Spring 2024
This next spring, I’ll be teaching a two-day experiential workshop on ecosocial literacy. It will be hosted by the Hanahau‘oli Professional Development Center and draw upon a wide variety of experiential exercises, reflections and group dialogues from deep ecology, contemplative education, creative recovery and personal and systems transformation.
Developing Ecosocial Literacy
Monday and Tuesday, January 29th and 30th | 8:30am – 4:30pm (2 full days, including light breakfast and lunch)
This 2-day workshop is intended for anyone in any role as educator, mentor or facilitator — teachers, parents, coaches, mentors, administrators, university faculty — or anyone who has an interest in understanding how we might help others develop ecosocial literacy and meaningfully contribute to a more just, equitable and sustainable 21st century. For more information and to register, visit the PDC calendar. You can check out a variety of my writing on ecosocial literacy here on this website.
Spring 2020
This spring, I’ll be teaching calligraphy, watercolor painting and digital photography classes at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. For more information and to register for the painting and calligraphy classes, you can check out The Honolulu Museum of Art School. For the digital photography class, check The Honolulu Museum of Art School.
The Art of Western Calligraphy
Wednesdays, January 22 – April 15 | 6–9pm (12 sessions)
Learn the basics of this ancient art of “beautiful handwriting” while synchronizing your mind and body and cultivating inner calm. A single alphabet in its historical and contemporary form is used as the focus while different tools and techniques are used for practice. The study and practice of the letter forms with the broad-edged pen is complemented by design exercises to explore color, texture, and rhythm. In a contemplative atmosphere, emphasis is placed on the balance between the discipline of precise form and the freedom of artistic expression.
NOTE: Beginning students will work toward understanding the underlying form and geometry of the hands we study and becoming familiar with the basic tools. Experienced students will continue to internalize the forms while developing different approaches to altering the forms and creating consistent variations along with exploring different tools.
Supplies: Students are responsible for their own basic supplies (supply list below), plus there is a $25 materials fee payable to the instructor that will cover some specific calligraphy supplies.
Intro to Watercolor
Sundays, January 19 – February 23 | 1pm–4pm (6 sessions)
Experience the luminescence, spontaneity and immediacy of watercolor while sharpening your perceptions and sense of light and color. We progress through a series of exercises designed to lay the foundation for understanding and enjoying this famously difficult medium. We’ll develop the basics while at the same time learning to befriend our fears, cultivate confidence and embrace the wonder and delight of clear observation and spontaneous creation. Our painting will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and profundity of our everyday, ordinary world.
We’ll develop the basics, cultivate confidence and embrace the wonder and delight of clear observation and spontaneous creation. Our photography will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and profundity of our everyday, ordinary world.
Intro to Digital Photography
Sundays, March 8 – April 19 | 1pm–3pm (6 sessions) (no class March 15)
This camera-independent class is suitable for anyone who wishes to deepen their experiential understanding of the art of photography, regardless of your current skill level. Through visual exercises and photographic assignments, we’ll progress through a series of experiential exercises all designed to help us explore the art of seeing.
Fall 2019
This fall, I’ll be teaching calligraphy and watercolor painting classes at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. For more information and to register, you can check out The Honolulu Museum of Art School.
The Art of Western Calligraphy
Wednesdays, November 13 – December 18 | 6–9pm (6 sessions)
Learn the basics of this ancient art of “beautiful handwriting” while synchronizing your mind and body and cultivating inner calm. A single alphabet in its historical and contemporary form is used as the focus while different tools and techniques are used for practice. The study and practice of the letter forms with the broad-edged pen is complemented by design exercises to explore color, texture, and rhythm. In a contemplative atmosphere, emphasis is placed on the balance between the discipline of precise form and the freedom of artistic expression.
NOTE: Beginning students will work toward understanding the underlying form and geometry of the hands we study and becoming familiar with the basic tools. Experienced students will continue to internalize the forms while developing methods of creatively altering rhythm and movement and exploring different tools.
Students are responsible for their own minimal supplies, plus there is a $15 materials fee payable to the instructor that covers specific calligraphy supplies.
Intro to Watercolor
Sundays, November 10 – December 15 | 9am–12pm (6 sessions)
Experience the luminescence, spontaneity and immediacy of watercolor while sharpening your perceptions and sense of light and color. We progress through a series of exercises designed to lay the foundation for understanding and enjoying this famously difficult medium. We’ll develop the basics while at the same time learning to befriend our fears, cultivate confidence and embrace the wonder and delight of clear observation and spontaneous creation. Our painting will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and profundity of our everyday, ordinary world.
Summer 2019
This summer, I’ll be teaching two sections of watercolor painting classes at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. I’ll also be teaching a 2-day calligraphy workshop on italic variations. For more information and to register, you can check out The Honolulu Museum of Art School.
Intro to Watercolor
Saturdays, May 25 – June 29 | 1p – 4p (6 sessions)
Saturdays, July 13 – August 17 | 1p – 4p (6 sessions)
Experience the luminescence, spontaneity and immediacy of watercolor while sharpening your perceptions and sense of light and color. We progress through a series of exercises designed to lay the foundation for understanding and enjoying this famously difficult medium. We’ll develop the basics while at the same time learning to befriend our fears, cultivate confidence and embrace the wonder and delight of clear observation and spontaneous creation. Our painting will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and profundity of our everyday, ordinary world.
The Art of Western Calligraphy – Italic Variations
Saturday and Sunday, July 6 – 7 | 9a – 4pm
In this 2-day workshop for experienced broad-edged pen calligraphers, we’ll take our exploration of the italic hand beyond the basics. After a brief refresher of the underlying geometry, form and rhythm of the alphabet, we’ll explore ways we can begin to consciously create variations and bring movement and life into our writing. In a systematic way, we’ll explore different approaches to variations and begin to develop our own preferences and personal style of italic. This class will include a more advanced study of the italic form in order to understand ways we might vary the form while still keeping its essence. Students should leave the workshop with a strong sense of how to approach creating variations in order to develop their own style and expressiveness. We’ll work primarily with the broad-edge pen, but we’ll also explore different writing tools and their effects on our calligraphy.
Students are responsible for their own supplies. If desired, specific calligraphy supplies will be available for purchase from the instructor.
Spring 2019
This spring, I’ll be teaching two sections each of calligraphy and watercolor painting classes at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. For more information and to register, you can check out The Honolulu Museum of Art School.
The Art of Western Calligraphy
Mondays, January 28 – March 4 | 6–9pm (6 sessions)
Mondays, March 11 – April 15 | 6–9pm (6 sessions)
Learn the basics of this ancient art of “beautiful handwriting” while synchronizing your mind and body and cultivating inner calm. A single alphabet in its historical and contemporary form is used as the focus while different tools and techniques are used for practice. The study and practice of the letter forms with the broad-edged pen is complemented by design exercises to explore color, texture, and rhythm. In a contemplative atmosphere, emphasis is placed on the balance between the discipline of precise form and the freedom of artistic expression.
NOTE: Beginning students will work toward understanding the underlying form and geometry of the hands we study and becoming familiar with the basic tools. Experienced students will continue to internalize the forms while developing methods of creatively altering rhythm and movement and exploring different tools.
Students are responsible for their own minimal supplies, plus there is a $15 materials fee payable to the instructor that covers specific calligraphy supplies.
Intro to Watercolor
Wednesdays, January 23 – February 27 | 6–9pm (6 sessions)
Wednesdays, March 13 – April 17 | 6–9pm (6 sessions)
Experience the luminescence, spontaneity and immediacy of watercolor while sharpening your perceptions and sense of light and color. We progress through a series of exercises designed to lay the foundation for understanding and enjoying this famously difficult medium. We’ll develop the basics while at the same time learning to befriend our fears, cultivate confidence and embrace the wonder and delight of clear observation and spontaneous creation. Our painting will lead us to a deeper appreciation of the beauty and profundity of our everyday, ordinary world.
Fall 2018
On October 20th, I’ll once again be co-teaching a yoga and art workshop with Helena Kunst – Mindful Yoga and Contemplative Art. This time, we’ll be at the Open Space Yoga Studio at Diamond Head. You can check out the flyer here.
Just like yoga, contemplative art is a way of cultivating presence. It helps bring us to the state of full awareness, where spontaneous expression flourishes. In this workshop, we’ll combine yoga and other body centered movements of yoga with simple contemplative art practices. In the process, we’ll connect with our creative source and learn to nurture this aspect of ourselves, which is all too often ignored in our fast paced, modern world. Connecting with and expressing our creativity helps us feel more balanced and alive and offers us a sense of relaxed spaciousness as we move through our everyday lives.