Painting Class Info.

John Helms Gallery

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All Classes Discontinued At All Michaels' Stores

If you want to take a painting class from John Helms

please email him at john@johnhelmsgallery.com

 

 

 

 

July, 2008 Class Schedule

July, 2008 Painting Class Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
 7, 14, 21, 28

1:00 - 3 pm 

Open

1, 8, 15, 22, 29

1:00 - 3 pm 

Open

2, 9, 16, 23, 30

  1:00 - 3 pm 

Open

3, 10, 17, 24, 31

2:30-4:30 pm  Advanced Oil

           6-8 pm        

            Open

6-8 pm

 Advanced Acrylics

6-8 pm

Open

                 6-8 pm

  Advanced Acrylics

 

Private Watercolor, Acrylic & Oil Painting Classes

By Noted Memphis Artist, John Helms

 Tuition: $80 + Supplies for 4,  2 Hour Classes ( 8 hours in all )  /  You have the option of paying    $80.00 up front the first night of class, or just pay $20.00 each time you come to class.

Please don't wait until the day of the class  to buy your supplies- have them before then. For any questions about supplies or classes please call or email John at john@johnhelmsgallery.com ( see below ) All class information and supplies lists may be accessed at www.johnhelmsgallery.com
 

Please call or email me now for July, 2008 Classes

Space is very limited to 2 students per class.

Contact Information:

Telephone : 901-363-6589                  

Fax : 901-363-6589                                                                             

Postal address :
          John Helms                                          
4255 Arrowhead Rd.
          Memphis,TN.38118-2012
 
Electronic mail :
Email: john@johnhelmsgallery.com
Sales: John Helms
Customer Support: John Helms
Webmaster:
  john@johnhelmsgallery.com
 

 

 

Click on the links below to go to supplies lists pages and then print them out.

Acrylic Class Supplies List

Oil Painting Class Supplies List

Watercolor Class Supplies List

 

 

 

Summary About the Instructor's Background:

( You can read John's complete biography at wwww.johnhelmsgallery.com/biography.htm )

John taught watercolor, oil, and acrylic classes at Michaels Arts and Craft store in Eastgate Shopping

Center in Memphis, Tennessee for a year and four months, before he had a serious auto accident in June of 2007

when he was seriously injured and spent the next 9 months recovering.  John received his formal 

education at Mississippi College, the University of Memphis, and Memphis College of Arts. In the 70's He started

teaching adult watercolor, oil, and drawing classes at various churches and community centers throughout the

Memphis area and first got recognition for his rural watercolor landscape paintings in the early 70's and soon

gained a following. His work is in many public and private collections Nation-wide. He is now teaching private

painting classes.

John's Approach To Teaching: "Although I think Bob was a very good person in many ways,

if you want the 'Bob Ross Style of Art,' then I'm not your man -I'm NOT a formula painter, even though my

students usually finish a painting in 8 class sessions. 'Since I learned fine art the 'old school' method, I teach the

'classical style' of art from the ground up so my students have a firm foundation for painting and a better

understanding of what color theory and mixing colors is all about before they even paint a picture - it is the same

method as most art schools and universities teach, and my students are having fun at the same time."

 

"Thank You In Advance For Taking My Class -

If you are serious about wanting to learn how to paint,

I promise I will teach you how to paint !"

... John Helms



 

Click here to see class pics & students' paintings

 

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures - I still need Pictures of Your Paintings !
 
I want some good digital photos of everybody's best artwork ( and of yourselves if you're brave enough ). Email your digital photos to me and I'll put them on this web site.

                                  

                      

This is my current palette for acrylic painting.

Starting from far left bottom corner

and going around the palette clockwise; Titanium White, Cadium Yellow Light,

Cadium orange, Cadium Red,  Hookers Green ( I alternate between Hooker's

and Sap Green ) , Burnt Sienna, Burnt umber, Yellow Orchre, Dioxiane Purple,

Permanente Green Light, Cobalt Blue, Ultrimarine Blue, and Alarizan Crimson.

I saturated and folded wet Viva paper towels for my paint - this is a system

that Jerry Yarnell uses and works pretty good to keep your paints wet for weeks -

a lid seals the top of the palette and a wet, flat sponge goes inside to keep paints moist.

I also use white gesso for general tinting colors instead of wasting my Titanium White -

I use TW for more intense whites and for highlights.

 

 

Having a constant source of north light is essential for any artist's painting set-up.

My favorite time of the day to paint is during daylight hours - even on cloudy days.

Size Doesn't Matter : Don't let the size of your studio keep you from painting - The

important thing is just to discipline yourself to paint at least every other day.

There are many things that we all have to do - Don't wait until you can "find time

to paint" because it'll never happen - you have to "make time" to paint - schedule

the rest of your activities around your painting - not the other way around. I don't

even answer the phone when I'm in the "zone of a painting" and sometimes I just

unplug it so I won't be interrupted.

 

 

   More Class Info.

 

Plein-Air Painting:

Anyone want to go on a paint-out or learn how to paint outdoors on location? I am planning to have a plein-air Paint-Out in the Summer, so be thinking about some neat places of interest to paint.

 

Art Supplies and Student Discounts

Since art supplies are so expensive buy them wherever you can find them on sale. Michaels Stores have a sale on art supplies every other week, along with various craft items – the sales circular usually comes in Sunday’s Commercial Appeal every other week and has a 40% off any regularly priced item coupon in it. All of my students get a discount off their art supplies- 10% at Michaels, 15% at The Art Center, and 20 to 25% off at Sherri’s Discount Art if you show them your art supplies list. There is no student discount at Hobby Lobby. Other sources for buying art supplies is www.dickblick.com and www.cheapjoes.com  - both of them will also mail you a free catalogue if you ask for it.

12 Pics Ideas for Fall Class Paintings: I complied 12 "beautimos" pics to choose from for possible Fall class paintings -click on the link to go there: 12 Pics for Fall Class Paintings

 

Recommended Books, Demos, Tapes, & On-line Forums

Acrylic, Oil, and Watercolor Tutorials - also Color Theory. Books and tapes also on Mr. Powell's web site. If you're serious about oil painting, study his oil painting tutorials.  www.williampowell-artist.com

Watercolor Tutorials - covers a broad range of watercolor painting techniques - also covers color theory and much more. This is an excellent web site for watercolor artists. www.watercolorpainting.com

Acrylic Painting  - No On-line Tutorials, but has books and tapes reasonably priced on his web site - a good source for  acrylic painting. Jerry Yarnell also has a TV series every Saturday morning at 9:30am and 3:30pm Saturday afternoons on BYUTV, Channel 9403 on Dish Network. www.yarnellart.com

I switch between the following acrylic books by Jerry Yarnell for teaching in class- Each book has color step-by-step  instructions and several paintings to choose from. The average class painting usually takes 6 to 8 weeks ( 12-16 hours ) to complete.

Other Recommended Art Books:

  1. Color and How to Use It by William F. Powell ( a Walter Foster paper-back ) This is a good introductory book on beginner color theory with step by step painting demos. / $8.95
  2. Brush With Acrylics by Terry Harrison, artist ( Search Press ) large paper-back – Various painting techniques and step by step painting demos. /  $24.95
  3. Paint With Acrylics by Jerry Yarnell, artist ( A Leisure Arts Publication ) Over-sized paper-back, with step by step painting demos. /  $7.95

 

Recommended Viewing on TV:

·   Jerry Yarnell, acrylic artist, on BYUTV, Channel 9403 - Dish Network Only on Saturdays at 9:30am    and 3:30pm CST.

·  Every now and then Channel 10, WKNO ( PBS Network ) will have an fine-art related program on.

·  Also AMC Network.

Acrylic Demo: www.charlesharrington.com/gin_demo.htm

Recommended Artist Forum on the Internet:  www.wetcanvas.com  This is by far the largest international forum on the internet for artists. There are many channels on many categories to choose from, and in each of these channels are many, many  forums chock full with good information and good artists to learn from. Any artist on any level of experience can benefit from these forums.

Painting Water: www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=361605&goto=nextnewest

 

Click here to see class pics & students' paintings

 

My Evaluation of Fredrix's New Watercolor Canvas

 

12 Pics for Fall Class Paintings

 

 

        Next Art Trolley Tour Will Be In Spring of 2008

                        

                     Pics From Our First Art Trolley Tour - Memphis Style

          Summer of 2006

Friday -I arrived at Michaels parking lot at 4:30pm and found Nazzi ( watercolor class ) waiting patiently.

We waited and waited and waited for more people to come, but no one else showed up, so we finally

left at 5:30pm and she followed me downtown in her car. Laura ( oil class ) finally called me and asked me

where I was - she and her husband Bob were waiting for us at Linden at Main St. Bob gave me good direction on

how and where to meet them. We parked real close to where you get on the trolley and meet Laura and Bob's

friends Chris and Jeff. We also hooked up with Robert, a new artist friend of mine and we all got on the trolley

and off we go....

 

              

We hit all the galleries on South Main St. - these pics are the Jay Edkin Gallery, by far the biggest gallery

downtown. Everything we saw was mostly abstract  and modern art, which disappointed me.

 

             

                                      Nazzie  is tired....                              From left side - Laura, Chris, Nazzi and Jeff at

              the Zanzabar bar / restaurant. We waited...and waited... and waited... on our food.. 

                                  

           

         Bob, Laura's Husband, (Robert - the mysterious guy in the back) and Nazzi        Chris laura, and Bob

                                              We waited...and waited... and waited some more... on our food..   

 

          

                                 Nazzi and Jeff, Laura and Bob's friend                       Nazzi, Chris and Laura

 

We waited...and waited... and waited... on our food.. when we finally got served, it was cold and

tasted terrible ! The noise was deafening and the service lousy -  we know where we won't go next time...

All in all, everybody had a good time - we met some interesting and some downright weird

people and mingled with the "in-crowd". I'm glad I went to see what's going on downtown with the art scene -

but I'm still disappointed that it was all abstract and modern art, which I don't consider "real art" and

hope that more students go next time.

 

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Last modified: 07/09/08