A Learning (and Teaching) Pleasure - Super Workshops

For twenty years, I’ve taught my 2-day Portraits in Colored Pencil Workshop and I get excited and anxious before every single one. I love teaching. Love, love, love everything about it! But a few years back, I got a yearning to go a little deeper. I came up with the idea of a 5-day super intense workshop with a small number of students. I call them Super Workshops.

I’ve now held Super Workshops all over the country from coast to coast. The concept is to have just 4 or 5 students for 30 hours of instruction, with each student getting their own personalized workshop. How do I do that? Before class starts, I ask them to think about and let me know what they want to work on when it comes to their colored pencil art. It could be anything: skin tones, fur, reflective surfaces, or landscapes. Or maybe they want to go in a totally different direction and experiment with style, new drawing surfaces or creating a commission business. I’m there to have my brain picked in whatever way they want!

I enjoy all my super workshops so much. By the end of five days drawing together, we all feel like family! But recently, I was truly touched by some feedback from former Super Workshop students. It’s not always easy to assess my impact on students, and even harder to toot my own horn…so hearing these words leave me both elated and humbled.

"What I most love about Ann's Super Workshops is the close camaraderie of the artists and Ann and their love of CP’s and all the different styles, as we learn from one another, and the one on one attention Ann gives."
– Charlotte Hastings

"Maybe the best part of a Super Workshop is learning new mad skills. Or maybe it’s the gift to myself of being on art retreat. Maybe the best part is the new friends I made and the fun we all had together. Or maybe it’s the way Ann completely and totally supercharged my colored pencil skills. I really don’t think there is one best part. ALL of it is the best part. Without taking a Super Workshop from Ann, I might not have ever done portraits! Now I can’t wait to start each new portrait… and I totally enjoy the process. In fact, I even gave a portrait as a Christmas gift this year… my friends love it, and say it is the most heartfelt gift they ever received!"
– Rhonda Dicksion

"I am so happy I took 2 Super workshops from Ann because these workshops always rekindle my love for color pencils, and they hone my skills to not only identify the colors that are demanded by the reference photo but also inspire me to get the project done in a timely fashion. What I most love about Ann's super workshops is they are held in a very friendly, low stress, relaxing  environment where you can ask questions without reservation. Ann makes everyone present feel so at home and regardless of drawing ability.

Upcoming Super Workshops: