Mentoring & Workshops

Helpful Links:

I LOVE sharing my knowledge with aspiring artists of all ages. My goal is to create a better world with more artists. I strive to inspire each student, and to instill in each, a personal repertoire of skills, confidence, and a functional artist’s intuition.

My greatest strength and passion is drawing. I'm a printmaker and a painter as well. Join me for a unique, non-traditional learning experience that's student focused and fun!

I tailor my mentoring and workshops to suit the needs, desires, and skill-levels, of students. The options below are just a sampling, but they should get you started with ideas we can work from. You can also view my galleries for more ideas. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or other workshop ideas.

For private mentoring in drawing or painting, I usually recommend sessions of 30-60 minutes each. You can book one lesson or a lesson package. Printmaking, being more methodic and process oriented, lends itself well to longer stand-alone sessions. The choice is really very personal. Contact me and we'll discuss some options. I welcome folks of all ages; individually, or in small groups.

My current favorite topics for workshops are:

There are many more choices!

Options for drawing range from simple sketching to total realism, in the medium of your choice.

Options for painting include a variety of styles in acrylic and watercolour.

Printmaking usually requires a little more explanation:

Drawing is a wonderful pursuit, but each drawing allows for only one finished piece of work. Reproduce your drawings in the form of original art by turning them into beautiful hand-pulled prints! In printmaking, you relinquish a certain amount of control and there is an element of surprise. You never know what your print will really look like until you pull it off the plate. You may be surprised at the charming character that results! Unlike photographic reproductions, each hand-pulled print is a unique, and original work or art.

Options for Printmaking:

Contact mono-printmaking is a simple and fun way to take advantage of your favorite sketches. Compared with other printmaking methods, contact mono-printmaking requires relatively little in the way of supplies and tools. For examples of contact monoprints, click the image below:

Lino-cut printmaking is a form of relief printmaking and a great introduction to the world of printmaking.

Reduction linocut printmaking is a multi-stage linocut process. Each stage involves a separate carving of the same plate. Each carving allows you to add another colour to your print.

For examples of lino-cut prints, click one of the images below:

Sculpting:

Although I have a background in clay sculpture, up-cycled mixed media sculpting is my current favorite. The “skeleton” is built using miscellaneous junk, then is wrapped in old t-shirt strips dipped in thinned glue. When dry, the sculpture is painted, embellished and varnished. It can be difficult to achieve detail, so the finished pieces end up having a lot of character! It’s a great way to be thrifty and make use of what’s available. To see the evolution of a sculpture click the image below:

There are plenty of other workshop options for adults and children as well. Remember, there are no rules in art. I'll be there to guide you in any direction you take.

To learn about WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN click the image below:

I am based in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. I am available to travel if necessary.

Are you ready to get started? Click here to contact me.

Find my self-paced online courses at Learn.PennyBoden.ca

Here are some details on my teaching experience:

Art Mentoring through home-visits in the Cowichan Valley & Nanaimo area
Professional Development Workshop Facilitator, Cowichan Area Teachers' Association, Duncan, BC
Online Art Instructor & Mentor, Drawing for Success, Learn.PennyBoden.ca
Visiting Art Instructor, Upper Pine School, Rose Prairie, BC
Visiting Art Instructor, Taylor Kids' Kamp, District of Taylor, BC
Artist in Residence, Clearview School, Flatrock, BC
Children's Art Instructor, Peace Art Gallery Society, Fort St. John, BC
Visiting Art Instructor, Planet Kids Summer Camp, Northern Environmental Action Team & ArtSpace, Fort St. John, BC
Mentoring & Workshops for Adults & Children in my own home studio
Art Workshop Instructor, ArtSpace, North Peace Cultural Centre, Fort St. John, BC
Fine Arts Classroom Teacher, School District 60, Peace River North, Fort St. John, BC
Teacher at School District 60, Peace River North, 2005-2012

Click here to see my full bio & CV

Click here for more workshop photos

References Available