Here's another chance to take a watercolor class with Larry Charles! This four-session watercolor workshop is designed for beginners and those current watercolorists who want to achieve more realistic techniques in their travel scenes. Instructor Larry Charles will teach five techniques for capturing landscapes in fleeting sunlight; quick-sketch plein air pictures; lifelike characters; watercolor postcards and travel journaling. Workshop attendees should bring their own watercolor supplies, based on a list [...]

Larry is offering an afternoon class in May as well. It will go from 1:00-4:00 pm. This four-session watercolor workshop is designed for beginners and those current watercolorists who want to achieve more realistic techniques in their travel scenes. Instructor Larry Charles will teach five techniques for capturing landscapes in fleeting sunlight; quick-sketch plein air pictures; lifelike characters; watercolor postcards and travel journaling. Workshop attendees should bring their own watercolor [...]

Did you love Gelli Prints 101?  Here is an opportunity to make envelopes to go with the paper you made in 101 and learn more advanced techniques. Sending notecards to people through the mail seems to be a thing of the past, but people are starting to realize that communicating with a personal note has great benefits. With the social isolation and online living we have been experiencing,  people are [...]

  Join Mimi in this 2 week class as you create something beautiful with all of those art supplies that you have bought and don’t know how to use!    Week 1 we will be making a small blank journal and some quick collage papers.  You may also bring any journal and collage papers that you already have.    The following week we will be filling pages of your journal [...]

Who doesn't like to travel for free? Are you maximizing the use of your points, though, or wasting them? It's a game that few know how to play correctly! This is the first of a three part comprehensive course on Frequent Flyer/Loyalty Points. Part 1 of our series: Understanding the Basics, Valuation of Points, and Rules of The Game (Strategy). Coffee and snacks will be provided, and we will, of [...]

Join award winning fiber artist Mimi Damrauer for a fun class learning to paint paper in Gelli Printing 101!  No experience necessary…everyone can do it!!! Gelli printing is easier than painting! You get professional looking results for minimal effort! If you missed Mimi's April class, here is another opportunity to get the basic concepts and tips of making Gelli Prints.  Mimi will take you through the individual steps to help [...]

If you have ever wanted to paint still life scenes like the pros do, this four-session workshop is for you. Each Tuesday morning in June instructor Larry Charles will demonstrate the six techniques still life artists use to capture realistic scenes.  Expect to take home one completed oil painting from each session. Unique to Valley art classes, this workshop includes all your oil painting art supplies in the workshop fee. [...]

STOP THE BLEED This class is all about bleeding control for massive hemorrhage.  It is a national initiative from the American College of Surgeons to help all members of the community be able to help each other in case of a bleeding emergency.  Topics covered will include a short power point presentation and lots of hands on skills practice: Identifying life threatening bleeding Calling 911 Commercial tourniquet Wound packing Makeshift [...]

Are you tired of being told what health care you need?  Are you ready to learn how to navigate our crazy system of health care? Do you need to understand what procedures are required, or just recommended?  These are just some of the topics we will cover in this "Consumer Health Lecture Series". In this first session you will get an overview of health care systems and health insurance (including [...]

June 14th - The Colorado River & Grand Canyon The first Europeans to observe this river in the Grand Canyon were the Conquistadors in 1540, who could not comprehend its scope.  Untouched until after the Civil War,  it has been a source of water and power since the 1930s for the entire Southwest and a scenic wonderland for the world.  But its story is much more complex. Jim will also [...]

We will spend this session going through what the BEST Loyalty Programs are out there AND a detailed overview of the credit card programs and what part they play in the points universe...it's not as much as you think!  Coffee and snacks will be provided, and we will, of course, have our famous prize drawing at the end of the session!  Come join us.  Please register below. Register Here

  This consumer health lecture series will provide you with tools to use to efficiently navigate the health care system. Many topics will be covered in this lecture series,  and you will also be given tips on how to effectively communicate with health care professionals. The Third Session will cover the following: Health information patient protection act (HIPPA), Patient's Bill of Rights, Informed Consent, Patient's Responsibilities, and The Four Elements [...]

Join us for a Mixed Media Painting Demonstration with noted Cave Creek artist Roberta Kritzia, as she presents a clear mode of producing a beautiful and creative work of art ...even if you think that you "can't even draw a stick figure." Roberta has a most unique way of encouraging "wanna be artists" to make it happen, and to encourage people  to try different art mediums. Materials that she will [...]

  If you have always wanted to draw, or if you need new techniques to make your drawing more realistic, our LEARN TO DRAW BETTER workshop is designed for you.  The workshop meets Tuesday mornings, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, for four weeks at The Holland Center Art Studio, on the following days: July 12, 19, 26, Aug. 2. Participants will learn five techniques for drawing proportions, shading, rendering [...]

Jim Sherbert is going to give you a deep look into the Civil War, not the battles but the clash between economics and culture that drove the secession of the South.  He will also review the effects of the Civil War on everything from the economy to the law, especially the rights of the federal government vs. those of the states and how it influences the nation today. $10 donation [...]

    Pulling it all together!  Part 3 of our series will cover the following: example usage strategies for specific types of trips...from earning points, to planning the trip, to using and enjoying!  Coffee and snacks will be provided, and we will, of course, have our famous prize drawing at the end of the session!  Come join us.  Please Register Below. Register Here

What would your life be like if you woke up every day excited to be greeted by a space that looked and felt like "you" at your very best? Sometimes we forget that we are not separate from our spaces, that we share a reciprocal relationship with our homes.  Too often our homes become simply containers for our possessions.  Feng Shui practice allows you live in gratitude for your space [...]

This unique three-hour workshop will teach you how to gold-leaf artwork, stationery, wood and metal. Instructor Larry Charles will show you how to apply gold-leafing like a pro.  From ultra-thin pinstripes to large gold accents on paintings and jewelry boxes, the artisan crafts you create will now have an extra bit of pizzazz. Learn how to apply a base coat of adhesive size; place delicate thin sheets of gold; and [...]

Larry Charles will be providing Open Studio time in August, instead of scheduling a class. Here's a chance to paint or draw under the supervision of an accomplished artist, who is eager to inspire you to try different mediums and subject matters. He will be doing this on Tuesday, August 23,  from 1:00 - 4:00 and Larry has suggested that the theme of Favorite Memories (antiques or old photos, eg.) [...]

What if you could be happy, feel good, experience joy and wake up each morning excited about the day ahead? What if you could feel like this regardless of what is going on around you? The last two years have taken a toll on all of us to varying degrees. Know that regardless of what has happened, it is possible to get back to living your life with Ease, and [...]

How would you like to spend a fun afternoon crafting with paper and a glue gun!  In this brand new class led by Mimi Damrauer, you will learn how to construct a beautiful elegant giant paper flower that you can display on its own or as a part of a flower wall.  Think of the possibilities! What a wonderful accent to any room! TAKE AWAY: One Giant Yellow Sunflower @ 22". [...]

  This brand new four-session watercolor workshop will teach you the simple techniques for painting people more realistically! Larry Charles will guide you through the six techniques for achieving better skin tones, lifelike facial expressions, body movement and proportions. Expect to see at least one instructor demo during each class, followed by personalized instruction for each student's skill level. Plan on painting one or two complete watercolors during each Tuesday [...]

    Pulling it all together!  Part 3 of our series, on a new date, will cover the following: example usage strategies for specific types of trips...from earning points, to planning the trip, to using and enjoying!  Coffee and snacks will be provided, and we will, of course, have our famous prize drawing at the end of the session!  Come join us.  Please Register Below. Register Here