bubbles

Friday, May 10 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Enjoy a relaxing class painting a fun and colorful abstract watercolor image in this soothing Create Calm experience. Begin class mapping out and painting overlapping circles in a color theme of your choice, either intuitively by hand or with a template.

The second part of the class will be reserved for quiet time as we use black markers to outline the circles and curves, highlighting the luminous nature of watercolor paints while you relax and focus. Completed projects will be approximately 12″ by 12″ and are suitable for framing or using to make notecards or postcards. No experience is necessary and all supplies included.

The Create Calm series at 577 is taught by staff instructors and designed to allow students to experience simple projects in a soothing environment. Each class will focus on beginning methods in a variety of art mediums to help students of all levels tap into their innate ability to create a state of calm while working with their hands. Expect the first part of these classes to include instruction while the second part is reserved for gentle music and quiet work time to encourage the mind to rest, reflect, and relax in a quiet community.

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Create a Honeybee Shadowbox

Saturday, May 11 ~ 3pm to 5pm

Create a stunning shadowbox featuring a honeybee and flowers ~ the perfect Mother’s Day gift or addition to your spring décor. 

Each participant will receive a kit of 12 precut cardstock layers, a 9×9 shadowbox frame, and access to all the supplies and guidance needed to assemble their shadow box from start to finish. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included for this afternoon of creative fun!

Community Instructors: Pat Szymanowski & Patricia Piper

Acrylic Painting: Wilderness Waterfall

Monday, May 13 ~ 10am to 2:30pm

Join us for an enjoyable afternoon in Virginia’s House painting with acrylics. Learn step-by-step how to paint sky, clouds, distant mountains, trees, rocks, and a waterfall using a variety of brushes, sponges and palette knife. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included for you to create your own work of art on an 11” x 14” canvas in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.

Please note: You are welcome to bring snacks to enjoy throughout class and we encourage you to bring a lunch for our midday break. (Refrigerator and microwave available.)

Community Instructor: Mary Claire Roe

The Art of Alcohol Inks

Tuesday, May 14 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Explore the beauty and unpredictability of alcohol inks while creating three unique tiles. You’ll learn the basic techniques of this low-stress/ high-reward medium that allows you to “go with the flow”.

No experience is necessary. All supplies are included.

Community Instructor: Melissa Thomas

Intro to Creative Cell Phone Photography

Wednesday, May 15 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Learn to capture memorable vacation photos with your cell phone. This class will help you transition from being a point-and-shoot photographer to creating compelling images on purpose.

We’ll spend time learning how to compose an image by analyzing photographs and participating in a short photo shoot. We’ll also cover some technical aspects of cellphone photography.

Please bring: Your fully charged cell phone; paper and pen for note-taking; and don’t forget to bring your imagination!

Community Instructor: Richard Hamilton

Explore the Art of Papermaking

Wednesday, May 15 ~ 6pm to 8pm

Explore the art and process of papermaking in this fun evening class. We’ll get hands-on by recycling paper scraps into repurposed and beautiful handmade paper while learning the history of paper creation. We’ll also explore how these uniquely textured handmade papers are perfect for papercrafts such as scrapbooking, card & gift tag making, and more.

Everyone will make at least five (5) sheets of 8.5″ x 11″ paper and will take home a few pre-made papers and any pages they’ve experimented with in class.

Important class notes: Handmade papers will be left at 577 to dry and will be available for pickup once ready. Participants will receive an email when projects are ready for pickup. Please expect at least a few days to a week for the papers to dry. We recommend dressing appropriately for this class; feel free to bring an apron, old clothes, and/or gloves. We will be working with lots of water and paper pulp.

577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman

Watercolor: Pet Portrait

Thursday, May 16 ~ 2pm to 5pm

Celebrate National Pet Month and have fun learning how to create a portrait of your favorite furry friend using easy watercolor techniques. Participants in this fun class will be guided step-by-step to transfer their pet’s image onto watercolor paper and create a small portrait. No drawing experience is needed.

Students will learn basic watercolor skills and can choose to paint in a realistic or whimsical style. Completed projects will be approximately 5″ x 7″, suitable for framing, and great to keep or give as a gift. All experience levels are welcome. All supplies are included.  Please note: Each student must bring a clear, 5″ x 7″ headshot photo of their pet’s head/face printed on computer paper.

577 Staff Instructor: Connie Stose

Fused Glass: Lantern

Thursday, May 16 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Have fun creating your own fused glass panels for a lantern you can use indoors or outside. Students will receive step-by-step guidance, and projects will be left with the instructor who will “fuse” the glass details together by firing the projects in a home kiln before returning them to 577 for pick-up.

No experience is necessary and all supplies are included. Completed lanterns approximately 8 inches tall.

Community Instructor: Geneen Wise

Creating an Illustrated Field Journal

Friday, April 12 ~ 11am to 12:30pm

Friday, May 17 ~ 11am to 12:30pm

The seasonal changes in the natural world can often be overlooked when we don’t take the time to look closely at what is around us. By keeping an illustrated field journal, we can record not only our thoughts, but sketch and draw what we see, creating meaningful pages through the use of word and image.

Using the beautiful 577 grounds for inspiration, new participants in this session will be introduced to the concept of keeping this type of journal and will create their first entry, hopefully inspired to carry on and fill the remaining pages over time. Experienced students are also welcome–learn new tips, gain fresh inspiration in the ever-changing seasons, and build upon past lessons. No writing or drawing experience is necessary, only the desire to have some fun while exploring the natural world around us.

Community Instructor: David Lymanstall

Upcycling for Gardeners

Wednesday, May 22 ~ 2pm to 4:30pm

Join us to create unique and functional pieces for your garden made out of upcycled materials. We’ll make a garden apron for your tools out of an old pair of jeans (no sewing needed), a garden kneeler out of heavy-duty bubble wrap, and a small planter from a recycled glass jar. You’ll also turn an old cigar box into a little one-stop place to store your seed packets and small tools like garden wire.

This class explores environmental sustainability through creativity, gardening, and repurposing!

Note: Participants need to bring a pair of old jeans to ensure they fit around their waist. All other materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own Mason jar or cigar box.

577 Staff Instructor: Avery Bohman

Plein Air Pastels

Friday, May 24 ~ 2pm to 3:30pm

The term “plein air” refers to the act of creating art outdoors in view of your subject. In this outdoor class, we’ll enjoy a peaceful afternoon observing the beauty of 577’s gardens and grounds while exploring drawing with chalk pastels.

Together we’ll learn to capture a view of the gardens on paper with lots of guidance and support from your instructor. All materials will be provided including a 9-inch by 12-inch sheet of white drawing paper for each student.

Please note: In the event of bad weather, the class will move inside Virginia’s House where we’ll draw from a photo reference.

577 Staff Instructor: Isabelle Tucker

Painted Dot Mandala

Saturday, May 25 ~ 10am to 1pm

Learn the basic techniques of dot painting and celebrate the vibrant colors of spring while creating a mesmerizing floral mandala painting. Participants will be guided in creating common mandala elements and techniques such as petals, teardrops, lollipops, and walking-the-dots.

All materials and acrylic paints will be provided along with a step-by-step pattern, allowing participants to work at their own pace with instructor support. Paintings will be completed on a 6-inch canvas board.

Community Instructor: Shalene Germani

Drawing Nature: Hummingbirds

Tuesday, May 28 ~ 2pm to 3:30pm

Learn to draw one of the most interesting and colorful birds that finds summer haven in Northwest Ohio — the Ruby Throated Hummingbird! Everyone will enjoy exploring the fundamentals of rendering nature’s beauty in colored pencils.

No previous drawing experience is necessary. Using a pre-drawn outline on your paper, you will be guided to add color and texture for a realistic effect. Lots of support and all materials will be provided including 9-inch by 10-inch drawing paper.

577 Staff Instructor: Isabelle Tucker