SUNSET HEIGHTS ART STUDIO

Sunset Heights Art Studio offers a rich foundation in beginning and advanced level courses. At each course level, students develop individually as they learn to use a visual language, enabling them to develop observational skills, critical thinking, and creative expression through art making.

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SHARON WILLCUTTS

Sharon Willcutts is the owner and instructor at Sunset Heights Art Studio. Sharon has a broad background in the art world as both a practicing artist and as an art educator. Her thirty years teaching experience includes teaching elementary through college. She has experience in both public and private schools, as well as a rich background in art education. As the Visual Arts Chair and Coordinator at Episcopal High School she developed course curriculum, managed after school programs, offered Portfolio development tutorials, and has taught summer art camps at various venous in Houston. She has exhibited her work in a variety of venues in Texas and the US. Sharon has a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from University of Houston and a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute.

BIO

ADULT DRAWING & PAINTING

Monday Evening 5:00 - 8:00

This class is based in experimentation and direct observation. Students will be guided through step-by-step methods of using compositional devices, finding proportion, rending form, color mixing, and the effects of light and shadow. Painting will process will be geared toward acrylic and oil painting techniques, but not limited to these mediums. Students will learn to create luminous paintings through a layering of acrylic under-painting followed by an oil glazing method. Exploration of concept and form will be stressed in this beginner to intermediate levels course. Six week sessions.

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LIFE DRAWING

This course is based in drawing the human figure

Through observational methods taught, students will learn to draw the figure in proportion using techniques of sighting, gester, contour line, chairoscuro, and foreshortening. This course will introduce students to a hands on, personalized approach to life drawing. Classes are Wednesday evenings 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

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TEEN DRAWING & PAINTING

Summer week long 2 1/2 hour sessions

This course focuses on building fundamental drawing and painting skills. Students will learn basic techniques such as shading, proportion, perspective, applications of paint and color theory. Observational drawing and painting is a major component of the class, as students will learn how to capture the 3-dimensional world on paper and canvas. Exploration of concept and form will be stressed in this beginner to intermediate level course. Summer weekly sessions.

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PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

Private and group sessions, evenings and weekends

Portfolio Development tutoring offers hands on guidance and advice on preparing a college entry level portfolio. Students will gain knowledge of college recommendations and requirements as they build both the breadth and concentration section of their portfolio. Classes are 2-1/2 hours long and meet Saturday afternoons from 1:00 - 3:30. Six week session may be purchased as private or group sessions.

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SUMMER SESSIONS Ages 5 - 8

Summer classes are week long sessions that meet daily for 2 1/2 hours from 9:00-11:30. Supplies are included in tuition fee. Class lessons will focus on a combination of drawing, painting, and mixed media projects. Art lessons change from week to week. Students who sign up for repeated sessions continue to explore and grow from the previous lessons.

Classes are held on weekly sessions.

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SUMMER SESSIONS Ages 9 - 13

This summer class is a week long session that meets daily for 2 1/2 hours from 1:00 - 3:30. Supplies are included in tuition fee. Class lessons will focus on a combination of drawing, painting, and mixed media projects. Art lessons change from week to week. Students who sign up for repeated sessions continue to explore and grow from the previous lessons.

Classes are held on weekly sessions.

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ADULT WORKSHOPS

PARENTS & ME

COMING SOON

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STUDENT GALLERY

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Gabriel Z.

"Out of all my high school, undergrad, and graduate art instructors, Sharon is the most supportive teacher I've ever had. Just as I was discovering my interest in art Sharon was the one who recognized potential in me and exposed me to a wide range of art and artists that tremendously influenced my growth and aspirations. She was never narrow in her views of what painting and drawing 'should' be, instead she was more intently concerned in my personal development and how art could act as an expression of my growth. To that end, she would constantly introduce me to new styles of art-making and guide me through new techniques that would help me develop my skills. She did this while always validating my efforts and supporting my shifting artistic aspirations.

While many of the art teachers I've had would teach the class as a group, Sharon made an effort to really get to know me and the other students as individuals. I will always appreciate that."

Olivia Z.

"Ms. Willcutts helped me tremendously with my art. I am an oil painter, and the style I usually gravitated towards was impressionistic, or realistic, or a mix of the two. I had been working on a portrait of my friend, in soft realism, when Ms. Willcutts showed me this contemporary artist whose portraits flowed with bright swatches of vivid color, hues floating across large canvases, details of the skin drawn over pieces of collaged metal. Looking at his pieces started a fire in my own mind, and I wanted to do something colorful and contemporary too. Thus, under Ms. Willcutts' guidance, I stepped over a threshold into unknown artistic territory as I tried painting in a style I had never done before. Where my colors were too chaotic, Ms. Willcutts suggested a calming tone. Where I didn't know how to fill in a space, Ms. Willcutts taught me how to approach background from a fresh perspective. Where I wasn't feeling confident about proportion or design, Ms. Willcutts always knew what to say to help. The result was a completely new portrait of that friend of mine, modern, color-blocked, vivacious, eye-catching. It is my favorite piece of art I have done in my nine years of painting. Without the advice and encouragement of Ms. Willcutts, I could not have approached such a new style and come out with anything as emotionally and visually satisfying

Claire F.

“Sharon Willcutts brings out the creative and visual artist in any student. I had not taken a drawing or art class in more than 20 years. By the end of her 6-week course, I had completed two oil-on-canvas paintings that I am proud to display in my home. Ms. Willcutts teaches the basics of drawing, brushstrokes, and color--as well as a bit of art history—tools that help launch students toward their own subjects and styles. I look forward to my next course!”

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