Creative Arts, Crystal Lake, IL
A lovely little cottage for teaching art!
When I’m not in my studio – I’m at Creative Arts in Crystal Lake teaching drawing, colored pencil and marker techniques among other things.
Student work:
teaching
Janet Balboa (#janetbalboa) is an artist, writer and teacher living in the Chicago suburbs. Read more
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Tonight: pasties for dinner. You see that little glass of motivation at the end of all this work...
Time for class!!!
My way of adding some light to the dark winter months ahead.
Looking for those dedicated souls who have art on the brain, want to get their form of expression out into the world, or are returning to their artwork after years of being away from it. These classes are relaxed, have great music, coffee/tea available- we chat, we laugh, we do art.
First class on me. See if it’s a good fit, lets talk about where you find yourself and where you’re headed. Then we’ll look at all papers, tools, techniques and a process that can get you there. Call me and we’ll begin: 815 219 8492. Or go to Creative Arts - http://www.creativeartsinc.org/register.html and sign up.
Creative Arts is a hidden gem right in the heart of Crystal Lake .
Artists over 18:
Advanced Technique Studio
– Work on individual projects at your own pace. Build fluency in pencil, colored pencil, Copic markers. Great for artists needing help getting back in the saddle. Even if you don't consider yourself great at drawing- or need to brush up, this will help.
SUNDAY 11am-1pm; $20 per class/ Adult
THURS 2:00-4pm; $20 per class/ Adult .
Colored Pencil
- Learn colored pencil techniques such as color choice, blending and burnishing. Open studio format taught to your level, using your photos/images/ideas/concepts
FRI 2:30-4:00pm; $16/class / Adult .
Colored Pencil Studio
- 3-hour class. Explore advanced colored pencil & Copic marker techniques in an open studio format. This is a technique class- focus is on learning colored pencil. It will certainly help your ability to SEE, thereby improving your ability to Draw, but it is NOT a drawing class!!!
FRI 1:00-4:00pm; $200 for 8 weeks; or $25/class / Adult .
Artists 13 - 17:
Intermediate Drawing
- open studio format. Emphasis on technique, personal style development and beginning portfolio development. Pencil, Prismacolor pencils & Copic/Prismacolor markers.
WED 4-5:30pm $16/class / Age 13 & up
THURS 4-5:30pm: $16/class / Age 13 & up .
Find me here:
Janet Koukol-Balboa
www.janetbalboa.com
https://www.instagram.com/janetbalboa/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/janetbalboa
and always around the Creative Arts studio...
In case you think I'm just lazing around...
Ousel Falls, Big Sky MT commission work.
I've been to Ousel Falls - favorite place is the stairs put in by the Parks Services...so beautiful, they look like they are naturally occurring stone. .
This is all marker and colored pencil and white paint. On marker paper. .
I was and still am, terrified of the water. Each time I sit down, I'm like, 'Oh God...how did I do this?' But as soon as I start, and get back into relationship with it, I start feeling that flow and it just kinda happens. Thankfully. .
This is easier than doing a portrait, but harder in terms of detail. Landscapes allow some latitude for interpretation, like, can you find the skull in this picture? (For realzies 😁💀)While portraits have to be more or less spot on, not much room for error. They have to look like someone right? Ideally anyway.
.
I love up close work. And I love markers for their brightness and colored pencil for it's waxy, smeary layering. Marker paper is awesome. It's like plastic, so never any paper roughing and the surface is smoooooooooth, so the pencils get a beautiful wax build up after 3 layers. Yummy
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A little poetry graphic Tuesday!
I love creating these things. Like an addiction. Words and pictures, playing around with expression. .
#amitgoswaminobrasil #janetbalboa #risingtidesociety #kylecease
NOTES FROM THE PARKING LOT *UPDATE*
so here's a glimpse of what goes on in my head, and why I've been told by my friend JenZen never to play around in there alone...😛
This is either a picture or a blog entry in the making. This is the very beginning, for me, of the muse starting to tug on my sleeve. Captured here between you and me for a moment-
I think this is why I work with symbols and mythological themes; it's kind of a short hand of pre-made meaning. An archetype. So the meaning is there, disguised to consciousness, but so goddam nourishing to Soul. It's message unfolds beyond space and time, across centuries, genders, races and minds. (Anyway, I use a lot of embeded stories.)
More of myth? Check out Joseph Campbell.
And....class starts in 10 min. Ciao♥️
Happy Thursday!
Did I tell you I love love love being (an artist)?
Coming into my stride at 55, never envisioning the path my life would take or the adventure it has become.
Grateful for all my teachers disguised as students, friends, family, situations, events...
Be expectant, open, to what calls you and what moves you. External goals are never as fulfilling as internal questions, some of which may never be answered. And that's ok. Living with mystery is living.
Take the risk. Take the path less traveled. Discover what makes your heart sing. You, face to face with the incredible variety and richness that is YOU. And me. The world. This incredible, relentless, perennial beauty that is always just around the corner, just out of sight...just under the surface, waiting to be seen valued and witnessed. It's shy, hesitant.
Cultivating a relationship with yourself takes care and attention. There will never be, has never been, another you. Everyone you meet, everyone, is a one in 7.7 billion... What if you are exactly who you are supposed to be? What if you were deliciously content? What if 7.7 billion of us were content in who we are? Heaven on Earth?
Black Bear Montana!🐻 Breaking down my process:
Pencil outlines, markers for base, colored pencil for final details. Postcard size, for a corner of the 'Ousel Falls' waterfall picture.
#janetbalboa
#montanalife #ouselfallsart
#ouselfallstrail #bigskymontana
#bigskyartists
Sophia.
Starting with my sketch, adding pencil and markers...and here she is. Card 1 in my Ho'oponopono Intuition Deck.
