top of page

2017 Workshops

Location: Cape Coral, Florida
Dates: January 12-14, 2017
Contact:                                       
​Phone:  239-945-3158   
Marjorie Ewell
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: ---

On Day 1, we will prepare papers for both techniques and then paint on the charcoal pour paintings in the afternoon.  This process is so fun!  We actually will be throwing a bucket of water on the charcoal powdered surface.  (Outside, of course!)  Then we will paint the subject, using watercolor, and adding collage, creating a textural masterpiece!  Karen will demonstrate a crow, but students may pick whatever subject they prefer. Karen believes that painting should be fun, and gives lots of individual help. 

 

On days 2 and 3, we will learn an easy fun way to paint an underpainting, using acrylics.  No drawing skills needed.  Karen has lots of tricks to make drawing people easy.  We will get to doodle to our heart’s content in this workshop, painting like Gustav Klimt, with tiny patterns and even adding gold outliner paint for details.  Acrylic actually makes this process so fun and easy. Craft acrylic paints (available at Michaels) can be used for this process, so this will be an introduction into acrylics that won’t break the bank.  This workshop will emphasize good design and lots of tricks to make the detail work easier.  We actually paint using a credit card to begin the process!  Students always LOVE this process!

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Location: The Villages, Florida
Dates: February 20 - 23, 2017
Cost: 
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Beverly Hennessy
352-753-1383
 
Contact:

Painting white flowers can be tricky, but Karen Knutson has secrets to make it easy.  Students may pick any white flower for their reference, but Karen will be demonstrating orchids.  Adding collage texture with handmade papers will make this workshop a really fun adventure!  Abstract design will be discussed and the students will come away with design tips to help all of their paintings, no matter what the subject is!  The flower paintings will be completed on the first 2 days of the workshop. 

The last 2 days will be spent on Karen’s new favorite thing to do:  wire drawings.  They are done with permanent markers, but they look like they are wire sculptures!  That’s why she invented the name, “wire drawings”.  Subjects will be the student’s choice.  Karen is intending to paint a butterfly or a dragonfly! Students will add color, using acrylic paint, as in the picture here.

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Contact:
Michaelin Otis
(520) 869-5583
 
Location: Green Valley, AZ
Dates: March 13-16, 2017
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost:
**Demonstration for Green Valley Arts:  Thursday, March 9th at 1:00 p.m.

Have you always wanted to paint figurative work, but have been afraid to do so?  Karen will demonstrate painting people in this workshop.   No drawing experience necessary.  She has shortcuts to make drawing people really easy!  This workshop will concentrate on how to get many textures that only acrylic allows.  We will be using rubbing alcohol, different surface textures, and many other tricks to come up with special effects. Each painting will have about 4 layers to produce the special effects.  Design tips will also be discussed, since the backgrounds are very important parts of these textured paintings.  Acrylics has become my favorite medium!  Can’t wait to share my tricks!  One day, we will do carefree funky ladies, just for kicks.  On this day, we will be using watercolor and markers.  This has been one of Karen’s most popular workshops!

Site Title

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

* Checks should be made out to Karen Knutson, and sent to 8621 Coachman's Lane, Eden Prairie, MN to reserve your spot in this workshop.

Contact:
Kate Bakko
Location: Kanuga Conference Center, near Henderson, NC
Dates:  April 22- 28, 2017
Hours: 9:00 - 4:00
Cost: Check website for cost: (depends on lodging preference, etc.)

www.KanugaWatermediaWorkshops.com     

Climb into the mind of an abstract artist! Karen has developed her own approach to thinking in an abstract manner, magically guiding artists to generate their own creative compositions using acrylics.  Starting with traditional subjects, she will lead a discussion on their simple shapes and ways to abstract them while developing a captivating design.  Using tools such as credit cards, brayers, brushes, sticks, rubber tools, Q-tips, and fingernails to get unusual marks on the surface of the paper, the class will be working all abstract by the end of the week, learning how to push colors to exciting levels.  Karen gives lots of individual help and believes that painting should be entertaining, enlivening exploration into the mystery of discovery, always expanding one’s creativity and imagination! The Kanuga Conference Center is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, close to Hendersonville, NC.  It’s a wonderful get away, where you can totally become immersed in your artwork, while meeting many other artists at the same time! Come join in the FUN!!!!

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Location: Louisville, KY
Dates: May 15-18, 2017
Hours: 9:00 - 4:00
Cost: ---
Contact:  

Judith Egerton

928 Audubon Parkway

Louisville, KY 40213

502-635-7622

If you are hesitant to paint abstracts, and want to explore more mediums, this is the workshop for you!  Day one:  The art of wire drawing, (drawing with a permanent marker that looks like a wire sculpture) will not only loosen you up, but it will improve your drawing skills at the same time!  Win/Win!!!  This is Karen’s favorite new technique that she has ever learned!  It has to be seen to be understood. Day 2:  We will also be creating small abstracts using watercolor, collage, and permanent markers.  Days 3 and 4:  Then we will get out the acrylics and create paintings that are influenced by the great Gustav Klimt.  (Students can use small inexpensive liquid acrylics, available at Michaels Craft Store, so it won’t be a big investment if they are new to acrylics.) Karen will be demonstrating people, but students can pick their own subject.  We will actually be scraping on the color, using a credit card!  Amazing colors and forms are created in this method.  Come ready to explore new techniques and take your paintings to the next level! Karen Knutson is a popular workshop instructor who believes that painting should be fun as well as productive.  Check out her website, www.karenknutson.com and blog, www.karenknutson.blogspot.com

Contact:  Susanne Slater

If painting people has scared you in the past, this is the workshop for you!  No drawing experience necessary. This workshop starts out with silhouettes of people, and then the last 2 days, students learn how to abstract them even further.   Karen has shortcuts to make drawing people really easy!  This workshop will concentrate on how to get many textures that only acrylic allows.  Also, design tips will be taught.  We will be using rubbing alcohol, different surface textures, and many other tricks to come up with special effects. Each painting will have about 4 layers to produce the special effects.  So much fun!

Location: San Diego, CA
Dates: June 13-16, 2017
Hours: 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Cost:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Location: Alexandria, MN
Dates:  July 18-20, 2017
Hours:  9:00 - 4:00
Cost: 

Mixed Media Workshop- Painting like Gustav Klimt with Acrylic, Charcoal Pour Birds, AND wire drawing!

Contact:  JoAnn Almich
jjalmich@msn.com
602-743-0104

The main focus of this workshop will be acrylic painting. This process will teach you how to paint like Gustav Klimt.  We will paint a contour drawing of a person, and make their clothing very wild with lots of tiny shapes.  No drawing skills needed.  I have some tricks for you!  We will actually be painting with a credit card to create the texture!  Students always LOVE this process! We will get to doodle to our heart’s content!  Another fun technique that is my new FAVORITE thing EVER, is “wire drawing”.  We will be using permanent markers for this process, and it actually helps is you are an unsure sketcher!  :) This is called wire drawing, because the end result looks like a wire sculpture.  This technique has made me a better drawer, and I absolutely love my new found freedom and wild imagination!  You will love it too!  Our final new technique is charcoal pour bird paintings.  This is such a fun process, and very easy!  We’ll actually be pouring a big bucket of water over the charcoal papers (Outside, of course).  Wear old clothes and shoes on the first day.  Contour drawings make these paintings easy and a great adventure!  There will be exciting new ways to establish texture, using collage papers, and different surface treatments for special effects.  Because there are SO MANY new techniques in this workshop, we probably will have to finish our charcoal bird paintings at home, but you will know how to do that.

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Location:  Dickinson, ND
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Cost: 

(Watercolor, Markers, Charcoal Powder and a tiny bit of acrylic)

​

Day 1: We will be learn how to paint birds that you can see through (illusionary), and we will paint with the use of stencils to make the background so fun!  White acrylic is used for the stencils but the rest of the painting is done with watercolor. Students will learn how to do a charcoal pour today too in preparation for Day 2.

 

Day 2 and 3: We will learn how to paint on a charcoal prepared surface. Birch trees will be the subject, and the students will learn how to use the charcoal surface for bark of the trees and also for roots below the tree.  The charcoal surface is such fun to create, and students usually go on to add this technique in many other paintings. White acrylic may possibly be used for finishing touches on this painting.

 

Day 4:  Starting with a fun contour drawing, done in pencil, students will learn the craft of “Wire Drawing”.  Students will choose their own subject, using one of their own photos.  I nicknamed this “wire drawing”, because the drawings resemble a wire sculpture when they are done.  No drawing skills needed.  In fact, the more mistakes you make in your drawing, the better!  Finishing work is done with a permanent marker, and then the students may choose to add watercolor or they may prefer to keep them black and white.  This Wire Drawing skill will help all of your paintings!  It’s Karen’s favorite technique in these past few years!

Contact:  Linda Renaud
showandtellartist@gmail.com
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Cost: 

(Watercolor, Markers, Charcoal Powder and a tiny bit of acrylic)

​

Day 1: We will be learn how to paint birds that you can see through (illusionary), and we will paint with the use of stencils to make the background so fun!  White acrylic is used for the stencils but the rest of the painting is done with watercolor. Students will learn how to do a charcoal pour today too in preparation for Day 2.

 

Day 2 and 3: We will learn how to paint on a charcoal prepared surface. Birch trees will be the subject, and the students will learn how to use the charcoal surface for bark of the trees and also for roots below the tree.  The charcoal surface is such fun to create, and students usually go on to add this technique in many other paintings. White acrylic may possibly be used for finishing touches on this painting.

 

Day 4:  Starting with a fun contour drawing, done in pencil, students will learn the craft of “Wire Drawing”.  Students will choose their own subject, using one of their own photos.  I nicknamed this “wire drawing”, because the drawings resemble a wire sculpture when they are done.  No drawing skills needed.  In fact, the more mistakes you make in your drawing, the better!  Finishing work is done with a permanent marker, and then the students may choose to add watercolor or they may prefer to keep them black and white.  This Wire Drawing skill will help all of your paintings!  It’s Karen’s favorite technique in these past few years!

Location:  Dickinson, ND
Dates:   August 3-6, 2017
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Cost: 

(Watercolor, Markers, Charcoal Powder and a tiny bit of acrylic)

​

Day 1: We will be learn how to paint birds that you can see through (illusionary), and we will paint with the use of stencils to make the background so fun!  White acrylic is used for the stencils but the rest of the painting is done with watercolor. Students will learn how to do a charcoal pour today too in preparation for Day 2.

 

Day 2 and 3: We will learn how to paint on a charcoal prepared surface. Birch trees will be the subject, and the students will learn how to use the charcoal surface for bark of the trees and also for roots below the tree.  The charcoal surface is such fun to create, and students usually go on to add this technique in many other paintings. White acrylic may possibly be used for finishing touches on this painting.

 

Day 4:  Starting with a fun contour drawing, done in pencil, students will learn the craft of “Wire Drawing”.  Students will choose their own subject, using one of their own photos.  I nicknamed this “wire drawing”, because the drawings resemble a wire sculpture when they are done.  No drawing skills needed.  In fact, the more mistakes you make in your drawing, the better!  Finishing work is done with a permanent marker, and then the students may choose to add watercolor or they may prefer to keep them black and white.  This Wire Drawing skill will help all of your paintings!  It’s Karen’s favorite technique in these past few years!

Location:  Dickinson, ND
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Cost: 

(Watercolor, Markers, Charcoal Powder and a tiny bit of acrylic)

​

Day 1: We will be learn how to paint birds that you can see through (illusionary), and we will paint with the use of stencils to make the background so fun!  White acrylic is used for the stencils but the rest of the painting is done with watercolor. Students will learn how to do a charcoal pour today too in preparation for Day 2.

 

Day 2 and 3: We will learn how to paint on a charcoal prepared surface. Birch trees will be the subject, and the students will learn how to use the charcoal surface for bark of the trees and also for roots below the tree.  The charcoal surface is such fun to create, and students usually go on to add this technique in many other paintings. White acrylic may possibly be used for finishing touches on this painting.

 

Day 4:  Starting with a fun contour drawing, done in pencil, students will learn the craft of “Wire Drawing”.  Students will choose their own subject, using one of their own photos.  I nicknamed this “wire drawing”, because the drawings resemble a wire sculpture when they are done.  No drawing skills needed.  In fact, the more mistakes you make in your drawing, the better!  Finishing work is done with a permanent marker, and then the students may choose to add watercolor or they may prefer to keep them black and white.  This Wire Drawing skill will help all of your paintings!  It’s Karen’s favorite technique in these past few years!

Location:  Dickinson, ND

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Location: White Bear Lake Center for the Arts
4971 Long Ave., White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Dates:   August 15- 17, 2017
Cost: 

651.407.0597

Back for her third summer workshop at WBCA, Karen Knutson loves to introduce students to fun techniques and stretch their imagination into making their paintings semi-abstract.  In this workshop, students will be making our own stencils, using a glue gun.  Then we will paint illusionary birds and have fun with color exploration.  Another day, we will be pouring water on a charcoal surface and then incorporating a bird of their choice on the charcoal surface.  Karen will be demonstrating a cardinal, but students can pick your own subject.  Collage will be incorporated into an abstract design on the third day, and again, birds will be the subject of this painting, but just the outside shape of the bird.  No drawing necessary for this workshop.  Get ready to learn so many new textural tricks!  Fun to incorporate into any subject for future paintings!  

​

​

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Cost:   $225

Students will get to doodle to their heart’s content in this workshop. This is great for those students who would like to try acrylic for the first time.  For part of the painting, we will be using a credit card to spread the paint on the surface!  Students always LOVE this process!  Karen even has tricks to make drawing people so easy,

so no drawing skills are required.  Techniques that create texture make this workshop at hit with everyone!  Good design tips will also be emphasized!  As an extra bonus, by special request, we will be learning how to do a small Wire Drawing, my new favorite thing EVER!!!  You will be amazed how it will affect all of your future work!

​

​

Location: Watertown, SD
Dates:   August 24 and 25, 2017
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Contact: 
Jennifer Stone
jstone@wat.midco.net
605-520-5556
​

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

​

Contour drawings make these paintings easy and a great adventure!  Lots of tricks!!!!  We’ll also be working with a charcoal pour as a preparation for our bird paintings.  This is such a fun process, and very easy!  These paintings are meant to be fun loving and free.  Then, watercolor and collage are added to create the whimsical bird paintings.  Karen will demonstrate paintings crows or cardinals.  We’ll also learn how to paint a landscape with birches and a rock spill.  There will be fun new ways to establish texture, using collage papers, and different surface treatments for special effects.  Karen Knutson is a very popular watercolor instructor, who believes that painting should be fun, and gives lots of individual help.  She is known for her enthusiastic demonstrations and lessons in good design. 

​

Location:  Traverse City, MI
Dates:   September 13-15, 2017
Hours:   9:30 - 4:30 (One hour break for lunch)
Contact:  Kaleigh James
​kaleigh@crookedtree.org
Cost: $300 members/ $340 nonmembers
Location: Miles City, MT

Location for Monday and Tuesday:             

Range Riders Museum

435 LP Anderson Road

Miles City, MT 59301

​

Location for Wednesday:             

Waterworks Museum,

85 Waterplant Road,

PO Box 1284

Miles City, MT 59301

Dates:  October 16 - 18, 2017
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Hours:   9:00 - 4:00
Cost: $285, To sign up, Send your name, address, email, phone, etc. and Make check to Waterworks Art Museum, and send to:

Waterworks Art Museum

85 Waterplant Road,

PO Box 1284

Miles City, MT 59301

Contact:  De Nice Curry

 administrative assistant of Waterworks Art Museum

    ccartc@midrivers.com

   (406) 234-0635

​

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

For Supply List & Directions Click Here:

Wow!  3 different techniques in one workshop!  First, we’ll also be working with a charcoal pour as a preparation for our paintings.  This is such a fun process, and very easy!  We will actually be pouring a big bucket of water onto a surface that has charcoal powder sprinkled on it.  While waiting for the charcoal surface to dry, Karen will share some new drawing techniques that will elevate your paintings to the next level!  After the charcoal surface is dry, we will be adding watercolor and collage.  One day, students will paint birds, and another day, they will learn how to do a “wire drawing”.  This is a drawing using a permanent marker, but when completed, it looks like a wire sculpture.  It is Karen’s favorite technique and has to be seen to understand.  There will be fun new ways to establish texture, using collage papers, and different surface treatments for special effects.  If there is time, we will work on a landscape painting too.  Karen Knutson is a very popular watercolor instructor, who believes that painting should be fun, and gives lots of individual help.  She is known for her enthusiastic demonstrations and lessons in good design. 

You will notice that the first 2 days of the workshop will be held at the Range Riders Museum.  The last day will be held at the Waterworks Museum, where my exhibit is hung.  That day, we will only need our pencils, watercolor paper, and some permanent markers, so you won’t have much to set up.  We will also have our critiques of our paintings on the last day.

This workshop is being held in conjunction with Karen Knutson's solo exhibition at the Museum in Miles City, MT.  The opening night for my exhibition is on October 15th from 1:00 - 4:00.  Waterworks Museum, 85 Waterplant Road, Miles City, MT 59301.  Please bring a friend and come!

​

​

bottom of page