July 16, 2026 10 - 4 pm CST
July 17, 2026 10 - 4 pm CST
July 18, 2026 10 - 4 pm CST
July 19, , 2026 10 - 4 pm CST
SQUARED
Grids. Lines. Patterns
An Abstraction by Design Workshop
Corner to Corner
Step into the rhythmic world of the square. In this hands-on AbD (Abstraction by Design) workshop, you’ll explore how grids, lines, and patterns can energize your compositions—bringing balance, movement, and harmony from corner to corner.
Through my AbD process, refined over decades of studio practice, you’ll learn to build layered mixed-media surfaces that merge the spontaneous with the intentional. Using the quiet beauty of paper and paint, we’ll explore how structure can liberate creativity rather than constrain it.
You’ll also be introduced to SbD (Subtraction by Design)—a Peel-to-Reveal technique that uncovers the hidden life of your layers. By adding and removing paint and paper, you’ll discover how subtraction can illuminate what’s essential, revealing unexpected beauty beneath the surface.
Experiment freely with color, texture, and composition to create artworks that reflect your design aesthetic and unleash your personal intuition. This process not only results in visually compelling pieces but also fosters your individual growth and awareness. Together, we’ll explore the relationships between the edge and center, rhythm and pause, structure and play, all within the language of the square. By the end, you’ll have a cohesive series of finished mixed-media panels that embody your unique sense of pattern, order, and abstraction.
Let’s have some fun with color, texture and layout as we design within the square and discover new ways to bring balance, rhythm, and structure to abstraction.
one square at a time.
Materials/Tools
6- 16”x16” 7/8”cradled panels:see Blick item# 07044-1616 or similar brand.
Black latex flat house paint( any brand)
White latex flat house paint (any brand)
Gloss varnish/urethane (water base only).
Variety of acrylic or latex(house paint) color paints. (Use artist acrylic paint or latex house paint.
Glue. I recommend (Elmer's or wood glue) for heavier papers (card-stock/cardboard) Optional: YES glue.
8+ sheets black tissue paper
8+ sheets 18”x22” newsprint or packing paper see LINK
Collage materials: Bring an extensive variety of collage papers including color tissue, recycled paper, graphics, prints, patterns, markings, gelli prints, metallics. Optional: stencils, letters, rubber stamps,
1- 6” metal (flexible) broad knife. See LINK 1- 1.5” or 2”putty knife
8+ quart/ pint plastic mixing containers w- covers. (yogurt, cottage cheese, deli containers)
8+ 2” chip brushes + artist brushes
1- 8”x10” sheet 100 grit sandpaper. 1-sanding block
1-kitchen scrubber/sponge (any brand)
1- utility knife (razor blade)
1- Atomizer- Spray bottle
Cloth wiping rags, scissors, ruler/straightedge.
Optional: 1- Hair dryer or heat gun. T-square
1-kitchen scrubber/sponge
1- 6” metal (flexible) broad knife 1-1-2”putty knife
1- Hair dryer or heat gun or heater. For rapid drying our artwork.
1- Atomizer- Spray water bottle
Cloth wiping rags, scissors, razor blade knife, ruler/straightedge.
www.mshem.com
Bridgeport Art Center, Jeffrey Hirst Studio, Chicago, IL
Class cost - $1095
*price includes some materials not listed.
A $500 deposit holds your place in the class. The balance of $595 is due on June 14, 2026
To reserve your space please contact Jeff Hirst at jeff@jeffreyhirst.com or 612-414-3030
You may pay for the class in the following ways:
Pay using Zelle or Venmo. Contact Jeff for Zelle and Venmo information.
Call Jeff with a credit card (612-414-3030)
Send a check to Jeff Hirst at: 1200 W 35th Street 3A3120, Chicago, IL 60609
About Michael Shemchuk
Michael Shemchuk is an abstract artist living and working in Northern California.
Born in the blue-collar mill town of Lowell Massachusetts in 1954, Shemchuk realized at an early age that his keen eye for color and form, burning curiosity, and love of adventure would necessitate a departure from the culturally spare town of Lowell.
Making a choice that was unpopular, Shem saw service in the military as his ticket out of the surroundings he found so limiting. Shem dove headlong into a world he had never imagined.
Largely self-taught, Shem did not emerge on the art scene in a conventional fashion.
Following his native skills and sensitivities as an artist, his career has criss-crossed the world of applied arts and visual expression. Influenced by studies at the Academy of Art
College and California State University, SF, Shem combined his love for photography, color, and abstraction. The result was an unusual amalgamation of interest and influences. Leveraging his practical skills, Shem supplemented his nascent career as a mixed media artist by practicing the craft of faux finish from the late eighties until 2000.
His work from this period is evident in some of the most noteworthy homes and buildings in the Bay Area. With a keen eye for hue and value, Shem served as a color consultant to numerous architects and interior designers in and around Northern California. His day of reckoning came at the turn of the millennium, when he resolved to focus his efforts on painting and abstraction full time. With the support of his wife, noted interior designer Kathy Farley, he was all in.
Shem’s work has evolved over the last two decades, shaped directly by a close engagement with material and process. From the onset, Shem’s focus has been on
abstraction and design. Influenced by his earlier faux finish work, Shem’s Meridian series, begun in the late nineties, used paint and plaster as primary media. In 2014,
Shem became interested in the changes in art-making stemming from shifts in technology. His response was to re-evaluate traditional materials such as paper and
paint, thus simplifying his approach to abstraction with the Tags series. In 2017, Shem was inspired to further his pursuit of abstraction and design by streamlining his materials and employing process as integral to his work. The result is his Surface Tension series, which is based on an organic process involving water, paper, pressure, friction, and time.
In addition to his art-making, Shem teaches the principles of Abstraction by Design (AbD) to students and fellow artists via workshops and private mentoring. His experiences as a teaching artist over the last four years have inspired and deepened his appreciation for creative community and collaboration.
Artist Statement
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen
In my journey, I have visited this quote many times. As a self-taught artist these words have provided me with a launching pad and a landing site in pursuit of my work. Awareness of the light has assisted me in recognizing my aesthetic and teaching skills. Sensitivity to the light has guided me in choosing the paths presented before me.
Michael Shemchuk SQUARED: Grids. Lines. Patterns - ABSTRACTION by DESIGN WORKSHOP
Payments, cancellations, transfers, and refunds:
Registration for this particular class requires a $500 deposit to reserve your space. With the full balance to be processed 21 days prior to the first day of the workshop.
If YOU have to cancel: Refunds are not available unless we can rebook your place. Please note that the closer we get to the event, the less likely we will be able to find someone to replace you.
If YOU cancel, but we can refill your spot: You will be refunded everything you have paid minus a $100 administrative fee.
If WE have to cancel: We will refund everything you have paid.
How do I know if this painting workshop is going to run?
Jeff will contact registered participants 30 days prior to the start of class to confirm. We caution against making non-refundable travel arrangements until you receive our confirmation email.
If you have any questions regarding any workshop, call 612-414-3030 or email Jeff at jeff@jeffreyhirst.com.