A Summer Arts Journey Mixed Media with Eileen Hirota

Eileen Hirota

Mixed Media

About Eileen

Eileen Hirota was raised in Steveston, B.C., attended U.B.C. and graduated with a B.Ed., majoring in English. After helping students with learning difficulties for a number of years, she attended the University of Arizona and obtained an M.Ed degree in counselling.

Always interested in art, she created porcelain jewellery for several years. While counselling children in schools, she encouraged them to express themselves through a variety of art mediums as well as teaching a semester of art at the high school level.

While living in Kimberley, she started taking classes in drawing and watercolours in the early 90’s. Moving to Calgary in ’96, she delighted in the opportunity to take classes – drawing and watercolour at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Also, she has taken workshops with Don Andrews, Alex Fong, Joyce Kamikura, and Jean Pederson. In recent years, she has attended workshops with Donna Baspaly, Suzanne Northcott, Carrie Burns Brown, and George James who have helped open more doors to her inner creative voice.

During the past few years, she has participated in a variety of art shows and belongs to several art associations: Active Member of the Canadian Federation of Artists, Art Horizons, and member of the Leighton Foundation. Currently, Eileen’s paintings are located at Stonefish Art Gallery in Inglewood (Calgary).

In 2004, Eileen received honorable mentions for “On a Journey” and “The Protector” at FCA shows. For a collage entitled, “Connecting with the Past,” she was given an SFCA award in 2003. In 2002, she was awarded a second place for, “Joy of Blooming” at an FCA show. In 2001, she received an honorable mention with her mixed media painting, “Norland Beauties,” at the FCA show at “Artspace.” She was awarded Best of Show for her mixed media painting, “Morning Glorious” in 2000.

In November 2004, she and husband, Brian, moved to Creston, B.C. where he plans to hobby farm while she paints, runs her home studio gallery, and develop flower beds.

Watercolour has been her primary choice of medium, and people and flowers continue to fascinate and inspire her. More and more she expresses herself in mixed media and/or creates rice paper collages. Textures, colours and design are predominant in her work. She continues to evolve ---

The Course
In an accepting atmosphere, acknowledging your strengths & interests, experiment with materials & techniques to see what develops or determine how the materials & techniques can develop the images you choose. Discussions, demonstrations, and examples will be part of the week’s exploration of colour, texture, shapes, and values as part of composition.

DATES, TIMES, FEES
July 13, 14 & 15; Friday, Saturday & Sunday
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

FEES $189 + HST (supply list available)

REQUIRED STUDENT SUPPLIES
Bring along art supplies you already have.
The following are suggestions: all are not necessary

SURFACES:

maximum sizes of 20” x 24” & minimum of 11” x 14”
gallery or standard canvas (2)

BRUSHES:

1” flat acrylic
old toothbrush
½” flat acrylic
2" sponge brush
couple of smaller round brush sizes
variety of watercolour brushes

PAINTS:

Choose to work with watercolours or acrylics - bring both if you have them:
Winsor Newton watercolours - (professional quality - not student quality) (Ultramarine Blue, Aureolin, Permanent Red) or (Windsor Blue - red, Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Red)
Golden Fluid Acrylics or Jensen Fluid Acrylics
e.g. Turquoise (Phthalo), Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Gold/Azo Gold, or choose a yellow, blue & red which appeal to you
FW Acrylic Artists Ink (a red, yellow, blue & a Pearlescent one of your choice)

OTHER:
white gesso
Gloss medium (if using acrylics or rice papers)
GAC 100 (if using acrylics)
brayer (optional)
small sprayer or atomizer (with alcohol)
large water spray bottle
stamping materials or other mark making materials (small piece of bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard from around a light bulb, leaves, lace)
oil pastels, w/c pencils or w/c crayons
piece of paraffin wax
scrapers (old credit card, wall paper or adhesive scraper, palette knife)
new toilet roll
large plastic sheet or plastic tablecloth to cover a table 2’ x 5’
hairdryer
white meat tray (as a palette for acrylics)
w/c palette
water bucket
green or blue masking tape

COLLAGE MATERIALS:

some white acid free tissue papers (optional)
variety of rice papers
Notebook (Pen & pencil)
Photos or drawings – for reference material if you want to add images to your work