Classes and Workshops
Monday Monthly Classes with Ashley - Calgary (Youth/Teen)
Join Artist Educator Ashley Gaboury to express your creative inspirations while developing Drawing, Painting &/or Mixed Media skills. Whether you prefer a more realistic or abstract approach Ashley will guide you to develop your own ideas and help you grow your own unique style. This class is ideal for those who want to enhance their creativity, develop their art, or want to learn a new skill. All skill levels welcome.
Art Explorations (Pre-Teen/Teen)
Thursdays (Ongoing) 4:00 - 6:00 pm Sept - June
Immerse yourself in the creative process! Throughout this course Artist Educator Ashley Gaboury will guide young artists in an exploration of techniques and expose students to various processes related to artmaking. Students will learn everything from Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media over the course of the year. Not only will they build confidence, but they will also develop their skills and further their individual art styles. Supplies included.
Art with Ashley
Fridays (Ongoing) 1:30 -3:30 pm Sept - June
Join Artist Educator Ashley Gaboury to express your creative inspirations while developing Drawing, Painting &/or Mixed Media skills. Whether you prefer a more realistic or abstract approach Ashley will guide you to develop your own ideas and help you grow your own unique style. This class is ideal for those who want to enhance their creativity, develop their art, or want to learn a new skill. All skill levels welcome.
In this class she will also offer guided demos to further encourage your artistic exploration.
All dry and wet media welcome:
- Drawing (Graphite, Markers, Colored pencils, etc.)
- Painting (Acrylics, Oils, Watercolors, etc.)
- Mixed Media
See suggested supply lists or talk to the instructor for specific project needs.
Drawing for Teens
Fridays (Ongoing) 4:00 - 6:00 pm Sept - June
Join Ashley Gaboury to explore realistic and imaginative drawing styles while using mediums from graphite and charcoal to soft colored pencils and artist’s quality markers. This class is ideal for developing skills and building a dynamic portfolio. Ashley will work with each student at their skill level and help them to grow their unique style while using the elements and principles of art and design. We will focus on various subjects including animals, portraits, Manga/OC (Original Characters), fantasy, and open projects. Supplies Included.
Teen Studio Drawing - Skill and Portfolio Building
Teen Studio Drawing - Ongoing
This ongoing class is designed for skill development, portfolio building, and creative exploration. Students may join at any time, as each week offers new guided lessons, rotating themes, and one-on-one instruction. Ashley Gaboury teaches each student at their own level, helping them strengthen their unique voice and style while using the elements and principles of art and design. Explore both realistic and imaginative drawing styles while working with a range of artist-quality materials, from graphite and charcoal to coloured pencils and professional markers.
From Line to Layer
Bridge the gap between the sketchbook and the canvas. Learn how drawing serves as the foundation for strong, expressive paintings. A simple drawing evolves into a fully realized painting. In this workshop, you will learn how drawing lays the groundwork for both colour and expression.
Mixed Media: Tools, Texture & Technique
Guided by GOLDEN Artist Alumni Ashley Gaboury, you will learn how various products, tools, and approaches interact to build luminous layers and compelling surfaces. Through demonstration and hands-on exploration, you will have the opportunity to experiment, ask questions, and discover techniques you can carry into your own practice. Some supplies are included.
Exploring Modern Watercolours
Join GOLDEN Artist Alumni in this summer intensive workshop and dive into painting expressive animals with Watercolors and Mixed Media. We will be focusing on a variety of mark-making and color mixing techniques using QoR Modern Watercolours. Please bring 5” x 7” black and white printed references (on standard printer/photocopy paper) of your favorite sea creatures, birds and animals/pets that you’d like to paint along with the colored reference photos (can be on a digital device). Most supplies included. This workshop is suitable for artists of most levels of experience but is not designed for young children; however mature pre-teens/teens are welcome to join.
Line & Layer: Acrylic & Collage Workshop
Step into a creative space where drawing and collage come together in a dynamic and intuitive way. Line & Layer is an immersive workshop led by mixed media artist Ashley Gaboury, designed to help you explore how expressive lines and thoughtful layering can transform simple ideas into rich, visually compelling artwork.
We will begin exploring line work using pencil, acrylic paint markers, and ink to build confidence and develop your personal mark-making style. From there, you will learn how to bring your work to life through layering techniques, combining paper, imagery, and mixed media elements to create depth, texture, and meaning.
Teen Drawing – Character Design & OC’s
Bring your original characters to life! This workshop focuses on developing unique characters and exploring the creative process behind original character (OC) design. Whether you’re inspired by fantasy, comics, anime, or tabletop role-playing games like D&D, this class will guide you in building characters from concept to finished illustration.
With a strong emphasis on marker, ink, and expressive line work, students will explore how to create confident lines, dynamic silhouettes, and bold, readable designs. Using graphite, artist-quality coloured pencils, and markers, students will also develop their understanding of anatomy, proportion, and gesture to support strong character construction.
Manga, Dragons & More
Popular with adults and teens alike, Manga is a well-known style of drawing seen in Japanese comic books. This class will focus on developing inking and colouring techniques and help to bring characters and creatures to life. We will explore drawing dynamic character poses, drawing eastern and western dragons and other fandom inspired characters/creatures in this session. Please bring printed images of your favorite Manga/Anime or Animated characters (e.g. Studio Ghibli is Anime, and Arcane is Japanese Animation) & creatures in their signature poses. Some supplies included. Beginners welcome. Students are invited to bring their own set of pencil colors or art markers to this class (water-soluble or alcohol-based).
Masterful Animals - Drawing
Explore how to draw animals with both accuracy and expression in this engaging course inspired by the techniques of the Old Masters. Led by experienced wildlife artist and pet portraitist Ashley Gaboury, you'll build strong foundational skills while exploring how greats like Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, and Edgar Degas captured the life and spirit of animals. Through classical methods and creative practice, you'll gain the tools to draw with confidence, realism, and character.
From Degas’ dynamic horses to da Vinci’s anatomical studies, you’ll discover how to bring depth, structure, and movement to your animal drawings. You'll move beyond outlines to create convincing forms that feel alive and dimensional.
Using a mix of traditional exercises and guided projects, you'll develop a strong understanding of anatomy, gesture, light, and shadow, skills essential to both realistic and expressive animal art. The instructor’s own experience in wildlife and pet portraiture will offer practical insight into capturing likeness, personality, and presence.
Introduction to Gelitan Plate Printing
Join GOLDEN Artist Alumni Ashley Gaboury for a hands-on workshop that dives into the vibrant world of gelatin plate monoprinting. Whether you're new to printmaking or looking to expand your creative toolkit, this session is a fun and approachable way to explore the process.
You'll learn the basics of working with a gel printing plate and GOLDEN OPEN Acrylics, experimenting with layering techniques, textures, and composition. We'll also explore the use of iridescent paints to add shimmering, eye-catching effects to your prints.
Ashley will share tips on incorporating collage and layered elements into your own artwork, helping you find your style along the way.
This workshop is perfect for teens and adults who want to experiment with water-based media in a relaxed, creative environment. Some supplies are included, just bring your imagination and a passion to explore something new.
We will take a short break for lunch.