Art & Design
Spring 2023
Let our courses take you on your own artistic journey where imaginative classes from Drawing to Painting are designed to excite, entertain and inform you!
- Introduction to Drawing
- Learing to Paint Still Life & Landscapes
- Drawing & Painting with Pastels
- Alla Prima Painting
- Watercolors Basic & Beyond
- Painting with Passion
- Getting the Perfect Shot
- Photoshop for Hobbyists
- Ceramics
- Fine Wood Fundamentals
Norman F. Simms
Join Norman in any or all of his art classes.
Norman F. Simms was born in Washington, DC in 1956. After graduating from Art Instruction Schools, he pursued a passion for fine arts at Murray State University. He graduated from the Washington School for Drafting Technology, the Center for Degree Studies with an Associate’s Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems, and the Academy of Art with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts.
He creates dynamic paintings and drawings of various medium. He has exhibited his artworks regionally in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City. He has received the “Palmer Award for Excellence” at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie for his oil painting, “The Artist and his Model”. His pastel paintings, “Butterfly Dance”, “Reflection”, and “Blossom”, have been featured in “The Best of America Pastel Artists Volume II”. His oil painting, “The Artist and his Model”, has also been published in the book, “Important World Artists Vol. I, A World of Art”.
He is a member of the national fine arts organizations, Portrait Society of America, The Pastel Society of America, and Oil Painters of America. He is also a member of the local art organizations, Artsbridge, Artists of Yardley, and Artists of Bristol.
He lives in Fairless Hills, PA, teaching group and private art lessons. He has also published two books, Portrait and Nude Painting & Philosophies, and Interview between the Jackass and the Artist. He is currently working on several books on the subject matters of portraiture, expressions in art, and technique and practices in fine arts.
Introduction to Drawing 1 RFNRT 8066 C01
1/25 - 3/1 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Did you always want to learn how to draw but didn’t feel confident enough to try? Here’s your chance! You will learn how to recognize types of edges, lines, and angles; how to recognize proportion and perspective; how to render light, shadow, and highlights by the use of gradations of tone; and how to be creative. Norman F. Simms
Introduction to Drawing - Pennswood Village RFNRT 8066 CPV1
2/6 - 3/13 10:00am - 12:00pm
Did you always want to learn how to draw but didn’t feel confident enough to try? Here’s your chance! You will learn how to recognize types of edges, lines, and angles; how to recognize proportion and perspective; how to render light, shadow, and highlights by the use of gradations of tone; and how to be creative. Norman F. Simms
Location:
Pennswood Village
Newtown, PA
Open to the public.
Introduction to Drawing 2 RFNRT 8077 C01
3/15 - 4/19 6:30pm - 9:00pm
If you love to draw, this is your class. You will continue to learn how to recognize types of edges, lines, and angles; how to recognize proportion and perspective; how to render light, shadow, and highlights by the use of gradations of tone. Norman F. Simms
Prerequisite is Introduction to Drawing I
LEARNING TO PAINT STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPES RFNRT 8065 C01
1/28 - 3/4 11:30am - 2:00pm
You will gain a working knowledge of the components for creating great fine art (line, shape, color, perspective, proportion, volume, and composition). You will be introduced to various painting styles and techniques used to help you be creative and understand how to express feelings and ideas visually. Norman F. Simms
LEARNING TO PAINT STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPES - Pennswood Village RFNRT 8065 C01
3/27 - 5/1 10:00am - 12:00pm
You will gain a working knowledge of the components for creating great fine art (line, shape, color, perspective, proportion, volume, and composition). You will be introduced to various painting styles and techniques used to help you be creative and understand how to express feelings and ideas visually. Norman F. Simms
Location:
Pennswood Village
Newtown, PA
Open to the public.
DRAWING AND PAINTING WITH PASTELS RFNRT 8064 C01
3/18 - 4/29
(no class 4/8) 11:30am - 2:00pm
You will get an introduction to principles and techniques in drawing and painting with pastels. You will gain a working knowledge of line, shape, perspective, proportion, volume, and composition. You will be introduced to various drawing styles and techniques used in pastel. Norman F. Simms
ALLA PRIMA PAINTING RFNRT 2526 C01
5/6 - 6/17 11:30pm - 2:00pm
The idea of Alla Prima Painting is to quickly render the subject before the subject moves or the environment changes, where a painting is completed in one or two sittings with minimal touch- up. Learn the necessary techniques to complete a painting in a short time period from a still life or a live model. A materials list is available on request. Note: Please bring whatever supplies you have out the first night of class. Norman F. Simms
Watercolor Basics and Beyond RFNRT 2530 C01
2/7 - 3/14 6:00pm - 9:00pm
In this class, beginner to advanced students will be encouraged to paint subjects they enjoy – from still life to landscape. We will begin with a basic list of supplies and focus on color mixing, the unique use of each brush, and texture and painting techniques. Experienced students can also focus on composition, design and exploring textural effects. Gail Bracegirdle
Visit Gail’s Website at https://gailbracegirdle.artspan.com/home
Painting with Passion: A Series of Fine Arts Courses RFNRT 8024 C50
2/2 - 3/9 11:00am - 1:30pm
You will receive water-media instruction which incorporates watercolor paint, watercolor pencil, and acrylic. You will continuously learn and apply design elements and principles to each work in progress. Individual and class critiques will occur at the beginning of each class period. Instruction will include proper framing and display of work. Rose Marie Strippoli
GETTING THE PERFECT SHOT RFNRT 2585 C01
3/27 - 5/8 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Do you want to enhance your ability to take great pictures? We will take an in-depth look at camera operations, basic photographic technique, image composition and post-processing, to help you elevate your photographs from ordinary to extraordinary. Tom DeLorenzo
Photoshop for Hobbyists RFNRT 2599 C01
4/6 - 5/25 6:00pm - 8:00pm
You will learn how to get what is missing from your digital photos and see how you can move from uninspiring snapshots to dynamic photographs. You will bring new life to your photos through Photoshop proficiency and the technical skills of digital processing. Tom DeLorenzo
MAKER EXPERIENCES
MAKER EXPERIENCES
Introduction to Ceramics Part 1 RFNRT 9000 C01
1/18 - 3/8 9:00am - 1:00pm
In Introduction to Ceramics, you will learn two basic hand building skills, coil building and slab building. While these are basic skills, they are transferable to more advanced sculptural or functional ceramics. You will complete at least two glazed pieces. Debbie Reichard
Includes $25 material fee.
Introduction to Ceramics Part 2 RFNRT 9001 C01
3/22 - 5/10 9:00am - 1:00pm
Introduction to Ceramics Part II In this continuation of Introduction to Ceramics you will learn beginning wheel throwing, trimming, designing a table setting and glazing. You will complete at least two glazed pieces. Debbie Reichard
Includes $25 material fee.
Debbie Reichard, MFA, University of Washington, is a sculptor and ceramic artist, who works a range of materials, including clay, wood, fiber, sound and found objects. She has taught ceramics and sculpture at Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, The University of Southern Maine, and the University of Colorado, and Bucks County Community College. She is currently the Director of the First College Ceramics Studio at Princeton University. She has attended artist residencies at the Kohler Company, WI; Sculpture Space, NY; Peters Valley, NJ and Southern Methodist, University, TX. Her work has been included in group and solo exhibitions, including the Jersey City Museum, Dallas International airport, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, the Newark Museum of Art, and the Children’s Museum, Pittsburgh, PA.
Fine Wood Fundamentals Part 1 RFNRT 9002 C01
1/24 - 3/7 1:30pm - 6:00pm
In Fine Wood Fundamentals Part 1, you will learn milling, basic hand skills, and introductory use of woodworking machinery. You will learn safe practices that can be applied to future complex woodworking projects. You will complete a handmade burr puzzle and construct a cutting board. Chris Todd
Chris Todd has been teaching woodworking at BCCC since 2017. She received her MFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design from UMass Dartmouth under the tutelage of Steve Whittlesey. She has taught and assisted workshops at various craft centers around the country, including Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and Peters Valley School of Crafts. Chris enjoys teaching woodworking students both fresh and seasoned. She especially enjoys the introductory course, where she can help students establish safe practices while also encouraging them to explore the creative possibilities working with wood has to offer.
Fine Wood Fundamentals Part 2 RFNRT 9003 C01
3/21 - 5/9 1:30pm - 6:00pm
In Fine Wood Fundamentals Part II, we will continue and you will explore wood joinery systems and apply this knowledge to the design and construction of a finished handmade lidded box. Chris Todd
Chris Todd has been teaching woodworking at BCCC since 2017. She received her MFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design from UMass Dartmouth under the tutelage of Steve Whittlesey. She has taught and assisted workshops at various craft centers around the country, including Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and Peters Valley School of Crafts. Chris enjoys teaching woodworking students both fresh and seasoned. She especially enjoys the introductory course, where she can help students establish safe practices while also encouraging them to explore the creative possibilities working with wood has to offer.