The Malta Society of Arts (MSA) has launched a new set of art courses as part of its winter term starting in February. The schedule, aimed at learners of all ages, includes courses in visual, applied and performing arts taking place both during the day and in the evenings, and taught by experienced tutors.

The first new training session, titled ‘En Plein Air with Jeni Caruana’, will take students to different locations every Saturday morning, visiting a mix of coastal, town and country sites. Artist and tutor Jeni Caruana will guide students in the use of sketchbooks, pencil and charcoal, covering all the practical drawing skills such as perspective, tone, composition and measuring, while encouraging students to discover their own unique voice in their art.

The second training session, titled ‘Experimental Multimedia Plein Air Painting Sessions’, aims to generate interaction among budding or seasoned artists of different capabilities and to foster greater artistic freedom, thinking and experimentation with techniques, while sitting in different locations. Typical sessions will include sketching on site, quick sketches from memory, mono-colour painting, cut-outs and collages, deformed or deconstructed painting, and the use of different media, all inspired by the various environments.

In the performing arts, the MSA has just added a new course in double bass. This will be the first time ever that the Society will be offering a course in this instrument, led by double bassist Gjorgji Cincievski. The world-class musician will share his long-time experience with students of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced students, touching on both the pizzicato and the bow techniques, during one-to-one sessions. Advanced students will be encouraged to enrich their repertoire and performance skills both in the classical and jazz techniques.

In the applied arts section, the cake decorating course will see a comeback after a break of a few terms. The practical lessons will cover a number of sugar craft techniques, training students in the use of the tools and materials necessary for the art of cake decoration. Other courses in this section will be sewing for beginners, crochet, lacemaking, knitting, hand embroidery, dressmaking, and tailoring.

Other visual arts courses starting in the beginning of February include nude figure sessions, clay modelling, art for leisure (adults and mature students), art for children (of all ages), preparatory art for O-Level, and two art workshops for practising artists which don’t require a tutor. For those interested in the performing arts, courses in violin, guitar, and pianoforte will also be offered.

For more info, kindly visit www.artsmalta.org/courses or www.facebook.com/maltasocietyofarts, call on 21244339/21244400 or email on info@artsmalta.org.