Past Events

"Who am I?"  A question common to artists.   Join a pastelist, Tracey Maras, and a photographer, Harry Starr, as they share their stories of discovering their respective mediums, their stylistic similarities, and how this led to the inaugural Spotlight Series at the Galleries of the Heartland Art Club.   Along the way you [...]

Skies can be serene.  Skies can be dramatic.  They can make us smile or can elicit anxiety.  Skies can be blue or yellow or green or red or orange or purple or any color in between.   And there is no end to the variety of clouds that dance across [...]

A journey of discovering the dance of colors that can be found, not only in light, but also in shadows.  Shadows become more than simply a dark spot.  They have the potential to add rich layers of complex colors, making paintings more captivating. [...]

The sensation of touching the earth.  Calm interludes envelop you in this dual show of the pastel paintings of Tracey Maras and the ceramics of Scott Day.  But  always a sense of change, of transitions in the weather, the light, and of time.  [...]

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Embrace the wild side with this wildlife-inspired event.  Inspired by adventures into natural areas, my volunteer work at a wildlife rescue facility and local zoo, behind-the-scenes tours at wildlife rehabilitation facitilies, or simply in my back yard, each portrait captures a special moment.  Each original pastel painting tells the story [...]

Tonalism is a uniquely American art movement, characterized by harmonious colors, introspective moods, and a romantic appreciation for nature.  Tracey Maras' paintings and Harry Starr's photography embrace the aesthetics of Tonalism.  While they may utilize different mediums of artistic expression, their work shares a respect and reverence for nature. [...]

This 2-day  workshop is all about Loosening Up...in your paintings.    During this workshop, you will experiment with techniques to add to your tool chest.  Tools to help you loosen up from tightly rendered paintings, adding expressive movement to your paintings, and prioritizing details for stronger compositions.   Hours:  9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: [...]

Nature provides us with boundless inspiration.  But what color comes to mind when painting many landscapes?  Green!  But, green is green is green is green.  So much green!   How do we make a landscape scene more interesting than what nature provides to us?   How do we energize the scene with artistic [...]

Whether you’re a beginner or looking to explore a new medium, this class will introduce you to the fundamentals of pastel painting while giving you the tools and confidence to create your own artwork.Learn about the properties of soft pastels from Tracey Maras, including application techniques, blending methods, and layering [...]