A hard-to-find experience

Suzie Harrison

Laguna Beach artist Joan Corman is looking forward to the next two

weekends. She’s looking at it as an art retreat right around the

corner, where art will be taught, learned and experienced in a

heavenly 3,000-acre eucalyptus forest. She’s anticipating what the

scene will be like at the Sawdust Art Festival’s fourth annual

“Spring into Art” weekend workshops Saturday, Sunday and March 27 and

28.

Corman will teach acrylic painting with. Other professional

artists, will instruct in their areas of expertise -- from glass

blowing, indigenous weaving from Columbia and gold leafing and

ceramics. Class options offer myriad media, with a class ratio of 10

to 1 to give the student a more personalized, hands-on experience.

Every ability level is welcome.

Classes will meet both weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,

and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Fees range from $75 to $250, most

include two days of instruction, materials, a Continental breakfast,

catered lunch and refreshments.

Sawdust marketing manager Rebecca Meekma said that it’s integral

for the instructors to not only be successful artists, but also be

good teachers.

“I’ve been teaching for years,” Corman said. “This new project

sounds like a vacation with its beautiful setting.”

She said she really enjoys teaching and everything about making

art.

“Being around artists is a creative experience,” Corman said.

“It’s going to be an opportunity to learn in more of an art retreat

setting.”

She finds that she learns from her students as well -- seeing

things from different perspectives.

Laguna Beach artist John Eagle has taught impressionist oil

painting since the program began.

“Eighty-five percent of my students had never picked up a

paintbrush before,” Eagle said.

He said most students are looking for the experience to learn how

to mix paint and create a painting that can go up on their wall.

“That’s my mission, to take them through those steps,” Eagle said.

“We do one complete painting each day.”

Eagle teaches how to apply proper gray values and shape in the

morning session and students learn how to add color in the afternoon.

“With impressionism [you] capture the feeling of the scene instead

of traditional [style].”

Mixing color is the hardest thing, to get colors without streaks

and blotches, he said. He’ll take the artists through every step

except for the very last.

“How you finish it becomes your approach,” Eagle said. “The brush

strokes and colors you chose to put on those shapes [learned] become

your style and trademark. That’s something each person creates, it’s

not taught.”

Project coordinator Molly Bing said that people come from San

Francisco, New York and Canada, as well as local cities to take

“Spring into Art” classes. There are some new classes on the menu

this year and classes are filling fast she said.

“We always have a wonderful turnout,” Bing said. “The first

session only a few spaces are left. There are still spaces available

for March 27 and 28. It’s not too late to sign up.”

Sawdust Art Festival is at 935 Laguna Canyon Road. To find out

more information about “Spring into Art,” call (949) 497-0514.