Frank Bette Center for the Arts
  • Home
  • About
    • The Frank Bette Center
    • The Frank Bette Legacy
    • Board of Directors
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Press & Media
    • Contact Us
    • Site Map
  • Classes
  • Exhibits
    • Main Gallery
    • Signature Gallery
    • 2023 Alameda On Camera >
      • 2023 Alameda On Camera Juror
      • 2022 Alameda on Camera Award Winners
    • 2023 Plein Air Paintout >
      • 2023 Plein Air Paintout Juror
      • Paint Me!
      • Plein Air Paintout 2022 >
        • Photos
  • Programs
    • Alameda Island Poets
    • Alameda Island Poets Workshop
  • Membership
    • Artists Members
    • Opportunities
  • Donate
    • Sponsors & Donors
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • P22 Volunteers
  • NEWS
  • Gift Cards
  • DEMOS
  • CALL FOR ART
  • Home
  • About
    • The Frank Bette Center
    • The Frank Bette Legacy
    • Board of Directors
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Press & Media
    • Contact Us
    • Site Map
  • Classes
  • Exhibits
    • Main Gallery
    • Signature Gallery
    • 2023 Alameda On Camera >
      • 2023 Alameda On Camera Juror
      • 2022 Alameda on Camera Award Winners
    • 2023 Plein Air Paintout >
      • 2023 Plein Air Paintout Juror
      • Paint Me!
      • Plein Air Paintout 2022 >
        • Photos
  • Programs
    • Alameda Island Poets
    • Alameda Island Poets Workshop
  • Membership
    • Artists Members
    • Opportunities
  • Donate
    • Sponsors & Donors
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • P22 Volunteers
  • NEWS
  • Gift Cards
  • DEMOS
  • CALL FOR ART
Want to paint outside?
A Few Tips for Getting Started


With Nancy Takaichi
Wednesday. 
December 8 • 4-6 pm


Nancy Takaichi will give practical advice for painting outside: from the gear needed, how to pack it, and what to consider when setting up. She will explain what she looks for in a scene, how she creates a "notan" design or thumbnail, and transfers the idea to canvas. She will share the importance of composition by thinking in terms of shapes. She will touch on why moving quickly to cover the canvas early, helps achieve a better value structure, and color harmony.

Nancy Takaichi has won Best of Show (2018) and the Frank Bette Award (2017) at the Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout. She has won Best of Show twice at the North Tahoe Plein Air Paint Out and in 2020 was named by Plein Air Magazine as one of 11 Plein Air Artists to Collect Now, Emerging Artists you Need to Know

Cityscapes with Watercolor

With Wendy Soneson
Wednesday, October 13 • 1-3pm


Cityscapes require that we take straight lines and manmade objects and bring a life force into them that expresses the energy of the scene. Getting the right combination of perspective, geometric angles, in balance with vibrant contrasts of light and dark, and opposite colors, is the key to depicting movement and life. We will use some technique such as masking tape and scratching, along with the rules of color theory and composition to make a great image that expresses the love of urban life.
​
Wendy Soneson is a Bay Area art teacher, and has been teaching watercolor for 45 years. She had a one woman show at Oakland City Hall recently of cityscapes. Please look at her website wendysoneson.com for more information or contact her a wendysoneson@gmail.com with questions.

Lagoon at Bay Farm

With Cathy Boyer
Wednesday, September 8 • 4-6pm



I was attracted to the shadows reflected in the water and the proportion of the water to land.
​

 The light moved swiftly so I started with the sky to establish value and atmosphere then moved down to the darks secondarily creating shapes that would anchor the painting.

Modifying shapes so they are pleasing, adapting chroma to warm light on subject matter and creating movement through the painting were some of the balls I juggled painting plein air. I hope to achieve a  painting from reference that is as alive as plein air.

Abstraction and design

With Colleen Gianatiempo
Wednesday,.  August 11 • 4 – 6 pm


Do you want to get in touch with your abstract side but not sure how? This demo by Colleen Gianatiempo will introduce a multitude of techniques to get you thinking about form and space, shape, emotion and composition and how to let go of control and surrender to the painting. She will demonstrate techniques including: painting, drawing, layering, collaging, texturizing, scraffito, monoprinting, rubbing and more!  

Abstract Art

With Emily Weil
July 14 • 4-6pm


Join Emily Weil as she creates an acrylic/mixed media painting on “claybord” — a 12” flat, smooth surface (brand name is Ampersand). Using acrylic paints, oil pastels, pencil and other media, Emily will demo painting and drawing with these ingredients to create abstract art.

CAN THIS PAINTING BE SAVED?

With Mark Monsarrat 
June 9 • 7-9pm

Join veteran plein-air painter Mark Monsarrat in another painting adventure as he tackles the age-old question, “Can this Painting be Saved?”
 
Most of us have some not-quite-perfect paintings that face destruction or painting over. Feel the thrills and chills as Mark attempts a daring rescue, without a net or finished piece to copy, dramatically improving an old painting from the field before your very eyes!
 
Monsarrat reveals the process of self-critique for design, value and color, applying the finest art principles as he whips his “problem painting” into great shape! Time permitting, he will rework a second piece as well! Demo in oils, conducted over Zoom.
About the Artist:
Mark Monsarrat, BFA, MFA, is a longtime plein-air painter from San Francisco, having participated in the Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout for more than a decade, plus many other shows & competitions stretching across the country, and conducted countless workshops, private lessons and demos as well

Sunset Over Marshlands
​
Ellen Howard
May 12 • 3-5pm


I will be painting a sunset scene over the marshlands. I will be talking about how to create a warm glow of light over the landscape and how to design a strong focal point in your painting.

More about Ellen.


FIGURES IN OIL PAINTING
​

Durre Waseem
April 14 • 4-6pm


I will be painting a scene to show how to incorporate figures in the surroundings.  When painting figures my emphasis will be on the gestures and proportions more than their appearance and details.

​

Cat in Sunlight in Watercolor
Margaret W Fago
 

 I will be doing a demo on painting a cat with watercolor.  She is perched in my garden enjoying early morning sunlight.  I will be looking at how the light forms the shapes and gives a mood to the painting.  A limited Palette of colors will help keep color harmony pleasing.
If you'd like to paint along, here are the materials

Paint colors:  Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone rose, New Gamboge, Burnt Sienna, Sap Green
Brushes:  Da Vinci rounds: 18, 12, 6 or 8
Robert Simmons 1.5” skyflow flat
Paper:  140 lb. Arches cold press
Other: Pebeo masking gum

Watercolor + Ink

Emily Weil

I will be working with watercolor (limited palette, my favorite Daniel Smith triad) and pen-and-ink to demo a loose-style painting, working from a photo I have taken. Starting with an ink drawing, I will paint using wet-on-wet technique as well as working with watercolor on dry paper.  Working spontaneously and intuitively (right brain!) I will help you relax and create artwork that is more relaxed.

Watercolor Design and Process

David Savellano 
If you happen to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, chances are you may have seen David Savellano with his outdoor painting gear setup; painting a compelling street scene or house portrait. On August 12, 2020 from 6-8pm, you can join the Zoom presentation titled “Won’t you be my neighborhood?” David will demonstrate the design and painting process he employs to create a neighborhood street scene.

Painting in Layers, Oil over Acrylic

Marie Massey

Award-winning artist, Marie Massey, has been painting professionally for 20 years and teaching the "Painting in Layers" method to adults working in oil and acrylic for 8 years.
MarieMassey.com 
  • Painting in Layers Instructions​
  • Palette
  • Plein Air Supply List
  • Plein Air Painting in Layers Composition
  • Plein Air Painting in Layers Tips
  • Underpainting Color Chart

Soft Pastels

Mandar Wagholikar

Mandar is an award-winning artist who is inspired by 
the magic of nature. He loves painting in a vibrant and 
energetic style using soft pastels, acrylic and mixed 
media. He enjoys teaching to students at all levels 
through his weekly online workshops that require no previous experience in painting.

MandarFineArt.com ​

Asian Brush Painting

Karen LeGault

Karen’s “East - West” Watercolors on paper are vibrant, colorful compositions full of energy and life. Subjects are Florals, Still-Lifes, Landscapes and Pond. She synthesizes the tradition of Asian brush painting with Western realism. If you'd like to see more of Karen's work check out her video on vimeo

Watercolor Techniques

Wendy Soneson

Join me for a live demonstration of watercolor techniques. I will be painting several paintings with a variety of techniques: a landscape, a flower, and a city scape. I will use the saturated paper technique and four paper techniques with emphasis on color mixing, values, contrast and textures.
Wendy has been teaching watercolor for 40 year: 35 in Boston and the last five in the Bay Area. Check out her website at wendysoneson.com. She will also hold a workshop through the Frank Bette Center on December 13 about city scapes.

TALK 

Orange Crate Art from the collection of John Orr
 John will be showing a number of the works while he talks about the history of commercial art and California.

Home | About | Programs | Artists | Membership | News | Contact Us | Get Involved | Privacy Policy | Site Map