Spring 2025
ART CLASSES
Please consider making a donation to our school to help us weather this time. Any amount would be appreciated. We are a 501c3 non-profit.
Click Here for more information.
Winner of the 2019 Perry F. Kendig Award,
Arts & Cultural Organization
Welcome to the Studio School in Roanoke, Va.
We are a non-profit art organization with a 30+ year history of offering creative classes for all ages and all levels of experience. Our instructors are among the area’s best-known artists and they offer a wealth of knowledge, guidance and inspiration.
Our classes range from one- or two-day sessions to eight weeks and beyond. You’ll find offerings for children, teens, and adults in media such as drawing, watercolor, acrylic, encaustic, mixed media, and more.
We are located on the upper level of Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke, inside the mall area, just steps away from the Wildflower Restaurant. Whether you are discovering art for the first time or are continuing your artistic journey, Studio School classes provide an informal, fun and inspiring way to explore the joy of creativity.
To register for classes online and pay by credit card click on the 
button.
See below to contact class instructors, either by clicking the Contact link or via phone.
All phone numbers are 540 area code
Tracy Budd • Contact • 556-8770
Vera M. Dickerson • Contact • 204-1914
Patricia Kapral • Contact • 815-2214
Robin Poteet • Contact • 384-5022
Gina Louthian-Stanley • Contact • 761-1414
Brett LaGue • brett@brettlague.com • 797-4492
If for weather or other reasons a class needs to be canceled or postponed, your instructor will contact you in advance via email or phone.
Visit us on Facebook at thestudioschoolroanoke.
Be an Art Angel
If you have some time to give, we would be grateful for any help you can provide, be it helping to organize and hang our school shows, keeping our parking lot tidy, or helping with general cleaning now and then! Click Here to contact instructor, Patricia Kapral if you have a bit of time and effort you can donate.
The Studio School is an incorporated non-profit organization, (501.C.3) with programs partially funded through the Virginia Commission for the Arts. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ability or disability. Easel Society Contributors of $250 or more will receive end of the year summaries for their records.
Click Here for a printable Spring Registration Form (form will open in an new window or tab).
Spring Youth Classes
Impression: Springtime—with Patricia Kapral
Ages 5-9 • Tuesdays, March 18–April 8 • 5:00 p.m.– 6:30 p.m. • $150 all supplies included
In this class for younger children, we will explore the Impressionists and how they used color and the impression of light to create beautiful masterpieces. We will learn all about the artists who made this period one of the most popular art periods of all time, such as Seurat, Monet, Renoir, Degas, and of course Van Gogh (who is actually known as a post- impressionist). We will create artworks inspired by these artists and capture the magic of Spring. All supplies are included in this 4-session class, and space is limited, so register early! Click Here to contact Patricia with questions.
Underpainting Essentials: Why Do Artists Start with An Underpainting?—with Patricia Kapral
Ages 10-14 • Tuesdays, April 15–May 6 • 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. • $150 all supplies included
Have you ever wondered why an artist spends all that time with the underpainting, just to cover it up with more paint? In this class, students will learn the structural importance of an underpainting, and how to successfully create a good underpainting in acrylic. All supplies are included in this 4-week session, and space is limited, so register early! Click Here to contact Patricia with questions.
Classes for Adults
Oil
Oil Painting: Bold and Loose—with Brett LaGue
6 classes, Fridays, April 4–May 9 • 9:30 a.m.–Noon • $230
Expressing your creativity should be joyful. Whether you are a seasoned painter or a beginner, this class is designed to help keep you in the moment and say something meaningful—without sacrificing the fun. With demos, examples and encouragement, these classes will get you painting or keep you painting. Contact Brett at brett@brettlague.com for supplies.
Drawing
Perspective Drawing—with Kyle Keyser
Thursdays, March 20–April 10 • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. • $90
Materials:
#2 Drawing pencil • Kneaded rubber eraser • 18” ruler • White drawing paper (12” x 18” Minimum)
This class will introduce students to basic perspective drawing. Students will be drawing in one- and two-point perspective. Students will also learn to draw a room interior, house and a city scape.
Kyle Keyser is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and holds a MS degree (with a visual arts focus) from New York’s Bank Street College and Parsons School of Design.
Everyday Sketching—with Brett LaGue
3 classes, Fridays, May 16–30 • 9:30 a.m.–Noon • $130
Sketching is about capturing a moment in time and creating a memory that’s never forgotten. It’s not about fussy details, rulers or erasers. No matter your experience level this class will show you how to get images down quickly and without worry. Because everything in life is sketch-worthy! Contact Brett at brett@brettlague.com for supplies.
Watercolor
Watercolor: A to Z—with Robin Poteet
7 Classes
Morning session: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Afternoon session: 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, April 2–May 21 (no class April 23) • $235
Robin’s Watercolor classes are part technique, part planning, part magic and part letting go! This 7-week session helps you build your watercolor expertise while exploring something different each week—such as copying a master artist’s painting, pouring a background, focusing on “interesting” neutrals or zeroing in on detail. Robin starts each week with a demo and talk and an occasional surprise exercise. Always, there is ample time for everyone to paint from their own subjects with individual attention as Robin circulates the room. This is a fun, welcoming environment and a great way for painters of all levels to explore and expand their creative thinking. Click Here to contact Robin with questions.
Watermedia
Spring Color and Dappled Light—with Vera Dickerson
Tuesdays • March 18–April 22 • Thursdays March 20–April 24 • 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. • $200
Watermedia, with emphasis on acrylics, will be used to find color and value relationships in nature to enliven your paintings and use the expressive qualities of color to a greater degree. We will do some mixing experiments and create personal references for continued use in your paintings. Demos will be on both canvas and watercolor paper. I will focus on Spring color, sunlight and sun-shadow patterns, but, as always, your subject matter is your own choice. Demos and critiques. Click Here to contact Vera with questions.
Mixed Media
People, Places and Things…PAINTING DRILLS—with Tracy Budd
8 classes: Mondays, March 17th–May 12th (no class on April 21st!) • 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. • $280
This 8 week class is designed to answer some of the most frequently asked “questions“ on our painting journeys. We will work weekly on “drills” addressing painting trees, rocks, water, skies, shadows and highlights. Our subject matter will be photos of your choice, but we will work weekly on specific challenges that arise in our work in acrylics and watermedia. Call it Acrylic Boot Camp and hopefully all will come away with a better understanding of the basics in this medium! Click Here to contact Tracy for a supply list.
Beginning (l’ve never painted before, start at the absolute beginning)—Acrylic Class—with Tracy Budd
5 classes: Tuesdays, March 18–April 15 • 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. • $175
This is, (I promise), the absolute basic, never held a paint brush, beginning acrylic class! You will have 5 weeks to learn about brushes, color mixing, texture making, value, mediums and composition. We will start slow and end up with some fabulous paintings! Class size limited so sign up early! Click Here to contact Tracy with questions.
Critique…All Mediums—with Tracy Budd
4 classes: Mondays, March 24, April 7, April 28, and May 12 • 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. • $100
Come one, come all to critique class… all mediums welcome and appreciated! Come find inspiration, direction and comradery in a class of like-minded individuals who love to look at art and talk about paintings. Tracy will meet you right where you are in your painting journey, adding support and ideas, while students learn from each other’s painting projects as well. Painting is a language, and what a gift to find people who speak yours! Don’t be “stuck” in your work, join a critique class! Click Here to contact Tracy for with questions.
Faces in Collage…People and Animals!—with Tracy Budd
4 classes: Tuesdays, April 29–May 20 • 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. • $145
Faces in collage? What? Yes!…what fun! Working with sketches, value and lots of pattern and paint, we will create believable, lively collages of people and animals. We will create papers, collect paper, tear and glue in these whimsical creations. Collage is a fun, mixed media process that is so good for our composition and shape making right brains. A fun 4-week class you’ll be glad you experienced! Click Here to contact Tracy for a supply list.
Jean Pederson — 2025 Workshop
The Studio School is pleased to welcome Jean Pederson as our 2025 Summer Workshop instructor.
Jean is the author of “Expressive Portraits: Creative Methods for Painting People.” She has been painting for over 20 years, balancing her strong teaching abilities, and writing with her continuing aspiration to convey her ideas in visual form. Jean’s traditional practice includes referential imagery of people, still life, landscape and abstraction.
The workshop will be held at The Studio School
Tuesday–Friday • June 3–6 • 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Total Cost $475
Those that have paid their 2025 Easel Society dues may register for the workshop beginning December 2nd. A deposit by check for $200 will reserve your space. All others may begin registering with their deposit January 1st. The balance of $275 is due on April 12, 2025.
Mail all workshop checks to:
Brett LaGue
P.O. Box 725
Fincastle, VA 24090
