Summer 2023
ART CLASSES
Please consider making a donation to our school to help us weather this time. Any amount would be appreciated. We are a 501c3 non-profit.
Click Here for more information.
Winner of the 2019 Perry F. Kendig Award,
Arts & Cultural Organization
Summer is often a busy time for everyone — in a good way! This year, some of The Studio School instructors are taking a sabbatical so if our schedule looks a bit “thin,” rest assured, it’s temporary!
Tracy, Robin, Vera and Brett have plenty of short, informative classes that will carry you through the summer months. Plus, be on the lookout for 1 or 2-day POP UP Classes — last minute sessions that instructors will email you about when their muse strikes!
As always, we appreciate YOU for being a part of the school. The camaraderie, support and generosity among our students makes “making art” much more fun!
Welcome to the Studio School in Roanoke, Va.
We are a non-profit art organization with a 30 year history of offering creative classes for all ages and all levels of experience. Our instructors are among the area’s best known artists and they offer a wealth of knowledge, guidance and inspiration.
We are located on the upper level of Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke — inside the mall area, just steps away from the Wildflower Restaurant. Whether you are discovering art for the first time or are continuing your artistic journey, Studio School classes provide an informal, fun and inspiring way to explore the joy of creativity.
To register for classes online and pay by credit card click on the 
button.
SAFETY and WEATHER PRECAUTIONS
At the time this brochure is being produced, we are not requiring masks but encourage everyone to be respectful of their fellow classmates safety. Please bring a disposable trash bag to use in place of our cloth table mats. As we know, things can change quickly, so your instructor will monitor current health conditions and will be in touch with you by email prior to your first class.Weather is another factor and your instructor will be in touch with you the day/evening before a scheduled class if it appears there may be an issue.
See below to contact class instructors, either by clicking the Contact link or via phone.
All phone numbers are 540 area code
Tracy Budd • Contact • 556-8770
Vera M. Dickerson • Contact • 204-1914
Jane Winders Frank • Contact • 580-6866
Patti Kapral • Contact • 815-2214
Brett LaGue • brett@brettlague.com • 797-4492
Robin Poteet • Contact • 384-5022
Gina Louthian-Stanley • Contact • 761-1414
Visit us on Facebook at thestudioschoolroanoke.
Be an Art Angel
If you have some time to give, we would be grateful for any help you can provide, be it helping to organize and hang our school shows, keeping our parking lot tidy, or helping with general cleaning now and then! Click Here to contact instructor, Patti Kapral if you have a bit of time and effort you can donate.
The Studio School is an incorporated non-profit organization, (501.C.3) with programs partially funded through the Virginia Commission for the Arts. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ability or disability. Easel Society Contributors of $250 or more will receive end of the year summaries for their records.
Click Here for a printable Summer Registration Form (form will open in an new window or tab).
Summer Youth Classes
Youth Instructor Patti Kapral is taking some time off this summer so she and her husband can remodel their house and move a son to college. Patti will be back teaching in full-force in the fall!
Classes for Adults
June
Sketching for Painters—with Brett LaGue
2 classes: Thursday & Friday, June 8 & 9 • 9:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. • $130
Have photos you think would make good paintings but they have some issues? Worry not. Each morning you will learn how to create several sketches to bring out the best in those images, then bring your choice of sketch to life, in paint, that same afternoon. Work in watercolor, acrylics or oils. Some painting experience preferred. Email brett@brettlague.com for a suggested supply list.
The Studio School’s Annual Workshop!—with Iain Stewart
June 13–16—WORKSHOP IS FULL
We are delighted to have Iain Stewart as our 2023 guest workshop instructor. Each year we invite a nationally recognized artist to teach an intensive 4-day workshop at the school. Iain is a sought after watercolor instructor with national and international awards, so this workshop filled quickly! No other classes will be held during this week. We will announce our 2024 instructor in the fall, so stay tuned!
Mixing Media—with Vera Dickerson
2 classes: Thursday & Friday, June 22 & 23 • 9:00 a.m.—Noon • $80
Vera will provide a wooden panel for you to use as a base for collage, texturing and acrylic paints. Bring stencils, stamps and acrylic gel or joint compound, along with usual acrylic paint supplies and any collage papers you enjoy using. Click Here to contact Vera with questions.
Painless Oil Painting—with Brett LaGue
3 classes: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, June 28–30 • 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. • $130
Concentrate on one oil painting for three days or create a new painting each day. Get mastery over the unnecessary hurdles that have been slowing you down and holding you back. Learn to finish those oil paintings in record time with more joy. Some painting experience preferred. Email brett@brettlague.com for a suggested supply list.
July
Painting Dappled Light—with Vera Dickerson
3 classes: Wednesday–Friday, July 5–7 • 9:00 a.m.—Noon • $100
Pools of sunlight filtered through shady trees create a fanciful and relaxing state of mind. Learn to think of the patterns of these patches of light, the color and value relations involved. Bring reference photos, and either a small to medium canvas or sealed watercolor paper. Acrylics. Click Here to contact Vera with questions.
Wildflower Gardens in Collage and Acrylics—with Tracy Budd
3 classes: Monday–Wednesday, July 10–12 • 1:00 p.m.—4:30 p.m. • $120
Explore your imagination in this mixed media/ collage class based on the beauty of the summer wildflower fields full of color and motion! We will make papers, tear, cut, stencil, stamp, paint and glue to create these vibrant paintings of summer fields.Think color and movement on a breezy summer day. Come join the fun! Click Hereto contact Tracy for a supply list.
How to Make Creative Travel Journals—with Robin Poteet
2 classes: Thursday & Friday, July 13 & 14 • 9:00 a.m.—Noon • $75 (includes most supplies!)
Store-bought journals are fine, but handmade journals open the door to greater creativity! This hands-on class will inspire and motivate you to paint your surroundings— be they in your backyard or in a foreign land. We’ll actually construct our own journals by exploring size, shape, folds, and intention. You’ll have time to create one or more to use—whenever your muse dictates! Click Hereto contact Robin with questions.
Large, Wild Watercolor Landscapes—with Robin Poteet
2 classes: Thursday & Friday, July 20 & 21 • 9:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m. • $105 (includes 1 full sheet of Arches w/c paper)
This class is sure to get your creative juices flowing! Working large can be fun and freeing and Robin will help guide you through the process. We’ll cover all aspects of painting landscapes—from skies and large washes, to convincing foliage and flowing water. You’ll have two consecutive days to be expressive and bold! Bring reference photos or use one of Robin’s. Think BIG—we’ll have a blast! Click Here to contact Robin for supplies.
Sea Treasures—with Vera Dickerson
3 classes: Monday–Wednesday, July 24–26 • 9:00 a.m.—Noon • $100
Bring a small canvas or two and your sea shells and other beach treasures to paint a tribute to the joys of beach combing. We will work step by step, from drawing to finished product.Vera will also have some shells on hand. Acrylic paints. Click Here to contact Vera with questions.
Painting Water in the Landscape on a Large Canvas!—with Tracy Budd
3 classes: Monday–Wednesday, July 24–26 • 1:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m. •$120
Painting in acrylics on a large canvas in this class, we will concentrate on the landscape that includes water. Whether it be stream, lake or ocean, water is the evasive surface that takes special attention in one’s painting. Learn basic landscape and water “building” techniques in this fun class. Stretching out on a large canvas is challenging but rewarding. Signup for this popular class soon as space is limited due to easel usage! Click Here to contact Tracy for a supply list.
August
Paint Play on Yupo Paper—with Vera Dickerson
2 classes: Thursday–Friday, August 10–11 • 9:00 a.m.—Noon • $75
This nonabsorbent surface allows us to create an amazing variety of pigment and dye paint patterns. Use your acrylic paints and at least 2 sheets of Yupo paper- mid or heavy weight.We will begin with the pure play of paint on Yupo, then focus on composition to find ways to develop your work. Click Here to contact Vera with questions.
Palette Knife Painting in Acrylics—with Tracy Budd
3 classes: Monday–Wednesday, August 14–16 • 1:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. • $120
Create an acrylic painting using palette knives and other interesting tools. In these heavy body acrylic paintings, we will explore texture using different techniques of “putting on “ the paint. Working on medium size surfaces, Students will dabble, scrape, smear their way to energized, exciting surfaces. Click Here to contact Tracy for a supply list.
Painless Oil Painting—with Brett LaGue
3 classes: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, August 16–18 • 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. • $130
Concentrate on one oil painting for three days or create a new painting each day. Get mastery over the unnecessary hurdles that have been slowing you down and holding you back. Learn to finish those oil paintings in record time with more joy. Some painting experience preferred. Email brett@brettlague.com for a suggested supply list.
