• available Monday - Saturday:
• 10am - 6pm & Art After Dark Group Parties
• ceramics & paint-your-own-pottery
• tile & glass mosaics (2-day class)
• stained glass windows & design
• drawing w/ gesso & charcoal
• painting in oil & acrylic
• collage w/ prints, fabric, paintings
• printing w/ Griffin Etching Press
• bookmaking & binding
• DISCOUNTED Group Rates Available
• DISCOUNTED All-Day Rates Available
• All art materials are provided
• All art classes are designed for professionals, as well as, the beginning hobbyist, 6 - 110 years of age!
• Art classes instructed by Gretchen Grunt & Doug Whitfield
• Contact Gretchen: (760)361-1805 gretchen9@verizon.net  for fees, details, and to arrange an art class or party to fit your schedule.

Description of Art Classes
NEW! Paint-Your-Own-Pottery We supply a variety of bisque ware ready to be designed and painted by you with a rainbow of glazes. Great activity for birthday parties or to make that little extra something special for someone you love!
NEW! Pottery Classes We offer throwing on the wheel to make your own cup or other functional ware. For all ages 9 years and up! Learn to wedge clay, center on the wheel to throw your own pieces. Once your ware is bisque fired, you'll learn to design and glaze the surface with bright fun colors.
NEW! Stained Glass Creating dazzling stained glass designs using copper foil and lead-free solder. All the necessary tools and stained glass are at your disposal during your instructed class. Doug also offers to design, build, and install a custom stained glass piece for a site specific location or a gift for someone special.
NEW! The Altered Book Turning an existing book into a transformational work of art using endless types of materials: fabric, paper images, photos, found objects, acrylic paints, colored pencils, pastels, yarns, hand made papers,...
NEW! The Artist's Book Gretchen Grunt recently attended Idyllwild Arts where she was instructed by a master book artist, Laura Wait. Eager to share her new knowledge, Gretchen will show you how to set colorfulmediums free with primitive printmaking, writing & painting techniques to create a one-of-a-kind handmade book using the leather strap or the raised cord sewing methods.
Mosaic Madness Create your very own stepping stone, picture frame, table top, bowling ball,... out of bits-n-pieces of tile, found objects and opaque glass. The mosaic class takes 2 days to allow drying time: 1st DAY: design and glue pieces down. 2nd DAY: custom color your grout and fill your mosaic, and within minutes you'll leave with a work of art!
Collage Painting With a collection of handmade papers and paper images (newspaper, photos, magazine,...) learn how to incorporate collage elements into your acrylic or oil painting on a canvas board, creating dramatic compostions.
Collaged Monotypes Another way to use flat images, handmade papers, and any other flat objects (no wider than 1/8") is to see how instant-gratification-make-you-feel-good monotype printing on an etching press can become a multi-dimensional interwoven mixture of depth, designs and color.
Bookbinding with a Griffin Etching Press  This is an excellent introduction to printmaking for the beginning printmaker and those with crafty hands. We will explore four different non-acid processes to create the pages. Then bind them to create a book of prints that is great for a personal treasure or to give away to a loved one!
Monotype Prints is an excellent place for the beginning printmaker to start  learning how to work with colors, stencils, viscosity inks and more on a plexiglas plate. Monotype printmaking is a non-acid "INSTANT-GRATIFICATION-MAKE-YOU-FEEL-GOOD-ART-MAKING" process that allows wonderfulspontaneous results. You paint with inks onto a blank plate and then run the plate through one of our exquisite Griffin Etching Presses to create your own one-of-a-kind monotype print on Arches 88 printmaking paper.
Viscosity Printmaking
Gretchen will show you the mysterious technique of printing with Akua Intaglio inks where a different amount of oil is added to each color, making the inks resist each other. This creates a mysteriously magical effect that is only possible with viscosity printmaking. This class is an excellent way to explore the dynamics of color!
Relief Prints  involves using either a linoleum or wood plate to cut your image into the surface, inking the surface and either spooning or using the pressure of the etching press to create your relief print on printmaking paper.
Reductive Linoleum Cut Prints is a unique process in relief printing, where the plate and print evolve together as each plate is carved into more and more, and proofs are printed along the way in different colors. The result is rich in texture and depth like no other printmaking process. Gretchen offers either easy-to-cut safety lino blocks or for the more controlling artist, the golden linoleum that is harder to cut but gives you more exact lines.
Holiday Greeting Cards
Spend the day at the Creative Center working with your hands to print original greeting cards using Strathmore Deckled Creative Cards. You will design four different images, using any of the processes described below, envelopes included. Then you can send your one-of-a-kind cards to your loved ones for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions!
Drypoint Prints involves a plexiglass plate where you draw with an etching needle to scratch your drawing into the plexiglass, ink your scratches and run the plate through the etching press.
Etching is an involved process where you use a zinc plate. An image is created on the plate using contact paper or bees wax. After completing your image we use the Edinburgh Etch to bite your image into the zinc plate, then ink up and finally print your plate using the etching press.
Collagraph Prints are an excellent printmaking process for those who don't care to draw, but have en eye for finding the most interesting objects on your travels. Discover how your coins, mesh, cloth, vegetation, and many other everyday objects can become interactive collages by attaching your objects to a cardboard plate, then paint and roll up the attached objects with ink to run your inked plate through the Griffin Etching Press and see the inspiring results of the object curious "halo-like" outlines, depth and unsuspecting textures.
Collagraph Modeling Paste Prints  involves the use of acyrlic paste spread onto a plate. Before the paste hardens you draw, scratch and move the paste into shapes and textures. Then you cover in ink, wipe and print on the Griffin Etching Press.
NEW! Intensive Study & Exhibit Opportunity
Gretchen Grunt is offering an exclusive opportunity for you to study printmaking one-on-one & for an extended period of time at a discounted rate. The intensive private printmaking class will take place once a week over a 10 week period. Three different printmaking techniques of your choice will be taught for you to deepen your knowledge & expertise: monotypes, drypoints, etchings, linoleum cuts, collages, monoprints or experimental combinations. At the end of the 10 weeks, the Creative Center will exhibit, promote, & host an artist reception with the works of art from your intensive study. This exhibit gives the artist an opportunity to sell their art, & the public a chance to see the journey you took during your 10 week printmaking course. This 10 week course is valued at 1,500 dollars, but your cost will only be $600 for the complete 10 week intensive study & to be promoted as a professional artist in the gallery for a whole month. The cost includes all art materials, except for the paper. The paper supplied is Arches 88 & can be purchased at $5 a sheet (22"x30").
Pick a day of the week (except Sundays) that works for you & get started on an exciting journey in Gretchen's printmaking studio!
The Intensive Study & Exhibit Opportunity can also be catered to those who are looking to cultivate their general drawing, life drawing, oil painting, & acrylic painting skills as well.

Examples Located on the Sample page