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Robin Sturgeon’s printmaking class at the Red Brick Center for the Arts.Kelsey Brunner\/Courtesy photo<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tRobin Sturgeon’s printmaking class at the Red Brick Center for the Arts.
Kelsey Brunner\/Courtesy photo<\/p>\n
\u201cCreative Happy Hour\u201d printmaking classes are a hit, led by Aspen-based printmaker Robin Sturgeon. In just a couple of hours, participants can walk away with a new skill set and their own artwork \u2014 and learning to draw is not required.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve sold out every class, so far,\u201d Sturgeon said.<\/p>\n
The ongoing classes take place on Thursdays once a month \u2014 upcoming sessions will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 and Feb. 12 at the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Each class is only $28 and includes art supplies, drinks, and snacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI first attended one of her classes in early November 2025 at the Red Brick where the craft was introduced to me. Since then, it has become my new favorite method of creative expression and I\u2019ve actually started working on my first series of cat portraits,\u201d former student Arielle Lyons said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The class size is 12-14 participants and usually sells out about a week in advance. One class offers the complete experience from start to finish, but classes are repeatable for anyone who wants to explore different designs.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the low cost, hopefully, people can sign up and not have to think about any monetary constraint,\u201d Sturgeon said. \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to expose people to new things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linocut is a versatile block print technique that involves carving designs into linoleum blocks, inking the carved blocks, and pressing them onto paper to achieve a unique print that can be duplicated again and again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can make as many prints out of it indefinitely, so it\u2019s a way to make something for yourself and also give a gift to five of your friends,\u201d Sturgeon said, in contrast to creating a painting where there\u2019s only one final product.<\/p>\n
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Printmaking classes sell out roughly a week in advance.Kelsey Brunner\/Courtesy photo<\/p>\n
Sturgeon brings along templates for participants to create 5-by-7 inch prints \u2014 no drawing needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe use templates and references for people to be able to skip over that step, so they can focus more on carving,\u201d Sturgeon said. \u201cWhen you roll ink on it for the first time, it\u2019s always pretty magical when you start to see what you\u2019ve actually carved. I\u2019d say that\u2019s the most special part of the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sturgeon moved to Aspen in January and began teaching at the Red Brick Center for the Arts in June. A printmaker for more than 15 years, she\u2019s now leading her first classes as an instructor.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobin absolutely has a gift for connecting with people, and making this traditional linocut technique both accessible and exciting, no matter the skill level you come in with,\u201d former student Megan Vaughn said.<\/p>\n
Sturgeon\u2019s prints are sold locally at the Aspen Emporium \u2014 the Main St. artisan collective \u2014 and she\u2019s appeared in two shows at the Aspen Chapel Gallery,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Born in Columbus, Ohio, she resided in other cities like Nashville and New York before she came to the Rockies.<\/p>\n
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Robin Sturgeon oversees a student during printmaking class.Kelsey Brunner\/Courtesy photo<\/p>\n
\u201cI think of all the places I\u2019ve lived, the people here are the most invested in supporting local arts, including the Red Brick and all of the stores here,\u201d Sturgeon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sturgeon originally stumbled across printmaking when she took it as a required class during an undergraduate program \u2014 she holds a dual bachelor\u2019s degree in marketing and graphic design and an MBA \u2014 all from the University of Notre Dame. She\u2019s been printmaking ever since.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis class is good for perfectionists, because once it\u2019s carved that\u2019s it, you can\u2019t keep going over it and over it like a painting,\u201d Sturgeon said. \u201cIt teaches you to accept what is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaughn added, \u201cRobin\u2019s linocut printmaking happy hour art class at the Red Brick Center for the Arts is nothing short of exceptional.\u201d<\/p>\n