Classes

UPDATED July 2, 2026

Upcoming Classes and Workshops:

Collagraph Printmaking
2 Day Workshop

Monday July 20, 2026 and
Monday July 27, 2026
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Northwest Family YMCA, Baldwinsville, NY
(You do not have to be a member of the YMCA)
Register Here or call the YMCA at (315) 303-5966

Ages 13 to adult. Ready to try a bold and exciting art experience? Collagraph prints are remarkably sophisticated and fun to create. Collage a printmaking plate from textured surfaces such as cut paper, lace, stencils, sequins, aluminum, and sandpaper; then print onto paper and see what unfolds!

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Explore Watercolor Class Series

Wednesdays 6 - 8 pm
July 22, July 29, August 5, and August 12, 2026
Burnet Art Center at Burnet Park,
297 Coleridge Ave Syracuse, NY
(You do not have to be a Syracuse resident to register)
Register Here

Ages 18+. All skill levels. Come explore watercolor in a series of 4 workshops. In just a short time you can create paintings that are lively, spontaneous, and free. We will practice exercises to build on techniques and create quick paintings.

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Art in the Park - Sketching at Thornden Park Lily Pond

Sunday July 26, 2026
10 am - 12 pm
Thornden Park
201 Ostrum Ave. Syracuse, NY
The Lily Pond is at the top of a brick staircase across from the Rose Garden, on your left as you enter the park from Ostrom Avenue.
(You do not have to be a Syracuse resident to register)
Register Here

All ages and skill levels. Spend a serene Sunday morning sketching the vibrant lily pond at Thornden Park (just up the stairs from the Rose Garden). I will show you tips and tricks to depict botanical and landscape scenes. Bring your own sketchbook and supplies, or use ours.

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Indoor/Outdoor Nature Sketching - Trees and Flowers

Sunday August 2, 2026
9:30 am - 11:30 am
Town of Clay Education Center at Project Green Park
9604 Black Creek Rd. Brewerton, NY
(You do not have to be a Town of Clay resident to register)
Register Here or call (315)652-3800. Ext 139

All ages and abilities. Check out the newest park in the Town of Clay while learning botanical drawing. We will walk at a leisurely pace and observe the plant life of the meadows and woods. We will also have time to work on our drawings indoors at the art studio. Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced artist, you will come away with techniques to fill a sketchbook. We will focus on observation and the joyful process of putting pencil, pen, or brush to paper.
All materials provided but please feel free to bring your own supplies if you wish.
In case of inclement weather, we will stay indoors and use photo and still life reference.

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Watercolor Butterflies Workshop

Sunday, August 2, 2026
2 pm - 4 pm
Northwest Family YMCA, Baldwinsville, NY
(You do not have to be a member of the YMCA)
Register Here or call the YMCA at (315) 303-5966

All ages and skill levels. Learn watercolor techniques and create graceful and elegant butterflies in this relaxing workshop.  Great for both experienced painters and those new to watercolor. 

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Sunset Sketch

Tuesday August 4, 2026
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Town of Clay Education Center at Project Green Park
9604 Black Creek Rd. Brewerton, NY
(You do not have to be a Town of Clay resident to register)
Register Here or call (315)652-3800. Ext 139

All ages and abilities. Learn to capture the magical evening light in your sketchbook! We will focus on observing all the sights, sounds, and feelings of the golden hour and sunset. Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced artist, you will come away with techniques to fill a sketchbook. We will focus on observation and the joyful process of putting pencil, pen, or brush to paper. We will begin indoors at the art studio, with the option to work outdoors as well.
All materials provided but please feel free to bring your own supplies if you wish.
In case of inclement weather, we will stay indoors and use photo and still life reference.

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Relief Printmaking (Linocut)
3 Day Class

Mondays 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
August 3, August 10, and August 17, 2026
Northwest Family YMCA, Baldwinsville, NY
(You do not have to be a member of the YMCA)
Register Here or call the YMCA at (315) 303-5966

Ages 13 to adult. Create handmade art prints in this introductory series of 3 classes all about relief printing / block printing. You will carve a design into a sheet of linoleum or rubber sheet, ink it up, and then reveal your print on paper.  

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Portrait Drawing Workshop

Sunday, August 23, 2026
10 am - 12:30 pm
Northwest Family YMCA, Baldwinsville, NY
(You do not have to be a member of the YMCA)
Register Here or call the YMCA at (315) 303-5966

Ages 16 - adult. I will teach you tips and tricks to really capture a likeness in pencil. Bring in a photo of a person you'd like to draw. No drawing experience required.

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Art in the Park - Sketching at Pass Arboretum

Sunday August 30, 2026
10 am - 12 pm
Pass Arboretum
300 S. Avery Ave, Syracuse, NY
(You do not have to be a Syracuse resident to register)
Register Here

All ages and skill levels. Spend a serene Sunday morning sketching at the Pass Arboretum. I will show you tips and tricks to compose landscapes and sketch trees. Bring your own sketchbook and supplies, or use ours.

Past Offerings

Hand-bound Sketchbook Workshop

In this workshop you will learn up to two methods for creating your own sketchbook from scratch! We will learn a few options for decorating covers, and (time permitting) break your new book in with some drawing exercises.
All materials included. Optionally, If you have your own paper you would like to include in your book, please bring it.

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Printmaking

All ages (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). Beginner to intermediate. Printmaking is the art of making reproductions by transferring ink from one prepared surface to a sheet of paper. In this introductory class series, we will make handmade prints using techniques such as monoprinting, collagraph, and block printing.

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Pet Portrait Watercolor Workshop

Create a likeness of your pet in watercolor. No drawing experience necessary; I will teach you a technique to transfer a photo directly to your watercolor paper, so please bring a print out or photo of your pet. All levels welcome!

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Watercolor Mandalas Workshop

Ages 16 to adults. Explore the art of mandalas, a geometric artform originating in India. We will create our own using watercolor techniques. No experience required for this mellow art excursion.

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Remembrance Jar Workshop

Many cultures traditionally spend the fall season remembering their deceased. Honor an ancestor or departed loved one with a mixed media jar you decorate with their photo, in this two hour workshop. All materials provided though feel free to bring in any items you’re drawn to add to your jar.

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Victorian Puzzle Purse Workshop

Ages 16 to adults. These unique intricately folded paper stationery were all the rage in Victorian England. We will create our own and decorate them using the language of flowers. 

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Upcycled Art

All skill levels. Stretch your creative muscles and turn the old into gold! In this class we use supplies you might find around your house to craft unique pieces of art.

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Explorations in Watercolor

Ages 16 to adults. All skill levels. We will explore the elements of watercolor and what potential it holds as a practice, as well as ways to silence the inner critic that keeps us from expressing ourselves.
This class is a mixed-ability, adaptive class that is fully inclusive of people with disabilities. Whether you want more control over the medium, or long to loosen up more, this class will give you strategies to tune into your unique artistic voice.

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Intermediate / Advanced Watercolor Weekly Class

If you have taken Beginning Watercolor with me, or have experience in the medium, and want to stretch your creative muscles and further explore the medium, this class is for you. While the Beginning Class is largely techniques based, in the Advanced Class you have more time for independent projects.

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Drawing Class

Ages 16+. All skill levels. No drawing ability necessary, just the willingness to learn this timeless skill. More experienced drafts people, come hone your craft in the company of other artists. Learn how to see your world from a different perspective, set aside your self-doubts, and enter the “flow state.”  We will cover techniques like composition and shading, as we draw what we see using pencil, ink, charcoal, and pastel.  What you learn in this class, you can apply to any other art form—the sky is the limit.

It is my mission to make all of my classes inclusive of people with disabilities. Please reach out for details about accessibility and access needs.

If you have any questions, please call, text, or email me at jess@jessjakus.com