UPDATE:

3/21/25

Hi everyone! We have chosen the winners of the Lewis Rossignol art giveaway! The winners are: 

Linda W. New York
@lindawulkanart

Danielle B.
@daniellebinzer

Elizabeth P. From Denver

Anna K. From Minneapolis
@anna.karena

Hurray and congratulations!

Hello!

COMMENT ON THIS POST to Enter to Win one of the four pieces (above) of original Lewis Rossignol art!

(AND… Sign up for Lewis Rossignol’s Brand New course for a 2nd chance!)

“Forget What You Know & Draw Like a Child” is Lewis’ newest class with us and is open for registration. It begins on March 25th!

Lewis writes: “That’s right I have a brand new course, where I show you how to uncover the intuitive child-like freedom that already resides within you. This drawing class is aimed to help you forget the ‘rules’ and get back to that wonderful place that you drew from as a child. A place of experimentation, intuition, creativity, and not giving a care what anybody thinks.”

If you want to have fun and create looser art than you’ve ever created in your life this class is for you. All levels welcome. You can get more info and sign up now on carlasonheim.com. The course begins March 25! Get your spot now!

Winners will be picked randomly and will Announced Next Week. Thank you!

“Don’t Play Ball with a Toothpick in Your Mouth” by Wes & Carla Sonheim, mixed-media on wood

Hi everyone,

The above artwork is from an art show from around 2005 when our son Wes was 9 years old. At that time, and with his permission, I interpreted about 10 of his pencil drawings into larger pieces of work. Not a single painting sold in that show, but it was a success in so many other ways as you can imagine!

Children’s art has been a love of mine my whole adult life, but especially when my son Christer started bringing home a stack of drawings each day from preschool when he was 5 and I was 30. This happened to coincide with my own “coming back” to art after about 15 years away, and since then I always list children’s art as one of my main inspirations whenever asked.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to have taught art classes to many children in both the U.S. and abroad (Nicaragua! India!). Young children’s art has an honesty and naiveté that just speaks directly to my heart.

And I’m not the only one who feels this way! Later this week we are opening registration for a new class with Lewis Rossignol, whose mixed-media drawings and process is directly inspired by children. I can’t wait to share it with you.

“Rats” by Lewis Rossignol

Hello. I hope you are well today!

I am posting here on my (very old and neglected) blog because I wanted to share what I worked on recently and I’m finding more and more that I want to let go of instagram (which kind of replaced this blog some years ago).

Last week I picked up my copy of The Art of Jesus Cisneros: Drawing from Memory and was inspired by the drawings hanging in his studio, with many single images on single sheets of paper:

That same week, Lewis Rossignol was here filming his new class (details soon!) and he gave a similar assignment in one of the lessons. With these two inspirations hitting me in the same week, I decided to do my own version of the idea with my Art Club Zoom group, and during our 1.5-hour time together last Saturday, I did the drawing at the top with oil pastels and pencil. I decided to use the messy oil pastels as I wanted to keep my work as loose as possible, again inspired both by Jesus & Lewis.

Then today I took portions of the drawing and isolated them into their own pieces using my limited Photoshop skills… I hope you like them!

Thank you so much for looking and please comment if you have a favorite!

Also, if you are interested in receiving my newsletter (with over 30,000 people currently subscribing!), click HERE to sign up. I keep in touch fairly regularly with online art class notices, mini essays on creativity, etc. Here are two recent newsletters if you’re curious: “Sniffing Walks” and one on my 15-year-old “Poetry Trauma.”

xo
Carla

Our 40% off sale continues until August 21st! Many of you have already stocked up on some fun classes… hurray and thank you!

Until the sale ends I will be doing a blog post every day to highlight some of our classes. Here are three of our most popular classes!

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Y is for Yellow
Teacher: Carla Sonheim
On sale for $59.40 each

In 2016 we ran “Y is for Yellow” as a year-long class, and it’s now available as a self-study. By giving it to you all at once, you can pick and choose the lessons that are particularly interesting to you to start, and leave the rest for later (you have forever access!). In this class we will march through the alphabet as a fun way to move through our lessons (“P” is for Picasso! “C” is for Collage!), while tackling the more serious question, “How do you create a body of work?”

As mixed-media artists we are always trying new media and experimenting with new techniques — which is awesome! But what can happen is we don’t take the time to focus long enough on the things we really love so that we can create a cohesive series that is uniquely ours.

“I loved this course – it expanded my perspective and perception” — Tina M.

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Translating Landscape
Teacher: Anita Lehmann
On sale for $43.20

Anita believes that the landscape is a gentle way of exploring the elements that are integral to making meaningful work: line, value, color, shape, edges, composition. She also believes that drawing connects us to our experience with an intimacy not otherwise possible. 

The joyful and fun exercises will include experimental mark making, design studies, grid paintings — all working up to larger paintings. We will work with an small “orchestra” of simple materials to help maintain a loose and more abstract mindset.

“Wonderful class! It was eye-opening and very entertaining!” — Suzanne O. 

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Sketchbooking with Lewis Rossignol
On Sale for $43.20

Artist and Illustrator Lewis Rossignol shares his thoughts, techniques and (most importantly) his spirit of experimentation about the intimate practice of working in a personal sketchbook.

“This class has changed how I view my art practice. Lewis made everything I was afraid to do seem possible.” — Lin L.

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Thank you for reading and we hope you find some classes to add to your art life!

Steve and Carla

CLASS CATALOG!
(We are so sorry, but classes aren’t available in the EU or UK at this time.)

Our 40% off sale continues until August 21st! Many of you have already stocked up on some fun classes… hurray and thank you!

Until the sale ends I will be doing a blog post every day to highlight some of our classes…. today, Three Portrait Classes!

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Symbolic Portraits
Teacher: Betsy Walton
On sale for $43.20 each

Portland artist Betsy Walton shares her process for creating her wonderful, whimsical and thoughtful portraits. Her work is built on symbols that have special meaning to her and she guides us though a process of exploration and discovery. This is a class that is personal but also filled with great acrylic painting techniques.

“Absolutely loved your class Betsy and all your thoughtful advice, eyes and encouragement. Working side by side with your videos and this inspiring group gave me the courage and permission I need to lean into the kind of work I’ve always wanted to do.” — Amy W.

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Making Faces
Teacher: Lynn Whipple
On sale for $43.20

Lynn Whipple takes on this traditional subject matter—the human face—from a fresh contemporary angle that will take the “intimidation factor” out of trying to capture a likeness and, like all Lynn’s classes, make it fun and addictive.

In this class you will create dozens and dozens of different types of faces. You will draw, paint and collage, play with line, shape, color and mark and you’ll come away with an approach to keep your art practice fresh and full of new ideas.

“[This class] took me into some really new and exciting places. I will return often! What inspiration!” — Greta B.

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Portraits with Lewis Rossignol
On Sale for $43.20

Lewis Rossignol might be best known for his striking and enigmatic portraits. Each one is a multi-layered, mixed media composition that captures the personality of his subject in a very simple and direct way.

About the class he says: “Drawing portraits is the most satisfying type of drawing that I do. However, learning to do portraits can be both challenging and maybe even frustrating if you come at it from the wrong angle or with the wrong mindset. This class will help you to actually enjoy drawing portraits. We’ll work on learning on how to draw what you see in a reference photograph, without ruining the fun by worrying about ‘the rules’.”

“The trouble with Lewis’s classes, you get hooked.” — Wendy T.

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Thank you for reading and we hope you find some classes to add to your art life!

Steve and Carla

CLASS CATALOG!
(We are so sorry, but classes aren’t available in the EU or UK at this time.)

Our 40% off sale continues until August 21st! Many of you have already stocked up on some fun classes… hurray and thank you!

Until the sale ends I will be doing a blog post every day to highlight some of our classes.

Most of our classes tend toward drawing, painting, mixed media and collage, but here are three that offer new opportunities with different materials. I have really enjoyed the break these classes gave me from my normal work.

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Procreate with Lewis Rossignol
On sale for $43.20

If you use already Procreate or would like to, this is opportunity to learn from an artist who uses it as an art tool. Lewis shows us how he integrates it with his analog work seamlessly. No experience needed but a basic understanding of layers is helpful.

“What an extraordinary, informative and inspiring course! Wonderful creativity and encouragement to take risks. Thank you!” — Valerie J. 

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Weaving
Teacher: Mandy Greer
On sale for $29.40

Collage with fiber! Join Mandy Greer for a surprisingly expressive and fun class for anyone new or expert. Work with yarn, fabric, recycled materials and whatever else you can dream up. This is packed with techniques for making fine art, abstract pieces.

“Thank you, Mandy for your thorough instructions and creative ideas. You are a wonderful teacher!” — Paula W.

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Intro to Encaustic Painting
Teacher: Stephanie Hargrave
On Sale for $29.40

Get a thorough introduction to the rich medium of encaustics. Stephanie Hargrave leads you step-by-step through the process of creating complex, luminous paintings with hot wax and pigment. You’ll get the basic techniques of encaustic under your belt, develop confidence in working with new materials, and walk away with one or more ready-to-hang works.

“There is so much one can do with encaustics. I had no idea before your class.” — Jill K.

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Thank you for reading and we hope you find some classes to add to your art life!

Steve and Carla

CLASS CATALOG!
(We are so sorry, but classes aren’t available in the EU or UK at this time.)

Our 40% off sale continues until August 21st! Many of you have already stocked up on some fun classes… hurray and thank you!

Until the sale ends I will be doing a blog post every day to highlight some of our classes. Here are three classes about making and filling art books.

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Buttonhole Stitch Journal
Teacher: Bari Zaki
On Sale for $29.40

Discover the art and tactile pleasure of bookbinding. Bari Zaki introduces you to an accessible technique where you fold, sew, decorate and complete your own handmade book. The organic style of the buttonhole stitch method creates a naturally beautiful object that works well as a sketchbook, photo album or journal.

“Thank you, Bari! I love your calm joy.” — Jane S.

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Bleed-Through Picture Making
Teacher: Henrik Drescher
On sale for $43.20

This is definitely a quirky class and we hope it will lead you to new discoveries! 

One thing leads to another and in Henrik Drescher’s world that means layering one process upon another to see where it goes. In this class, Henrik takes us from bookmaking with rice paper to animation to a single finished painting. Each step is both an end and a beginning… and all with his insight and anecdotes.

“THANK YOU HENRIK! You have the most brilliant imagination of any art teacher I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning from.” — Karla H.

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Blobimal Artist Books
Teacher: Carla Sonheim
On sale for $29.40 each

Discover what a blobimal is! In this six-lesson class I will take you blob hunting. You’ll create four small artist books using a combination of techniques and materials–watercolor, pencil, collage and more. We hope you love it!

“My art life has changed from being a dreamer into a doer. Can’t thank you enough!” — Linda C.

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Thank you for reading and we hope you find some classes to add to your art life!

Steve and Carla

CLASS CATALOG!
(We are so sorry, but classes aren’t available in the EU or UK at this time.)