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McMillan Arts Centre
Parksville, BC, located in Oceanside, Vancouver Island
The MAC presents
Art Bites
Art Bites is all about low-risk experimenting. Try something out – see if you like the materials and the medium. Then keep going, or try something new.
What is Art Bites?
The philosophy for the MAC’s School for the Creative Arts has always been centred on encouraging people to explore their creative side.
We’re delighted about all the workshops and classes we have at the MAC, and how Aging Artfully is reaching seniors in our community, and we’ve been happy to see kids in our summer programs. But something was missing.
When talking to visitors to the MAC, many people indicated an interest in learning or trying out an art form, but there are barriers; classes are too long, too expensive, or require a long supply list of materials. “What if I were to try something and decide I didn’t like it? What if I was no good at it?”
So we set out to create a program series that would address these issues and bring back the fun in getting messy and making art.
- It would be fun and welcoming
- It would be brief
- It would be reasonable in price
- It would include all materials for the class
- It would be taught by instructors who love to share their enthusiasm
Art Bites is all about low-risk experimenting. Try something out – see if you like the materials and the medium. Then keep going, or try something new.
We started in the Fall of 2018 with eight classes: Acrylics, Mark Making, Oils, Origami, Pastels, Watercolour Pencils, Watercolours and Zentangle. The classes grew and grew, often selling out in the first week, and by the fall of 2020, we added morning sessions to accommodate everyone. We were onto a great idea!
Art Bites has grown into an ongoing series of classes running Sundays each spring and fall, with one session 10-12 and a second session 1-3 pm. And we’ve expanded to include Creative Kids, Youth Art Lab, and Monday Art Gems programs to include options for emerging and growing artists of all ages.
We are so appreciative of the wonderful instructors who have come along on this ride with us, some who enjoy one or two classes here and there, and others who are with us on a regular basis. These artists are enthusiastic, welcoming, and encourage all their students to ‘just have fun!’ with their art. Thank you to all of them, and to our Art Bites participants who have taken the plunge with us!
Margery Blom and Rhonda Roy
School for the Creative Arts Faculty
Art Bites
Art Bites - Indigenous Medicine Bag with Barbara Townsend Sun Nov 30, 1-3 pm Learn the meaning and the story of the traditional medicine bag, while creating your own unique piece using leather, glass seed beads and traditional tools. All materials provided for this class.About the Instructor: Artist and...
Double Art Bites: Wet Felting an Illuminated Vase with Darrell Giraldeau Sun Dec 7, 10 am-2pm Explore the art of wet felting and create a holiday themed illuminated vase. When your wet felted vase cover is complete, you’ll be able to add lights and have a lovely holiday centrepiece or...
$45.00
Feb 15 AM – Botanical Zentangle: Part 1 with Rita Blom Back by popular demand! Draw fantasy botanical shapes on plain tiles and pre-dyed tiles. Have fun as Rita guides you through the process of discovering your inner artist through the Zentangle technique of line drawing with a pen and...
$45.00
Feb 22 AM – Abstract Painting with Texture with Kat Cearns We will be creating small, abstract, textured paintings on a cradled woodpanel. This will be an introduction into using highly textured paint withscrapers and palette knives. With planning, mixing materials, and usingtools you’ll create your own abstract, textured composition....
Feb 22 PM – Intro to Pastels: Pacific Shores Beach with Jolene Aarbo Join artist Jolene Aarbo for a relaxing two-hour introduction to pastel painting, inspired by the tranquil beauty of Pacific Shores Beach. In this beginner-friendly class, you’ll learn the basics of working with soft pastels — from layering color and blending techniques...
Mar 2 AM - Fun with Gelli Plates with Alex CarrCome experiment with gelli plates and see what incredible papers, patterns and unique one of a kind mono-prints are possible to create. Pick a favourite and make it to a greeting card. All materials supplied. About the Instructor: Alex Carr is...
Mar 2 PM – Intricate Dotillism with Jolene HassardLearn the techniques of dotillism, and the basics of makingconsistently sized dots to create an image. We will cover patternlayout, the techniques of dot making, and making patterns tocreate floral images. The end result will be a 4”x4” canvas with asimple to...
Mar 8 AM – Mixed Media Mosaics with Debra HagenFeel like experimenting with a medium that’s been used forthousands of years?! In this class students will have the opportunityto use the most coveted of mosaic material, Italian smalti. This glasstile comes in many different colours and is treasured for its...
Mar 8 PM – Hand Stitch a Quilt with Carolyn ShawUse fabric scraps, needle and thread to hand stitch a small “kawandi” quilt. This style of quilting has its roots in India and Africa. Sewing a kawandi is sustainable, relaxing, creative, fun and very addictive! Even if you have never previously sewn, you...
$45.00
Mar 15 AM – Urban Sketching in Perspective with Jim Sears Create a pen and ink sketch, and bring a Qualicum streetscene to life utilizing linear and atmospheric perspective tocreate depth and a 3D picture on a 2D paper. The pen andink sketch can be completed with watercolour or watercolourpencil....
Mar 15 PM – Impressionism 101 with Sylvie Peltier Come and learn about Impressionism and try your hand at a water lilypainting inspired by Claude Monet’s famous Blue Water Lily paintings.You will practice bold brushstrokes, painting loosely and usingcomplementary colours for a vibrant effect. All materials provided About the Instructor:...
Mar 22 AM – Acrylic Island Scene with Wide Brush with Alex Carr Paint a beautiful island landscape using bold strokes. Explore the possibility of acrylic and many marks you can make with a wide brush and get more comfortable laying paint down. All materials provided About the Instructor: Alex...
$45.00
Mar 22 PM – Needle Felting a Beach Scene with Darrell Giraldeau This Art Bites class will provide an introduction to needle felting. Students will have the opportunity to use wool to create a small 4x6 beach scene. Shells can be added after the class for more detail. All materials provided About...
$90.00
Double Art Bites– Decoding Colour Theory with Margery Blom Sun Mar 29 2026 10am-2pm Open the doors to how colours work together to affect our emotions and perceptions. Discover how to mix, match and create while unveiling the mysteries behind colour theory. It is not just mixing, but knowing how...
$45.00
April 12 AM – Botanical Zentangle: Part 2 with Rita Blom Beginner Botanical Zentangle: Part Two - Shading techniques and pastel pencils. With Rita Blom (CZT42), discover your inner artist through the Zentangle technique of line drawing with a pen. Learn to bring dimension to your fantasy botanical pieces with shading and have...
Miniature Painting with Lynn Orriss Sun April 12 2026 - 1-3pm Miniature Painting: A painting of very small dimensions, anything represented on a greatly reduced scale. We will be working in watercolour and ink to explore creating a true miniature painting. All materials provided for this class. About...
MAC School - Art Bites - Paint and Play with Watercolour with Carol Ann Owers - April 26 2026 - 10AM
$45.00
Paint and Play with Watercolour with Carol Ann Owers Sun April 26 2026 - 10AM -12PM Dive into the world of watercolour in this fun, beginner-friendly art bite class. Discover how to create beautiful washes, blend colour, and add unique textures with simple, easy-to-learn techniques. By the end of the...
Fascinating Fluid Art with Barbara Townsend Sun Apr 26th 2026 -1-3pm Create a fluid art painting using acrylics and a variety of pouring mediums. You’ll find out how to guide and work the mixtures to create the desired results, and finish your unique piece of fluid art. All materials provided...
May 3 AM – Palette Knife Painting with Deborah NicolA fun and creative session, using palette knife techniques and acrylics to create rich images by ‘smearing and scraping’ your paint (rather than paint brush methods), on your canvas All materials provided for this class. About the Instructor: Deborah Nicol is a versatile...
May 3 PM – Brilliant Alcohol Inks with Mary Unger In this session you will create with colourful alcohol ink using various tools andtechniques while making free flow abstract designs. All materials provided for this class. About the Instructor: Mary Unger was raised on the east coast of Canada and moved...
May 10 AM – Unique Oil Pastels with Deborah Nicol An oil pastel is a painting and drawing medium in a stick! Explore this soft and blendable pastel to easily create vibrant and colourful images. All materials provided for this class. About the Instructor: Deborah Nicol is a versatile artist who works...
$45.00
May 10 PM – Bold, Opaque Watercolours with Carol Ann OwersDiscover this fun, hands-on class, you’ll learn to create stunning pieces on both white and black watercolour paper, exploring how colour and contrast bring yourwork to life. Perfect for all skill levels. Carol Ann’s engaging and supportive teaching style will guide you through...
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