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ERIC KELLY III SPEAKER SERIES

Eric Kelly III Art Education & Workshop Programs

About Eric Kelly III
Eric Kelly III is one of the world’s most transformative abstract expressive artists, a celebrated humanitarian, educator, and creative visionary with a legacy spanning over six decades. His award-winning career includes over 45 years of painting, international exhibitions, museum ownership, and more than 25 published books. Known for his bold lines, emotional color, and ability to see music through synesthesia, Eric has empowered thousands through his art, lectures, and mentorship. He is a passionate teacher who believes that everyone has a creative genius within waiting to be activated.

30 Art Classes by Eric Kelly III – In-Depth Overview

  1. Paint & Sip: Expressive Painting in a Relaxed Setting
    This class is a fun, no-pressure space where beginners and casual painters explore their creativity with step-by-step guidance. Participants will use acrylics and watercolors to paint expressive works while enjoying music and conversation. It’s perfect for social groups, team-building events, or personal relaxation.

Students will learn color mixing, brushwork, and how to interpret emotion through art. Every class ends with a completed canvas and greater confidence in self-expression. No experience necessary—just bring your imagination and an open heart.

This class is also available for VIP one-on-one sessions or private party bookings. Attendees leave with not just art, but an experience of joy, connection, and color.

  1. One-on-One Master Sessions: Personalized Art Coaching
    This VIP session is designed for serious artists and creators looking to push boundaries, overcome creative blocks, or build a career in the arts. Eric works one-on-one to develop customized plans for portfolio building, technique refinement, and vision alignment.

You’ll dive into expressive abstraction, advanced color theory, and personal storytelling while learning techniques that define Eric’s unique visual voice. These sessions are perfect for artists ready to elevate their work.

Students receive professional feedback, mentorship, and guidance in a private and empowering setting. Includes career coaching and long-term creative development.

  1. Community Murals: Collective Creativity for Public Spaces
    This interactive course teaches the fundamentals of designing, preparing, and executing large-scale murals that reflect community stories and collective healing. Eric leads students through brainstorming, sketching, and painting shared visions on public or indoor walls.

Participants will gain skills in composition, scaling, teamwork, and logistics. Murals focus on themes such as unity, culture, justice, and imagination. All ages welcome.

A powerful tool for civic pride and cultural expression, community murals leave lasting impact. Custom VIP mural collaborations available upon request.

  1. Children’s Creativity Class: Art for Young Minds
    This playful and engaging class introduces children (ages 5–12) to shapes, colors, textures, and storytelling through art. Students will work with crayon, watercolor, finger-paint, and recycled materials.

They’ll build confidence, coordination, and communication through fun art games and guided projects. Lessons encourage curiosity, mindfulness, and early creative thinking.

Parents will notice increased focus, imagination, and joy in their children. All supplies are included. Available as after-school or weekend enrichment sessions.

  1. Teen Abstract Expressionism: Finding Your Creative Voice
    This class helps teens (ages 13–19) discover their artistic identity through bold color, movement, and emotion. Inspired by jazz, hip-hop, and personal stories, students learn to channel feelings into powerful paintings.

Lessons focus on building visual vocabulary, experimenting with media, and trusting creative instincts. Emphasis is placed on emotional release and empowerment.

Great for self-discovery and stress relief, this course supports youth in transforming their perspectives and finding beauty in personal expression.

  1. Collage & Mixed Media: Visual Storytelling Through Layers
    Explore the power of layering in this hands-on class that blends painting, magazine cutouts, textures, and found objects. Eric teaches how to build cohesive compositions that reflect your personal story, beliefs, or abstract ideas.

Students will develop techniques for cutting, gluing, blending media, and color harmony. The course promotes recycling, reinterpretation, and developing original visual language through experimentation.

Great for all ages and skill levels, this course shows how to turn everyday materials into stunning artistic statements. VIP options include advanced conceptual coaching and one-on-one critiques.

  1. Illustration Fundamentals: From Sketch to Storytelling
    Perfect for aspiring illustrators, this class focuses on drawing techniques, line quality, character development, and visual narrative. Eric teaches how to transform ideas into clear, dynamic visual messages.

You’ll learn inking methods, layout planning, and the balance between realism and stylization. Includes exercises in book illustration, editorial art, and poster design.

This class is ideal for students interested in graphic novels, children’s books, or commercial art. Private sessions offer portfolio development and personal project coaching.

  1. Acrylic Painting Workshop: Techniques and Texture
    In this immersive class, students explore the versatility of acrylic paints—layering, glazing, dry brushing, and texturing. Eric introduces a variety of tools and additives to help you create depth and dimension.

You’ll develop skills in brush control, tonal values, and visual impact while experimenting with abstract and figurative approaches. Each session builds toward a finished canvas.

Designed for beginners to intermediate artists, this workshop includes step-by-step instruction and group critiques. VIPs receive custom technique training and personal creative feedback.

  1. Pen & Ink Techniques: Precision and Flow
    This course sharpens your skills in line art and black-and-white expression. Students will learn contour drawing, crosshatching, stippling, and negative space techniques.

You’ll explore how to convey form, motion, and texture using only ink pens and fine liners. Emphasis is placed on building patience, discipline, and rhythm.

Perfect for illustrators, designers, and detail-oriented artists, this class strengthens focus and line confidence. Private sessions help refine portfolios and develop personal visual language.

  1. Virtual Art Studio: Learn Anywhere, Anytime
    This flexible, online-based program brings Eric Kelly III’s teachings directly to your screen. Live-streamed and recorded lessons include demonstrations, Q&A, and critique sessions.

Courses rotate between painting, drawing, abstract expression, and art business development. Ideal for those who cannot attend in person.

Students gain lifetime access to content, downloadable materials, and opportunities for virtual one-on-one mentoring with Eric. Great for global students seeking creative growth.

  1. Portrait Drawing: Capturing the Soul Through Line
    This class focuses on the human face—its structure, expression, and emotion. Students learn about anatomy, shading, proportion, and facial features.

Eric teaches how to move from sketch to refined portrait using pencil, charcoal, and ink. Emphasis is on capturing spirit, not just likeness.

Ideal for realism lovers and emerging portrait artists, this class builds technical confidence and deepens observational awareness. One-on-one coaching includes personal portrait critiques.

  1. Realism & Rendering: Seeing and Translating Detail
    A deep-dive into realistic representation using graphite, colored pencil, or acrylic. Students learn how to build form through light, shadow, and texture.

From still life to landscape, Eric shows how to slow down and see nuance in everyday subjects. Includes perspective, values, and background integration.

This class promotes patience, visual analysis, and mastery of fundamentals. VIP sessions include portfolio evaluation and personal technique guidance.

  1. The Art of Business: Build Your Artistic Brand
    This entrepreneurial class teaches artists how to build visibility, define their niche, and attract clients. Topics include branding, marketing, storytelling, and digital presence.

Eric shares strategies from his 60+ years in the industry—merchandising, social media, gallery representation, and press.

Perfect for emerging professionals and seasoned artists alike, this course empowers students to turn passion into sustainable practice. One-on-one coaching includes business plans and branding audits.

  1. How to Sell Your Artwork: Strategy and Sales Psychology
    This class explores pricing, networking, pitching, and selling strategies for creatives. Eric shares techniques for navigating shows, fairs, and digital platforms.

Students practice talking about their work, creating story-based sales materials, and managing client relationships.

Ideal for working artists and artrepreneurs, this session includes live selling drills and one-on-one practice pitches with expert feedback.

  1. Creating a Personal Art Show: From Vision to Exhibit
    Students learn how to curate, organize, and launch their own gallery shows. Eric covers budgeting, theme development, sequencing, and event promotion.

Participants create mock exhibits, plan lighting/layouts, and develop artist statements. Includes real-world insight on logistics and aesthetics.

This is a must for artists ready to go public. VIP sessions include hands-on curation support and live show consultations.

  1. Human Landscapes: A Visual Lecture on Synesthesia and the Artistic Mind
    This class offers a deep-dive into the concepts behind Eric Kelly III’s groundbreaking collection, "Human Landscapes." Through live or virtual lectures, Eric reveals the inner world of synesthesia and how it transforms music into color and motion into meaning.

Students learn how to translate sensory experiences into visual art, explore the emotional landscape of color, and gain insight into abstract composition. The class bridges science, art, and spirit—perfect for artists, educators, and creatives.

VIP sessions include exclusive access to artwork previews, concept development labs, and personal instruction on translating one's own sensory experiences into powerful art.

  1. The Who, What, When, Where, How & Why Book Series Lecture
    Based on his influential book series, this class dissects creative thinking, vision planning, and execution through an artistic lens. Eric walks participants through exercises in imagination, problem-solving, and visual communication.

Lessons blend storytelling, journaling, sketching, and concept-building to help students unlock their purpose and transform it into visual narratives. Ideal for youth programs, adults in transition, and creative entrepreneurs.

Private sessions include one-on-one coaching for building personal creative frameworks or adapting lessons into educational programs or books.

  1. Freedom Through Art: Social Change and Storytelling
    A powerful course exploring how art has always been a tool for justice, healing, and change. Students learn to use symbolism, narrative, and history to create works that speak to personal and global issues.

Eric teaches how to connect emotion to activism through visual form—drawing from movements like civil rights, cultural identity, and community healing. Works created in this course often become tools for conversation, exhibitions, or community projects.

VIP classes include private critiques, project planning for public murals, and media kits for artist-activists.

  1. Painting with Purpose: Art for Healing & Wellness
    This course explores the therapeutic power of painting. Students are guided through meditative exercises using color, movement, and form to release emotional blockages and increase self-awareness.

Eric emphasizes intention, breath, and energy while guiding expressive abstract projects. Ideal for those experiencing stress, grief, or life transitions.

VIP sessions include custom programs for wellness centers, therapy groups, or one-on-one healing journeys through guided art.

  1. Advanced Color Theory: The Power of Perception
    A deeper look into the psychological and emotional impact of color. Students learn how to control mood, movement, and meaning through the use of hue, contrast, and saturation.

Through guided painting, journaling, and music listening, students explore how color interacts with memory, sound, and space. This is a signature area of Eric’s genius.

VIP participants receive custom palettes based on personal story, branding consultations, and artist feedback.

  1. Abstract for Beginners: Texture and Reproduction
    This hands-on course introduces techniques for abstract art. Students learn the basics of creating abstract art using simple tools and materials.

Each participant completes a small edition ofabstract art by the end of the class. This is a rewarding entry into mixed media and limited-edition work.

VIPs receive private instruction on framing, marketing, and selling artwork editions for collectors.

  1. Fashion as Canvas: Painting on Clothing & Shoes
    This wearable art class teaches how to design and paint directly on garments. Participants bring canvas shoes, jackets, or tote bags to transform them into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Eric guides students through concept sketches, fabric paint techniques, and sealing processes. Lessons include fashion symbolism and cultural storytelling.

Great for students interested in fashion, art business, or brand development. VIPs receive personal style consultations and artwear merchandising strategies.

  1. Luxury Home Murals – Indoor Art Installations
    Designed for advanced students and art professionals, this course teaches how to conceptualize and paint high-end indoor murals. Topics include surface prep, luxury color palettes, client interaction, and finishing techniques.

Eric shares his methods for working with affluent clients, blending fine art with architectural design, and incorporating cultural symbols.

VIP workshops offer portfolio consulting, mural commission planning, and branding for high-end interior design markets.

  1. Garden Wall Murals – Outdoor Art with Natural Harmony
    A practical and creative course focused on painting outdoor murals that enhance gardens, patios, and public parks. Students learn weatherproofing, eco-safe materials, and nature-inspired design.

Lessons include floral motifs, seasonal palettes, and environmental storytelling. The course promotes harmony between art and earth.

VIP clients can schedule private home mural sessions, including full concept and site-specific designs.

  1. Art & Emotion: How to Communicate Through Shape and Color
    In this course, students explore how abstract form and color can convey emotion more powerfully than realism. Eric leads students through exercises that unlock creative instincts and translate feeling into form.

Students develop a deeper understanding of movement, tension, softness, and mood in visual language. No drawing experience required—just a desire to express.

VIP students may choose emotional storytelling projects and receive guided coaching through introspective or healing-based visual work.

  1. Youth Art Explorers: Discovering Tools, Textures & Techniques
    This foundational course invites young learners (ages 6–14) to explore a variety of materials, tools, and techniques in a creative and encouraging environment. Eric introduces watercolor, crayon, collage, and sculpture through fun themes and storytelling.

Students learn basic art vocabulary, hand-eye coordination, and how to express thoughts and feelings through color and form. Projects focus on imagination, confidence-building, and creative thinking.

VIP youth sessions are available for gifted students or home-school pods and include tailored projects and long-term art mentorship.

  1. Public Art for Civic Spaces: Art That Builds Community
    This class teaches the planning, design, and installation of public art in schools, parks, and city spaces. Students learn community engagement strategies, budget planning, materials sourcing, and legal considerations.

Eric shares case studies and leads group projects focused on social impact and collaborative storytelling. Each student will work on a mock public proposal or group mural plan.

VIP mentorships include real-world planning sessions for public art commissions and access to city art grant resources.

  1. Creating Visual Poems: Art Inspired by Spoken Word
    In this interdisciplinary class, students combine poetry and visual art. Eric guides participants through writing personal poems and turning them into visual compositions using drawing, collage, and abstract painting.

Students learn how metaphor, rhythm, and symbolism translate across mediums. Ideal for writers and artists seeking emotional depth and cross-discipline expression.

VIP options include live performance coaching and creation of book-ready poetry-art portfolios.

  1. Legacy Art: Documenting Your Life Through Visuals
    This reflective course helps students use art as a tool to tell their personal or family story. Projects may include visual timelines, family portraits, heritage-based collages, and symbolic abstract works.

Students explore memory, tradition, and identity through guided journaling and image-making. It’s perfect for elders, caregivers, or anyone seeking healing through creative reflection.

VIP sessions offer private legacy planning, archival materials coaching, and multi-generational art projects for families.

  1. Artist as Entrepreneur: Grant Writing, Sponsorship & Promotion
    This business-focused class teaches artists how to fund and grow their creative practice. Topics include crafting proposals, pitching to sponsors, building partnerships, and monetizing your brand.

©Eric Kelly III 919-308-9090

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