Holly Hughes

Gel Plate monotype is a low-tech, inventive, and user-friendly printing method that offers kitchen-table convenience for making art at home as well as portability for travel. Students learn the basics of this fun, press-free approach, launching their work in this medium for fun and discovery of new directions. We make finished prints and experiment with imagery and motifs for other artistic practices like painting and ceramics, and learn an “invisible” collage technique to combine works on paper into larger format works. Simple tools like brayers, rubber tipped clay shapers, brushes, and cut paper allows for complex layered prints.

The second year of this three-year advanced mentorship program encourages each student to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialogue with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions.

Crack the nut of abstraction while infusing art with the vigor of visual experience. In this workshop, students use natural objects, landscape, and historical, 20th-century, and contemporary art to glean strategies for the studio. Prompts include a menu of classic and innovative approaches for creating abstractions and semi-abstract landscapes in drawing and painting. With an emphasis on color, form, composition, and surface inspired by fresh sources, students investigate new terrain, gain hands-on skill, and formulate new avenues of research. * This workshop is a program that includes joint critiques and discussions with Linda Geary's workshop, “Painting: Making and Dialogue.” The two faculty are teaching separate workshops but coordinating larger discussions and critiques between the two classes.

This three-year advanced mentorship program encourages students to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialogue with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions. 2025 is the first year of this three-year intensive program. In the subsequent two years of the program, the cohort meets in-person at Anderson Ranch from August 10th - 14th, 2026 and August 16th - 20th, 2027. Over the course of the program, there are group and one-on-one meetings via Zoom in March and October of each year. The final meeting is via Zoom in October 2027. Tuition listed is the program cost per year.  TO APPLY: Applications for enrollment are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, please fill out the 2025 Advanced Mentored Studies Online Application Form. This is a rolling application with a priority deadline of Monday, February 3rd.

This three-year advanced mentorship program encourages each student to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, and engaging in critical dialog with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions. Critiques occur in person at the Ranch as well as virtually during fall and spring each year. 2024 is the third year of this three-year intensive program. For more information about our next session of The Center, which begins in 2025, please contact Liz Ferrill, Director of Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking at [email protected].

Gel Plate monotype is a low-tech, inventive, user-friendly printing method that offers kitchen table convenience for making art at home as well as portability for travel, with no press needed. Students learn all the basics and launch their work in this medium for fun and discovery of new directions, making finished prints and experimenting with imagery and motifs for other artistic practices like painting and ceramics. They also learn an “invisible” collage technique to combine works on paper into larger format works. Simple tools like brayers, rubber tipped clay shapers, brushes, and cut paper allow for complex layered prints.

This three-year advanced mentorship program encourages each student to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialog with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions. This is the second year of a 3-year program. Please note that the cost of tuition, studio fee, and registration fee is per year. If you have an interest in joining this program, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 1, 2023. Click here to apply. For more information please contact Liz Ferrill at [email protected]

Gel plate monotype is a low-tech, inventive, and user-friendly printing method that offers kitchen-table convenience for making art at home as well as portability for travel; no press is needed. Students learn all the basics and launch their work in this medium, making finished prints and experimenting with imagery and motifs for other artistic practices like painting and ceramics. Students also practice an “invisible” collage technique to combine works on paper into larger format works. Simple tools like brayers, rubber-tipped clay shapers, brushes, and cut paper allow for complex, layered prints.

This three-year advanced mentorship program encourages each student to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialog with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions. This is the first year of a 3-year program; please note that tuition is per week, per year.  To attend a workshop with The Center, a portfolio review is due by Friday, February 11th, 2022.  Submissions that do not follow the requested directions will not be reviewed. To be considered, we must receive portfolios by 5 PM MST Friday, Feb. 11th, 2022. If we receive your materials after Feb. 11th, you will be considered on a space-available basis. We will email you regarding your status on or before Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. If you are accepted, a deposit of $500 will be required within one week of notification of acceptance to hold your place. Housing will be assigned on a space-available basis upon enrollment. CLICK HERE TO APPLY

This course introduces students to the joy and versatility of gel plate monotype, a low-tech, inventive, forgiving printing method that offers portability as well as kitchen-table convenience. Students make finished prints and experiment with imagery and motifs for other artistic practices such as ceramics and painting. The course also explores an invisible collage technique to combine works on paper into a larger format. Simple tools like brayers, rubber-tipped clay shapers, brushes and cut-paper stencils provide sophisticated results, build up layers and add complexity. Slow-drying paints produce vibrant color, texture and transparency with easy clean-up.

Gleaning inspiration from the polite decorative arts, this class explores fresh avenues in studio practice that result in paintings from the riotous to the subtle. Discover diverse sources and develop skills to make works with wall power. Working with gouache and acrylic, exploit color and format, surface development and texture, modular construction and pattern, as well as rhythm and repetition. Explore tools, materials and supports customized to concept. Imagistic subject matter may be derived from nature, iconography from pop culture, or the thoroughly abstract.