If you haven’t guessed, I almost always have an ambitious list of things I want to accomplish each year. Some things end up getting kicked down the road simply because I only have so much time and I have to focus on things that are a higher priority. My little pet projects are the ones that typically get neglected. One of the pet projects I wanted to finally do this year was to offer online art classes. This included making new ones, but also putting the free art classes I made last year into a format that was easier to navigate. I am happy to report that I did it!
The first new class available is a master study of Fabritius’ Gold Finch!
Here is my version that I did for the class…
I absolutely loved working on this painting and filming it for the class. I review all the materials you’ll need, a few tricks on drawing with paint, completing an underpainting, and then mixing and adding color.
Even though I haven’t promoted it, a few people have found the class and enrolled. I’ve loved seeing their take on this beautiful painting. Here’s a little promo if you’re curious…
You can enroll in the Gold Finch Class HERE. This $10.00 class is filmed specifically to be an online class and it’s available to you at any time, so you can work at your own pace. You’ll have access to the class as long as this site is active. I’d say “forever”, but that is a little presumptuous.
Last spring, when the bulk of us were under stay-at-home orders, I offered nine free art classes. Those are now available in a course format with a supply list, printable reference photos, and videos. (And they are still free!) These videos were shot during Facebook Live events, so there are a bit more conversational.
You can check out all of the free classes HERE.
These are just a few of the free classes available…
If you are enrolled in any of these classes, including the free ones, you can also join the Art with Miss Mustard Seed Facebook Group. In this group, you can share your art, ask questions, connect with other people who are interested in growing as an artist (including me!)
I will be offering more art classess, but I’ve lately been working on one big project for Jeanne Oliver’s website! It’s going to be a robust course on working with a limited palette in different mediums, on different subjects.
I’ve been filming classes in watercolor, acrylics, water-mixable oils, and oils.
We’ll do color wheels, color charts, landscapes, still life, and even a master study portait.
I’ve had a great time working on this course and I’m looking forward to putting together more art lessons to offer on my own site.
What classes should I put on my list to make?
I can’t believe I even want to attempt this but I look forward to the portrait one because I so want to do a portrait of my nephew.
Can a true beginner start with these classes? Never painted before in my life(not counting walls)!
I love the Goldfinch the book really piqued my fascination with this painting!
Tilting hard to us oil paint beginners, I would love to learn about blocking, getting the color right, painting water, more landscapes, where to start with a blank canvas, and sketching for better paintings. Whatever you offer, I’m in! You are a wonderful teacher and inspiration.
This comment will be a bit different than your request. I’d love some classes on purchasing antiques and collectibles; I’m interested mostly in furniture but all sorts of ‘old’ home decor purchasing would be wonderful!
Oil painting has been on my to do list for awhile and I love the idea of owning the classes. I’ve purchased The Goldfinch and am ready to try my hand at anything you come up with.
Love! Love! Love this!! My girls and I painted along last year and I discovered Jeanne Oliver because of your classes. I will sign up the second it’s available!!
I did the grazing cow last year, very early into oil painting and it turned out lovely. I’m most interested in landscapes and will be trying the Seago study. Thanks for always inspiring us!
Same question as Jen. I am as beginner as it gets. Is the landscape for me?
I am waiting for you to indulge in pastels. I know you have them as I do. I have taken classes and I would love you to develop your skills with pastels and have a class. I am.68 so please don’t delay. Lol
Cabrini, your comment made me smile. Like you, I feel I got to make the best of the time I have left. I turned 64 on March 10th. I have a long bucket list of projects I would like to get done; taking a class or two from Marian, I believe, will help me achieve some of the more challenging goals on my list. I did a few oil pastel paintings, definitely still have a lot more to learn.
I would LOVE a water color class for TOTALLY new bee’s
Terry, I would LOVE a class on painting BEES, themselves! ?
Echoing other comments as a complete newbie & where I should start?
I would love to learn the proper way of painting. I can paint but, I know I could do so much better if I had a good teacher and someone to guide me along the way. I would be interested in oil painting and oil pastels.
By the way, Marian, thank you for directing my daughter and me to Blurb; much appreciated. Hopefully, we will get our book completed and printed this year.
My blog name is Finch Rest! I have been collecting gold finch things for years.
How I wish I could paint – I absolutely love your painting!
Let me know if you ever want to sell it!!!
Though it did make me rather sad to see it changed up. :- |
You mentioned acrylics so I am hoping you will be offering some more classes in acrylics. I am allergic to oils so can’t use them. I did some of the free classes and managed to paint them in acrylics for the most part. Would like better instruction (than my own) on painting in acrylics. Thanks for offering this and keeping it affordable. So many classes are so much more expensive than what I can afford. I look forward to trying some of your classes.
Yes, me too, I only use acrylics for a number of reasons, including allergens. You are not alone!
Hello, Marian! I had a beautiful copy of ‘The Goldfinch’ hanging in my bedroom until recently. My sister gifted it to me after we saw a Dutch Masters exhibit at the Atlanta High Museum of Art several years ago. When I took it down to have the bedroom repainted, I was shocked and saddened to really, truly notice that this poor little goldfinch was chained to his brass perch ~ never to be free. And how much that chain must have chafed his little leg!
Now the painting sits in a drawer. The colors, composition, and subject itself are lovely; it’s the underlying cruelty I cannot bear to look at every day. Does anyone else have difficulty with this problem, or am I being ridiculous? Great art often is truly gory … some of the religious icons, the hunt tables, even the Greek myths are quite dark.
Terrie, the FIRST THING I noticed when looking at that painting/sketch is the chain! I immediately began wondering about the person, Fabritius, and how he had to chain up the little bird to keep it for himself. Goldfinches, with their distinct flying pattern, are some of my favorite garden birds.
I actually thought it was a bird perched on a mailbox or something until I painted it and realized the chain was on the bird’s foot. Yes, I think it’s sad, but I think there can also be some powerful symbolism in it, too. I would like to think that the artist chained the bird and then released it.
Yes, I thought of that too, that perhaps the bird was chained only to do the painting study, then he let it go. That seems likely for an artist.
I’ve been giving this more thought and I’m assuming he was very intentional about choosing to paint the chain. If the point was just to capture a bird to study and paint it, then why not paint it perched on a tree branch? This painting was created in 1654 and I’m guessing the chained bird was used as intentional imagery.
Have you ever worked with colored pencil? Im looking for a medium to start with that’s portable for travel. Plus I have colored pencils!
Thank you.
I don’t love colored pencils. I’m generally not a fan of mediums I can’t mix. Mixing the colors is one of my favorite parts!
I would love to see more watercolor classes! Thank you.
Yay!!!! Thank you!
Your generous gift of free lessons allowed me to cross off “try painting lessons” from my bucket list. And I haven’t stopped painting since!! Thank you!
I would enjoy a watercolor class – maybe mountains and pines like the Nature Calls piece I bought from your online shop several years back ?
Yay! More classes! After a long Winter pining to get back to art and painting, I struggled for a long time to find a tutorial or class that fit MY style. I am so happy to have found yours! I LOVE the landscapes — keep them coming! A change in scenery — fields, forests, oceans, etc… might be nice too! I struggle most with mixing colors and find my painting ends up a bit too ‘muddy’ and lacking visual interest in the end. Hoping I can follow along on your tutorials (I’ve already done one of the minis) and others you’ll offer in the future. Thanks so much for doing these and keeping the pricing reasonable!
Could watercolor landscapes on an intermediate level be available at some point? There are a lot of beginner lessons out there, but not for intermediate watercolor painters. Thank you for asking us and all the best for all of your projects!
I’m not figuring out how to sign up for the free oil classes. I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Tech challenged over here. Thanks! Looking forward to learning something new!