Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Last week, events at the Starling Musings gallery came to a screeching halt in observance of Hurricane Idalia, which wreaked havoc across several north Florida counties. The usual Free Wednesday Art Workshop was cancelled due to the impact from the storm, and several classes were also postponed due to outages and complications caused.
As Monticello continues to pick up the pieces, the regular schedule for Starling Musings operations are officially back on track, with classes, workshops and gatherings resuming as usual. Starting on the first Saturday following the storm, all classes and workshops have resumed with the return of power to the gallery.
For the month of September, citizens can anticipate the following events and plans:
Friday evening painting classes with Art Enchanted – These acrylic painting sessions are led by an instructor, and participants can follow step-by-step instructions on how to paint beautiful landscapes, scenes, sunsets and more. The cost to attend these classes is $30 per seat, and reservations are greatly appreciated to enable accurate head count and ensure all students have the supplies they need. To reserve a spot in a class, text your name and the class you wish to attend to (850) 363-7038. Payment can be given via Venmo, cash or check.
All necessary supplies, including paint, brushes, and canvases, are supplied. Every student gets to keep their finished canvas at the end of each class. Classes begin at 6 p.m. every Friday. For September, the classes are as follows:
Sept. 1 – Class cancelled –
Sept. 8 – Sunset Fields
Sept. 15 – Winter Road
Sept. 22 – Daisies
Sept. 29 – Ghosts in the Forest
Saturday morning Watercolor Workshops with Lisa Starling – There are two separate watercolor workshops available for reservation. The first is a Beginner Watercolor Class, which takes place every Saturday at 10:40 a.m. This class is suitable for those who have limited experience working with watercolors to learn more about how to paint using this medium. The instructor will guide the class on techniques and students can follow along to complete a prompt. All supplies are included for the beginner class, and the cost per seat is $25.
The second workshop that is available on Saturdays is a Watercolor Workshop, which is suitable for those who have experience with watercolors already and are looking for inspiration, prompts and the company of fellow watercolor artists. During this workshop, participants bring their own supplies if they have them, and work independently, with assistance provided if needed. The cost for the workshop is $15 per seat.
To reserve a space in a watercolor class, contact the gallery at starlingmusings@gmail.com.
For those who are a little uncertain about paying for classes, or for those who don't know what sort of medium they would like to try, Starling Musings hosts a regular Artist's Open Workshop that is free for anyone to attend. All are invited to come in and connect with other artists, try out some new mediums that are brought in, or bring in a project they've been working on. Artist Workshops take place on Wednesday evenings, from 6 to 9 p.m.
On Sept. 16, Starling Musings will proudly unveil their latest art exhibit! All are invited to come out and attend the opening of Ross Everett's Art Exhibition, which will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature the work of Ross Everett, a professional artist who specializes in oil, watercolor and three-dimensional art. This exhibit will be on display until Oct. 22 at the Starling Musings gallery, located inside of Tupelo's Bakery, at 220 W. Washington St., in Monticello.
While Hurricane Idalia may have slowed things down for a short while, the artists at Starling Musings are refreshed and ready to resume anything and everything creative! Stop by the gallery shop and see what's new, reserve a spot in one of the upcoming classes or simply visit them online at starlingmusings.com/Dir/.