The Language of Abstraction
Because all art is abstract
Looking to...
☞ better understand and appreciate abstract art?
☞ transition to working abstractly?
☞ learn more than practical tips and tricks?
☞ gain a wide overview of art history, the lineage and historical interconnectivity?
☞ intimately relate to your process and imagery?
☞ expand your source of ideas?
☞ explore new strategies and creative avenues?
☞ "see" and "think" abstractly?
You are not alone!
There is an increasing desire among artists to turn to abstraction as a means to explore another facet of the creative practice. It is in that spirit of searching, questioning and inquisitiveness that this master class has been created.
You are benefiting from my 55+ years of creating art, 35+ years of teaching, as well as the life journeys, work, and teaching of three renowned
GUEST ARTISTS/INSTRUCTORS - David Hornung, Karen Stamper and Dietlind Vander Schaaf.
Guest Artists/Instructors
Guest Instructor Dietlind Vander Schaaf
Dietlind Vander Schaaf holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco and an MA from the University of Southern Maine.
Her work has been described as the transformation of “disparate objects into elegantly simple compositions of pattern and grace” (Artscope).
Vander Schaaf has exhibited at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, The Fuller Craft Museum, Kolman & Pryor, and On Center Gallery, among others, and been featured in Maine Home + Design, Decor Maine, Downeast Magazine, UPPERCASE, and Artscope.
Vander Schaaf is a Core Artist Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, an Ampersand Ambassador, and the former president of New England Wax. She has received grants from the Maine Arts Commission and International Encaustic Artists, as well as a Tending Space Artist Fellowship from the Hemera Foundation.
Vander Schaaf has taught workshops throughout the country, including Haystack, Maine College of Art & Design, Penland, Woodstock School of Art, Snow Farm, Rhode Island School of Design, and internationally in The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Ireland.
Her work is represented by Portland Art Gallery, Edgewater Gallery, and Artemis Gallery.
In addition to painting, Vander Schaaf is a Level 2 Archery Instructor and a 500 hr yoga teacher.
https://www.dietlindvanderschaaf.com/
Guest Instructor Karen Stamper
Karen is a collage and assemblage artist whose work is rooted in the aesthetics of urban boatyards, with their weather-worn detritus and towering structures, drawing on the visual language of forgotten industrial spaces. She has been awarded the Contemporary Collage Magazine prize in 2023 as well as The Society of Women Artists' Body of Work Prize (two times).
Coming from a background in silk screening, printing and graphic design, Karen taught secondary school in the UK. It was during that time that she developed her collage work and started exhibiting regularly. She also pursued her love for Yoga and became a yoga teacher.
Traveling has always been an integral part of Karen's life. Her journeys begun due to a travel scholarship, and then expanded with yoga retreats and working on sailing holidays. She lived in New Zealand, working as a freelance illustrator for editorial magazines and book covers.
For many years now, Karen has been working as a full time artist, gaining a reputation as a leader of online sketchbook courses. She lives in Cambridge, UK and her work has been represented and shown at: &Gallery, ING Discerning Eye, Bankside Gallery, Scope Basel Art Fair, The Society of Women Artists (twice winning Body of Work Prize) and Contemporary Collage Magazine prize winner 2023.
https://karenstampercollage.com/
Guest Instructor David Hornung
David Hornung is a painter and mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited in the US and UK. Over the course of a long career, he has served on the faculties of The Rhode Island School of Design, Indiana University, Skidmore College, Pratt Institute, and Adelphi University. He is the author of Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (Laurence King Pub Ltd.). Translated into six languages, his book is used in art schools and private studios around the world. His work is shown at Cynthia Winings Gallery, Elena Zang Gallery, Pulp Gallery, and J.J. Murphy Gallery in NYC.
https://www.davidhornung.com/
Mark Eanes Academy Instructors
Professor Emeritus Mark Eanes
Mark Eanes is a painter, printmaker, photographer, curator, and educator who has spent the last fifty years as a dedicated and devoted artist. He lives and works in his studio in Richmond, Virginia. Mark is a Professor Emeritus from the California College of the Arts (CCA), where he has taught for over thirty years. Mark has also taught at numerous art institutes such as San Francisco State, CalArts, Dominican College, to name a few. Mark has shown his paintings throughout California where he lived for over fifty years, as well as nationally and internationally. He has had solo exhibitions at the Parsons School of Design in Paris, the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, the Patricia Sweetow and Michael Dunev Galleries in San Francisco, the Fairfield Center for the Arts, Dominican College in San Rafael, the Mill Valley Arts Commission Gallery, and the Hanford Center for the Arts.
Mark’s works have been included in selected exhibitions at the Applied Arts Museum in Belgrade, Serbia, the San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art’s artist gallery, the Etra Gallery in Miami, the Ruth Bachofner Gallery in Los Angeles, the Cumberland gallery in Nashville, and the San Paulo Biennale, among many others.
Assistant Instructor Marija Eanes
Marija obtained her BA (Hons.) in the Applied Arts and Restoration of Works of Art, at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia.
She is the co-creator of the online courses, assists Mark with the technical aspects of teaching online, and is happy to play the role of the student and give voice to any questions you might have for Mark.
To Abstract (verb)
: to think about or understand by separating general qualities, concepts, etc. from specific objects or instances.
The moment we give expression to the world we are abstracting what we see, separating it, removing, and creating something completely and uniquely new. All art is abstract and it stems from our relationship to life, our experiences, the environment we live in or travel to, expressed through the work of our hands.
What's Inside:
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Mark Eanes - Personal Journey
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What is Abstract?
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You are already on the path...
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Georgia O'Keefe
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Piet Mondrian
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Richard Diebenkorn
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9th Street Women
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Ellsworth Kelly
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Spaces in Between
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Simplification and Reduction
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Flattening of Form and Space
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Micro/Macro
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Exaggeration and Distortion
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Q&A
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Shape vs Gesture
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And what about drawing? Can we use it in our journey to abstraction?
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Dietlind Vander Schaaf
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Karen Stamper
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David Hornung
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What is in this Chapter
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Seeing vs Doing
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Art Heroes (Past and Present)
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What holds us back?
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About this course
- 32 lessons
- 12 hours of video content
Artists who took this course said:
A course that sparks my understanding and creativity
Sally Fox
Mark Eanes’s course is a masterful offering from a professional who is passionate about art and art history and is also a highly skilled artist himself. In T...
Read MoreMark Eanes’s course is a masterful offering from a professional who is passionate about art and art history and is also a highly skilled artist himself. In The Language of Abstraction, he has helped deepen my artist’s eye, broaden my appreciation of abstract art, and increase my engagement with the artists he references. I also appreciate that he goes beyond his own perspective, bringing in the insights and approaches of other accomplished abstract artists. The internet is full of examples of abstract art, yet rarely does anyone address the deeper question: What is abstract art, and how can understanding it expand our artistic capacities and increase our joy in creating? Mark does exactly that. As a result of this course, I find myself more engaged with the history and possibilities of abstraction—and on fire to create more work.
Read LessWonderful!
Melinda Holt
This course is wonderful. The teaching is thorough and thoughtful and I have had so many insights and ideas. I love listening to the dulcet tones of Marks ca...
Read MoreThis course is wonderful. The teaching is thorough and thoughtful and I have had so many insights and ideas. I love listening to the dulcet tones of Marks calm and measured voice. Well paced and full of rich content. I’m so glad I have life time access as there is lots to mine in the course content. Thank you both!
Read LessThe Gift that Keeps on Giving
Pat Johnson
Once again Mark offers a graduate level class that is comprehensive, approachable, and deep. He has the somewhat rare skill of teaching to all levels while m...
Read MoreOnce again Mark offers a graduate level class that is comprehensive, approachable, and deep. He has the somewhat rare skill of teaching to all levels while making the content rich and challenging. As a “serious amateur” I am challenged in the best way without feeling lost or overwhelmed. Anyone interested in abstraction will benefit from this course!
Read LessUnique, captivating and inspirational
WENDY DAVIS
The way Mark thoughtfully, sensitively shares the artist's stories, explains the concepts and directs the learning process is delightful. I appreciate learn...
Read MoreThe way Mark thoughtfully, sensitively shares the artist's stories, explains the concepts and directs the learning process is delightful. I appreciate learning why I enjoy certain pieces of abstract art, but even more so learning what I have missed in pieces I have yet to appreciate. All of it leads to inspiration and a common language with which to share perceptions and ideas.
Read LessLifelong learning
Lynne Butt
This course is well thought out and well researched. It is a deep dive into abstraction and will provide lifelong learning. I am most grateful to Mark for ...
Read MoreThis course is well thought out and well researched. It is a deep dive into abstraction and will provide lifelong learning. I am most grateful to Mark for introducing me to the works of Elsworth Kelly and the wonderful story of the Ninth Street Women. It is fascinating to see the connections between the artists' early and later works, and who/what inspired them. I now have to get my head around David Hornung’s “X” factors and “Y” factors and remember to “kill my darlings”!
Read LessFAQ
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Do I need to purchase any tools and materials?
No. We invite you to start working with what you already have in your studio and then expand as needed.
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How long will I have access the LOA?
FOREVER. Or better said - as long as the Thinkific platform is running :)
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Do I work in a group or at my own pace?
This master class is pre-recorded and self-paced which means you can start any time and enjoy at your pace and revisit as many time as you want.
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Will I be able to download any of the materials?
Yes, there will be some PDF handouts and resources for you to download, but you will not be able to download the video content.
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How can I ask questions?
Each video segment has a discussion board where you can share your written questions. All questions are answered personally by Mark. Additionally, as a member of our global community you will be granted exclusive access to our quarterly live Community Check-In sessions on Zoom where you can talk to Mark live.
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Is there a space to connect with other artists taking this course?
Yes! You automatically become part of our Language of Art community space hosted on this learning platform and we offer quarterly live sessions on Zoom.