CASSOPOLIS — Be they mavens of the canvas or neophytes of the palette, locals of all ages are invited to flex their artistic muscles during a series of art classes beginning next month.

The Cass Area Artists will offer its next batch of drawing and painting courses, beginning Jan. 4 and Jan. 8, respectively, and will run through the following six weeks.

Drawing classes will be taught by Cassopolis’ Mike Slaski, and will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays at the Cass County Council on Aging Lowe Center, 60525 Decatur Road, Cassopolis. The painting courses will be taught by Dowagiac’s Sharron Ott Bartemio, and will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays at the Cass District Library, 319 M-62 N., Cassopolis.

The upcoming painting course will focus on acrylic paints, and will cost $12 per class. People will be asked to bring their own supplies, including paints, brushes, canvas, a water container, a rag and an easel.

Each class will open with a discussion about painting styles and techniques. After that, students will be asked to paint a new piece of original artwork, which the class will critique as a group once the work is finished, Ott Bartemio said.

Ott Bartemio said the course will be aimed at artists of various skill levels, from beginner to veteran.

“Anyone can start, at any level, and find their niche,” Ott Bartemio said.

Ott Bartemio has taught several classes with the Cass Area Artists — a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the arts in the local area — over the past year, including two drawing classes and another painting course at the Cassopolis library, she said. The professional artist has been teaching painting for the past 10 years, working with students in Illinois and Indiana before moving to Dowagiac in 2016, when she became a member of the local artists guild.

Since she began teaching courses locally, she has worked with a steady stream of dedicated students. While her classes have mostly consisted of adults and teenagers, Ott Bartemio said she has also taught younger painters, including a pair of talented 11-year-old girls, she said.

Ott Bartemio said her upcoming course will focus not just on the creativity of painting, but on the science that goes into creating beautiful works of art as well, such as how to incorporate realistic lighting and shadows into pieces, or how to put elements into proper perspective in landscape paintings, she said.

“A big problem for many painters is that they get frustrated when they have an idea in their head and they just can’t seem to translate it on the canvas,” Ott Bartemio said. “With these principles and formulas, you can more easily capture your ideas.”

The instructor said that painting is more than just about creating moving works of art. It is also a great way to keep one’s mind active, and is a great hobby to discover, no matter how old someone is.

“Many people who have taken these classes have found that have this gift, this passion for art, that they never knew they had before,” she said.

For more information about the course, people may email Ott Bartemio at sharronottart@gmail.com.