Explore ‘Art Is Life’ with Artist Baret Boisson

Artist Baret Boisson — whose vibrant paintings can be found in the personal collections of the late Elizabeth Taylor, Kathy Ireland, Sumner Redstone, and Jimmy Fallon, among others, and whose powerful portrait series Inspiring Greatness was the subject of a solo show at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee — is offering a rare hands-on art making series hosted in her Carpinteria art studio. 

Titled “Art Is Life,” with these class sessions (available individually or as a series of three) Boisson invites participants to “tap into the creative process as a conduit to awaken their native sense of wonder, curiosity, and play” in an intimate studio setting. 

“Your imagination, self-trust, and sense of play are all you need to bring this creative process designed to embolden your spirit,” says Boisson, a highly regarded self-taught artist. She holds “a passionate belief in our innate creative abilities and the gratifying process of creative expression” and is excited to work with others to bring their own creative expression to life. 

All materials will be provided for students to create their own work of art to take home at the end of the session, and each session will be limited to eight students. 

Session 1: “Tree of Life,” Tuesday, October 3, 5-8 p.m.

The first session will be playing with the idea of a “Tree of Life,” a timeless motif common to many cultures, mythologies, and folktales. Boisson embraces the symbolism of the tree as a way to speak to both individual identity and connectedness. This theme is merely a template; students can choose to consider the symbolism and represent their own tree in any way they wish.  

Session 2: “All of My Relations,” Tuesday, November 7, 5-8 p.m.

The second session will further explore the theme of connectedness based on a Lakota phrase, “All of my Relations,” a worldview that encourages us to respect all of whom we share the earth — all humans, animals, trees, even the rocks and the rivers. Boisson often revisits this theme in her own work and will lay out the template for each student to explore further, using their sense of play and the myriad tools at their disposal. 

Session 3: “In Your Dreams,” Tuesday, December 5, 5-8 p.m.

The third session, “In Your Dreams,” will explore our dreams, those that dance in our head and want to take shape in living color. This can also mean painting something or someone you’ve dreamed of painting — a favorite saying, your dog, or the lemon tree in your garden. This session will encourage you to play freely bringing any fanciful visions to life using all of the many tools available in the studio. 

The cost is $450 per session or $1,000 for all three sessions, including all materials plus vegetarian pizza and beverages. For additional information or to sign up, visit baretboissonart.com/art-is-life.