AARP New York Presents: Online Master Classes with Islip Arts Council

AARP New York along with Islip Arts Council is proud to present online master classes in art and music to help you stay creative this Spring! AARP members and guests can receive 20% off the regular admission price for these online workshops. Please visit: www.isliparts.org and click on “School” to purchase access to the course of your choosing.  Enter Code: APIAC21 at checkout. 

Fall 2021 Classes:
Join us virtually this October, November, and December for a designated course with four consecutive classes relevant to the course topic – UPCYCLING - Turning Junk Mail Into Jewelry, ART TO GRAFFITI POETRY: Write Your Own Work of Art and CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY. As a sentiment that is applicable to every aspect of life, daily practice is important. With Islip Arts Council classes, daily practice can be whenever or wherever you choose.

Class Descriptions:
OCTOBER: UPCYCLING: Turning Junk Mail into Jewelry
Your mailbox is a mine that is full of fabulous gems. Learn how to make jewelry out of restaurant menus, travel brochures, coupons, and magazines with Melisa Ramos.
Register here: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassoctober

• Class 1: Rolling Out The Gems
  Learn how to create the basic building blocks of necklaces, belts, and bracelets; Using glue, a chopstick, and junk mail.
  
• Class 2: Winging Up Coasters
  Create colorful coasters for your coffee table using old restaurant menus and magazine pages.
  
• Class 3: Jewelry with a Twist
  Turn those heavy, glossy real estate postcards or political mailings into perfectly pretty headwear.
  
• Class 4: An Ear For Style
  Design unique earrings using fashion ads.

NOVEMBER: ART TO GRAFFITI POETRY, WRITE YOUR OWN WORK OF ART!
Learn about how to employ “Color Meditations” and “Freewriting” to help you explore your inner creativity.
Register here: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassnovember

• Class 1: Graffiti Poetry in Black and White
  Intro to the “Color Meditations”; Exploring the freewriting process; Selecting words from your “Freewrite”, and Drafting your Graffiti Poetry Artwork using a #2 Pencil
  
• Class 2: The Color of Graffiti Poetry using Color Pencils
  Practice the "Color Meditations” Freewriting process; Selecting the most colorful ideas from your “Freewrite”, and Drafting your Graffiti Poetry Artwork using Color Pencils
  
• Class 3: Blending the Colors of Graffiti Poetry with Pastels
  Refining the editing process of your “Freewrite”; More considerations and editing and drafting your Graffiti Poetry Artwork; Considerations for Combining writing and color to the Graffiti Poetry
  
• Class 4: The Dynamic Colors of Graffiti Poetry using Spray Spritzers
  How to create a Spray Spritzer using acrylic paint and water; Considerations for combining writing and spraying color to your Graffiti Poetry Artwork, and Evaluate your Graffiti Poetry Artwork mini-portfolio.

DECEMBER: CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY
Learn the beautiful and ancient art of Chinese calligraphy.
Register here: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassdecember

• Class 1: Learn the history of Chinese Calligraphy.
  Understand the tools (brush, ink paper); Learn to recognize & read simple characters, and Practice strokes
• Class 2: Learn to recognize & read more complex characters
  Exercises to develop brush control and build fluidity - Straight strokes, and Trace simple characters.
• Class 3 - Learn to recognize & read advanced characters
  Exercises to develop brush control and build fluidity - Curved strokes, Write basic characters without a tracing guide and Intro to painting bamboo and flowers
• Class 4 - Learn to recognize & read complex characters
  Write complex characters without a tracing guide, and Intro to painting landscapes and fish

Summer 2021 Classes:
Join us virtually this July, August, and September for a designated course with four consecutive classes relevant to the course topic – GETTING STARTED AT THE PIANO, WATERCOLOR, and DRAWING WITH COLOR respectively. As a sentiment that is applicable to every aspect of life, daily practice is important. With Islip Arts Council classes, daily practice can be whenever or wherever you choose.

Class Descriptions:
JULY: Getting Started at the Piano
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassjuly

• Lesson 1: History of the Piano/Proper posture/Hand Positions
  The Musical Alphabet; Black Key Groups; Five-finger position on “C”, both hands; Note movement: Up/Down; Common note values, rests; Simple melodies in 5-finger C position- C-D-E Songs; C Major scale, Right hand/Left hand

• Lesson 2: Basics of Notation
  Treble Clef-Introduction to the Staff; Stepwise vs. Skipping movements of notes; Reading/playing melodies in C major; Five-finger position on “G”; Simple melodies in 5-finger G position; G Major scale, Right hand/Left hand; Learn a song

• Lesson 3: Bass Clef Notation/Chords/Meter
  Becoming familiar with the bass notation; Constructing chords; Explanation of common meters: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 time, and rests; Unison exercises to develop facility in both hands; Creating an accompaniment to a melody- chordal, solid/broken; Learn another song based

• Lesson 4: Putting It All Together
  Ode to Joy- learning the Treble Clef melody, with fingerings; Ode to Joy- learning the Bass Clef chords, with fingerings. Playing with both hands!

AUGUST: Watercolors
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassaugust
Bring your watercolors to a new level as Ward takes you step by step from a gray value sketch to a finished painting.

• Lesson 1: A boathouse
  Learn how to use large shapes, saved whites, and work with large brushes for a fresh, colorful, dynamic result.
• Lesson 2: Still Life-floral
  Learn how to apply one-stroke leaves and paint bright tulips, yellow daisies, and a variety of floral shapes in a glass container with contrasting greens.
• Lesson 3: Landscape with water - Bridge with mill house and pond reflections
  This dynamic composition of a bridge across a large pond is an opportunity to include all the landscape elements of sky, trees, bridge, and reflections in the water.
• Lesson 4: Landscape and Perspective – A Barn on back country road with distant hills in background
  Apply contrasting colors while utilizing perspective in a landscape.

SEPTEMBER: Using "Color” as a Language
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassseptember

• Lesson 1: “The Basics”
  Introduction; Materials Review; The Color Wheel; Color “Language” of the Masters
• Lesson 2: “Color in the Landscape”
  Creating a Value Sketch Examining Lights Effect on Color; Atmospheric Color Perspective; Guiding the Eye Using Color
• Lesson 3: “Our Furry & Feathered Friends”
  I Do not “See” that Color; Dynamic Lighting and Color Manipulation; Working from Photographs; Composing a Successful Portrait
• Lesson 4: “The Human Head”
  Skin Tone Colors; The Importance of Value and Lighting; Constructing a Dynamic Rendition “Pushing” Values Using Color. Identifying Color Values from Photographs; Render a Self Portrait by looking in a mirror or from a Photograph

• Spring 2021 Classes: *REGISTRATION PERIOD ENDED

Join us virtually this April, May, and June for a designated course with four consecutive classes relevant to the course topic – Drawing, Guitar, and Origami, respectively. As a sentiment that is applicable to every aspect of life, daily practice is important. With Islip Arts Council classes, daily practice can be whenever or wherever you choose.

Whether you make a single sketch, strum a single string, or fold a single paper, finding just a minuscule amount of time to feel creative is key to galvanizing your artistic capabilities. Aside from unveiling your own creative side, it can also be a way to better your skills, discover something new, or even finding your inspiration. Many different parts of our brain are engaged when we craft – our focus, memory, problem solving, and information processing, to name a few. Crafting is more than just a fun hobby; just a few minutes per day can contribute to your overall health and wellbeing. Staying creative benefits your brain health and wellness, two important tenets of AARP New York’s focus. Potentiate your creative capabilities with IAC’s upcoming classes.

Class Descriptions:

APRIL: Drawing “The Beginning” with Artist/Teacher Marlene Bezich
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassapril

• Classes 1- 4: During the first lesson, you will get the materials overview and learn simple Still Life, as well as value identification.  In the second lesson, you will begin a sketchbook and learn to use thumbnails and the “Quick Sketch” for a basic landscape. In lesson 3 you will learn the basics of creating your furry and feathered Friends using basic shapes and working from photographs you will compose a simple portrait. And, finally, you will work on “The Human Head” and the Importance of Value.

May: Acoustic Guitar for All with Gerry Saulter
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassmay

• Classes 1- 4: Guitar enthusiasts are welcome to learn, play, create, and explore the world of guitar.
  We will guide you through the world of the Spanish guitar. In just a few fun, spirited lessons this engaging and interactive course will take you from being a novice to playing in the Spanish guitar style.

June: Origami The Art of the Fold with Shrikant Iyer
Register: https://aarp.cvent.com/islipmasterclassjune

• Classes 1-4 - This Origami class begins with Beginner Folds - often referred to as Pureland folding.
  Covering the Basics is lesson 2 and will go over common bases (examples: waterbomb base, pig base, windmill base) used in the origami world and fold models from them. By lesson 3 you will be ready to Spring into Action: This workshop will be mostly dedicated to action origami and some models to put us in the mood for spring. By the final, you will learn Modular origami.  This is when we fold smaller units and assemble them to make something bigger introducing folders to modular origami.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the Islip Arts Council at info@isliparts.org or at 631-224-5420.

We look forward to seeing you virtually in class!

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Original post: April 16, 2021
Updated on August 26, 2021