Local Artist to Hold Sketching for Mindfulness Workshop

Noted Ponte Vedra Beach painter Eve Albrecht will be holding a workshop and ‘plein air’ class for the public at Lord of Life Lutheran Church on Wednesday, June 2nd.

The ‘Sketching for Mindfulness’ class is designed to let go of the “thinking” part of our brain and to focus on the creative side.

“Mindfulness has been defined as a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment, and this is particularly true when sketching or painting,” said Albrecht. “Especially when people are learning a new skill, we tend to be our own harshest critics, so the idea here is to be present, relaxed and enjoy learning how to capture the beautiful nature around us here in Ponte Vedra Beach,” she added.

Albrecht has been painting since 1990, starting with watercolors in England and then attending classes in Germany in egg tempura, followed by oil. Her works are in private collections in Europe and the US, and her works are often seen at the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center, in the downtown CORK district or in St. Augustine.

The event is divided into a one-hour free introductory workshop from 9:30 – 10:30, followed by a two-hour sketching class (11 - 1) with Eve for $20 in the lush grounds behind Lord of Life Church at 276 Roscoe Blvd. N. The class is payable at the event by cash, Venmo or Zelle.

Eve has picked out a simple starter kit for those who need supplies, that can be purchased at PV Arts and Crafts located at 288-1 Solana Rd (in the Winn Dixie plaza). For those who already have supplies to sketch, check out the list on the Lord of Life Lutheran Church website. A pen, pencil, and watercolors along with a sketchbook are the basic.

“We are pleased to have Eve hold a class with us as part of the church’s “Community Arts and Culture Connection” this year,” said Sheila Kolesaire, Church Council President. “We will be having a local nature photographer, a children’s book author, and already had another author of devotionals early in the spring, so we are trying to find and bring in talented locals to share insights about their crafts. We think this builds a better sense of community to love thy neighbor,” she said.

Other artists, weavers, wood workers, musicians etc. are encouraged to reach out to the church to participate in this in-person series. Masks are encouraged for those who have not yet been vaccinated however the pavilion is open-air.