November 12, 19, 26, December 3 & 10, 2025,
1-3 PM CST
Welcome to a new approach to thinking, moving, and creating.
This course will change the way you work.
Get out of your head and into the creative zone ~
Make BOLD and decisive marks ~
Add rich, varied, and expressive movements for a confident and personal mark-making style ~
- Five days of live, online instructional meetings with ample time for discussion and sharing your works on the simple, free Padlet App.
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These live sessions are recorded for your review, or in case you must miss a class
- 10 original video demonstrations.
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We meet on Zoom. Between classes you work in your own space.
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Resources include additional readings, handouts, exercises, and artists' videos that extend and enrich learning
SCROLL DOWN TO ENROLL
We begin with the traditional philosophy of Zen and its practice of Meditation and Calligraphy.
Relating these to Western art will inspire your contemporary art practice, and prepare you to work abstractly in any media.
Did you know that the Abstract Expressionists were influenced by Asian artists?
And Eastern artists were inspired by this new American art?
Activities
- Make brushes from found materials
- Follow prompts, exercises, and review works to improve composition, balance, and line.
- Build a lexicon of marks that you can draw from
- Do exercises to help get "out of your head" and learn to move in a centered and and fluid way, using your whole body
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Learn ways to present works or mount them to panel
Concepts
- Apply Eastern philosophy to contemporary expression.
- Develop a new visual vocabulary
- Expand your vision of abstraction
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Over the class sessions, you increasingly work toward your own personal abstract expression in black or colored inks, with traditional lessons as support.
Benefits
- Generate scores of ideas for these and for other bodies of work
- Create numerous ink-on-paper pieces that can stand alone, or with other media such as encaustic and acrylic, or be used in collage
- You will be prepared to continue this work or apply principles and skills to other work.
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Free-up ~ Make markas and move in decisive and confident ways.
MAKE TOOLS
The brushes and unusual tools you
make and alter will
introduce you to new ways of working.
They create lines and patterns
that are unique.
They are an extension of your wrist, arm and whole body.
LISTEN
...to your inner voice.
Do what feels right.
Explore in the moment.
Through experience and practice you will learn to "center", breathe, and trust your own judgement and your own innate sensibility
EDIT
Create a collection of works.
Build a lexicon of marks that
you can draw from.
Improve composition, balance, line,
value, and your vision with abstraction.
Chi, the life energy, makes the mark, not the brush.
Mark-making is a sensory and physical experience. Gestural energy is made visible by developing intuition, instinct and imagination.
This course is for you if you are an adventurous beginner, a skilled artist or designer, or an art or mindfulness enthusiast of any stripe.
"Your workshop has advanced my curiosity and productivity..." Arlene Piacquadio
A bold mark can pull a piece together!
PARTICIPANTS' WORK AND TESTIMONIALS
"Paula is an extremely generous in sharing her skills and techniques. Not only is her instruction superb, but she does an outstanding job of providing written material on how to do the processes taught and helpful resource guides. Her state of the art workshops are fun, educational and worth every penny!"
"Paula is an excellent teacher and gives the student hands on experience with the big brush and ink as well as centers them in finding their own sensibility in their drawings. She is font of technical information from making one’s own brushes, using the ink from washes to black and presentation possibilities from framing to hangings. Her sensitivity to not only student’s intentions but supports the magic of accidental mark marking that gives life and originality to the artist’s piece. She supports work that the student could well dismiss so she gives permission to enjoy one’s freedom and to respect intuition." Phyllis
" I thought the building blocks of lessons from beginning to final presentation of drawings and framing presentation was all of the same cloth and all pertinent."
"Thank you for your excellent workshop this past spring! You have opened up a whole new creative outlet for me!Looking forward to the next class!"
"I find it impossible to name my favorite lessons and break the integrity of the whole course. Every single aspect of it was fascinating, it was a very intensive with plenty of scope for further explorations and research. Wonderfully presented and the video demos very clear. Also, great book references." Crissea
"These are the skills, techniques, concepts I found most useful from this class: ‘No mind’ being an ideal state to act totally without the constraints of thought. The technique of holding the brush or mop, the approach to centering and with one sweep making contact with the brush to the surface and vocalising. Using the whole body to dance with the brush. Links to artists were very illuminating, especially Zachariah Reike and Lee Bae."
C. G.
"Zen, Big Brush and Expressive Ink Painting was such an exciting course, it was liberating to explore a dynamic relationship with ink and brush. A big brush and or mop encourages total physical interaction and commitment to action and rhythm, and that is very freeing and joyful."
C. G.
FAQ:
Q: Should I be in my studio for the live sessions? Will we be working then?
A: You will not work during the live Zoom meetings. The Live Zoom session is a time to review works from previous assignments, watch my videos of demos for the next assignment, and for Q&A.
Q: When will I have access to the class material? When does access end?
A: Upon registration, you can access the supply list in the Curriculum, and begin ordering paper and brushes as needed. There are pre-class videos that will help with this.
Before the first class on October 12, brief videos direct you to take a meditative walk and gather natural and found object brush materials. Make simple tools/brushes, and explore marks with ink. If you don't have time for this, it is not a problem, and it can be done later.
Access to the recordings and course materials ends three months after the last class.
Q: Does this course require special equipment?
A: No special equipment is required. The primary materials needed are papers, brushes, an inexpensive cotton string mop, Indian ink, and inexpensive and found materials to use to make tools/brushes. The recommended 4" brush costs about $60 and participants think it's a good deal.
Q: Will we use encaustic? Do I need experience with encaustic?
A: We do not use encaustic in this course. However, everything we create and experience here is applicable and usable with wax/encaustic works on paper or panels. My follow-up courses, Dipped and Saturated, Carbon Lab, and Zen and Encaustic Monotype Mark-making, will utilize encaustic and the material and conceptual results from this class.
Q: What is the format of the class? Is it live or recorded?
A. Both are part of the course. Paula's demos are recorded (this saves time and everyone has the best view). The weekly live sessions are for Q&A, sharing of works, or additional demos and videos as needed. Upon purchase, you will have access to the welcome videos, supplies, entertaining video assignments (due at our first meeting), and a detailed agenda for the course.
The curriculum includes a Zoom link, and we will also email you the link and instructions before our first class meeting. These live sessions will also be recorded and made available so that you may review them without having to worry about taking notes.
Q: I have more questions. How do I reach you?
A: You can email Paula at [email protected]