Brigantine Gallery Joan of Art

Innovative Professional Enjoyable

There is an artist inside all of us. Let us help bring the artist out in you.

We present professional art instruction workshops taught by our resident award winning instructors for artists of all levels. We welcome established artists who are looking to enhance their artistic abilities and enjoyment, serious students looking for direction in their artistic careers and new artists who are looking for guidance and inspiration.

These workshops allow the participants to explore different styles, techniques and mediums presented by established artists of various disciplines.

The workshops are held in our art gallery, a setting which provides an inspirational undertone to our students that enhances their learning experience. This, combined with a relaxed atmosphere and dedicated instructors, promotes an educational and enjoyable time for all.

Our award winning artists teaching workshops are:

George Ceffalio - Oil/Acrylics - Landscapes/ Florals

Walter Monastyretsky - Oil - Landscapes/ Portraits/ Florals

Tom Henrichsen - Oil - Landscape

John Walker - Acrylics - Portraits.

Joe Ruck - Oil - Brayer (roller, no brushes)

Robert Pennor - Oil/Acrylics - Landscapes

Materials lists are available at sign up. The gallery will help with supplies for your first workshop.

A light breakfast and lunch will be served at no additional cost. Most workshops are from 10am - 5pm on a Saturday or Sunday.

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Instructor Bios

George Ceffalio

My paintings are a culmination of several diverse painting techniques that I use together to transform commonplace items into scenes of significant beauty. After several years of developing my painting style, I have found that by uniting elements of realism, elements of abstract painting and the chiaroscuro style, which is the contrast between light and dark, I can create paintings that capture the essence of the subject.

Since 2004 I have studied with David Leffel and Rose Frantzen along with several other artists at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art and the Dupage Art League.

This is a short list of my favorite artists: Rembrandt, DaVinci, Singer Sargent, Rubens, Andrew Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, David Leffel, Mike Capser, Roger Dean, William Matthews, Howard Terpning.....I could go on and on.

Tom Henrichsen

As a young man, Tom Henrichsen had two passions, art and music. When he wasn't painting or drawing caricatures, he was learning to play guitar. After studying fine art at Illinois State and the American Academy of Art, Tom decided to pursue his love of music and started to build a career as a musician and teacher. In 1990 he purchased El Rey Music, a local institution in Chicago. During this period, in addition to teaching guitar, he drew caricatures for trade shows and corporate events and level drawing.

While on vacation in Scottsdale, Az, Tom met a western artist named Harold Lyons and was inspired to begin painting again. When he returned to Chicago, he began studying painting with Dominic Vignola and Frankie Johnson. Tom also counts portrait artist Bill Chambers as a mentor. Since selling El Rey Music in 2005, Tom has devoted himself full time to painting.

Tom also displays and sells his work at fine art fairs throughout the Midwest and is a member of Oil Painters of America.

Walter Monastryetsky

Walter Monastyretsky was born, raised and educated in the Ukraine where he became a licensed pharmacist early on. Yet his love and understanding of art was overpowering and he attended The National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (The Kiev State Art Institute 1978)

There he earned a Bachelor Degree and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Fine Art. His major was painting and minor was Art Restoration and Conservation.

Mr. Monastyretsky is a classically trained professional artist whose specialty is oil on canvas. His forte is the classic portrait. Other areas of expertise are various styles, techniques and subject matters of oil painting and interior murals. Some other mediums are occasionally used.

Walter's artistic philosophy is that as an artist he sees the beauty of the world around him and wishes to share his God given talent with his fellow man.

Before immigrating to the United States, Walter became well known throughout Eastern Europe and has a long list of shows and expositions. For many years he lived, worked and actively participated in Art Expositions in Paris, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Vienna and other European cities. He became head supervising artist at a large conservatory with several apprentices under his control. He also stood as a jurist on numerous occasions judging the work of other artists. He received many grants for his outstanding work.

Walter's works of art are represented in eleven museums throughout the world and in numerous private collections in over twenty countries.

Here in America, Mr. Monastyretsky has been developing a loyal following of collectors. His portraits are outstanding and his still life work is remarkable. There are also many exquisite homes which are adorned with Walter's graceful interior murals.

John Walker

At heart I'm a storyteller, and the paintings I create usually have a tale to tell, enigmatic tho it may be. I paint narratives, large or small, actual or nearly so, that I perceive taking place all around us. My approach to painting is representational, although the work evolves from an imaginative core. Painting in a realistic style allows for a direct interpretation of the thoughts that wind around in my mind as I explore my subjects. In some cases, a painting's story is almost fully rendered, while in others I prefer to present a mere suggestion to act as a starting point for the viewer's interpretation.

Just as thoughts intertwine, building into larger mental concepts, I weave dry brushed strokes around colored glazes of acrylic paint to build value and form on the painting's surface. Initially, glazes are liberally brushed or sometimes poured over the surface and then manipulated with a variety of tools to create texture and depth, while leaving enough space for the �random happy accident� to expand upon. As the work progresses areas are refined and detail added. Multiple, sometimes aggressive, applications of paint demand a rigid foundation, so I typically work on a gessoed hardboard panel.

Recently I've begun to include looser, more abstract passages in my paintings along with more intense color. I find these aspects can work, in an almost counter intuitive way, to reinforce the painting's focus and direction.

John Walker studied at the College of DuPage in Wheaton IL and the American Academy of Art in Chicago IL. Upon graduation he worked at Feldkamp/Malloy before becoming a staff illustrator at Higgens Hegner Genovese and later a freelance illustrator with Frank Lux and Associates. For over fifteen years he has worked from his own studio creating artwork for a diverse group of advertising and publishing clients including National Geographic, The Bradford Exchange, McDonalds, Warner Brothers and Random House.

John has always painted for personal satisfaction,as time and obligations allowed, but the past few years have seen a greater share of his time and energy devoted to creating fine art. He has recently returned to exhibiting his work in public and has taken first place honors in several local shows. His painting Rose won a First Place Award at the 2010 Alliance of Fine Art's Best of the Best exhibit and he is a participant in this year's show once again.

Joe Ruck

I'm grateful to be able to paint and sculpt and have always found satisfaction in both.

I grew up with a mother who wove beautiful wall hangings, a father who sculpted in metal and friends who encouraged art experimentation. Enjoyment for me comes from exploring many different mediums and subject matter. Currently I am painting with a brayer (roller) and am amazed with the versatility of this tool. From broad blocks of color to rhythmic sweeping lines the brayer allows for a wonderful spontaneity. People, animals and landscapes are favorite subjects of mine.

Bringing discarded weathered oak pallets and rusted steel to life in animal form is what intrigues me lately. These sculptures represent battle scarred soldiers of life who have suffered greatly but still possess their pride, courage and determination to carry on. Their portraits are then boldly painted to convey their colorful heritage.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide quality, professional art instruction for artists of all levels whether they are established artists seeking new forms of expression to enhance their artistic abilities and enjoyment or serious students looking for direction in their artistic careers. To that end, we are offering workshops and classes by qualified, established artists at our gallery.

With the addition of of our new Free Nights, where a teacher spends an evening in an open session helping students finish any of their previous workshop paintings, we've added a new dimension whereby students have a chance to reinforce and enhance what they've learned in previous workskops.

These workshops and classes allow the participants to explore different styles, techniques and mediums presented by artists of various diciplines.

We are excited about this project and have had very favorable feedback from local artists and students.

These workshops and classes are in addition to our well established Paint and Play classes offered to amateur artists of all ages which have been very successful for several years and enjoyed by all who attended.