What our students are saying
Adele Pike
I’ve been taking classes with Two Bridges faculty for over two years. I must have taken over 12 so far, and I’m already signed up for next semester. Why do I love Two Bridges art classes? QUALITY, CONVENCIENCE, PRICE, COMMUNITY.
The quality of the teaching is top notch. There is an art and a skill to teaching online, and Two Bridges faculty have mastered online teaching. They don’t teach at you; they teach with you. The curriculum is well developed and well organized. Instruction is presented on camera, with oral and written instructions, and time for questions. Each class builds on the next. And feedback about work you have done is specific and generous and builds confidence. Two years ago, I was barely drawing beyond stick figures; today -while I am still novice-my skills have really developed, and I am no longer shy to share my work.
Two Bridges courses are convenient. I don’t have to pack up all my art stuff, leave my house an hour early, drive a long distance and pay for parking. On class days I simply set up my workspace, get my cup of tea, and click on the Two Bridges link, and presto I’m in the classroom with classmates I have grown to know and who are incredibly supportive of one another’s art journeys. The technology is easy.
The price is really reasonable. I couldn’t take an 8-week art class in person for the price of a Two Bridges course, certainly not one where classes are 3 hours long.
You might wonder that I see community as one of the best things about Two Bridges art courses: How can an online class be anything but impersonal, you might think. There is nothing isolating or lonely about these courses, just the opposite. Because the faculty know how to build community online, students get to know one another and bond every week over sharing their work- the good, the okay, and the not so good efforts they’ve achieved. The shared vulnerability of sharing your work, combined with fellow students’ and faculty’s generous feedback, makes for a community I look forward to being with every week. And many of us have met in person outside of class at one or two of Two Bridges Plein Air workshops, or outside of class for coffee or lunch to look at each other’s work in person. I’ve made fast friends, art friends, friends who share joy in our art journeys.
Two Bridges IS joy in art, come join in the joy!
Cindy Stone
I attended a beginner's watercolor class led by Scott Nelson and it was a fantastic experience. I always wanted to explore watercolor but wasn't sure where to start. Through the local art community Scott Nelsons came highly recommended.
The class structure was over the next ten weeks, with each session lasting three hours. The small class size allowed for plenty of one-on-one guidance, which was ideal for someone like me who was still finding my footing in this medium. Scott was incredibly patient and encouraging. We were walked through fundamental techniques but also encouraged us to express our individual style. Detailed feedback was given during the session not only from Scott but our fellow students which helped me improve with each class.
I learned so much about watercolor and its possibilities, along with different tools. This made the more technical aspects approachable. The class had a warm, inviting atmosphere. Scott made everyone feel comfortable whether they were seasoned artists or complete beginners. There was a real sense of camaraderie. By the end of the class, I had a small series of paintings to be proud of and to see how much I had grown over the course of the class.
Overall, I would recommend Scott Nelson's classes to anyone looking to explore or deepen their skills. It is perfect for the beginners who want a supportive, hands-on learning environment, but also for more experienced artists benefiting from Scott's insightful feedback.
Nancy Sides
As a child I loved to draw but was never encouraged, so any dream of becoming an artist was put aside. When I retired 6 years ago, I began taking beginner art classes. Unfortunately, most of the classes were taught from a “do what I do” approach without much regard for the needs of the individual student. Two years ago, I decided to take one more class, this one taught by Scott Nelson, co-founder of Two Bridges Art Academy. That decision completely changed my attitude. I could immediately tell he was all about the student and what they were looking for in an art class. I had become terrified of the critiques, but Scott erased all of that fear with the way he led the group critiques. He encouraged us to learn from each other’s successes and challenges when we shared our homework. We began to trust one another and you could feel each person's confidence increase. Becoming a part of a community of students in those 8 weeks was an incredible experience.
I am now in my 7th class with Scott and met Lisa Pueschel, an accomplished artist, along the way. It was clear in the first class I shared with Lisa that she shared a similar approach to teaching art as Scott. When I learned that Lisa and Scott were starting their own art academy where their philosophy of teaching the skills in a simplified process, encouraging the student to find their own creative place within the process, and building a supportive community of fellow artists along the way, I was thrilled. I know I can take any class in their program, and it will improve my skills, encourage my creativity, and promote a community of supportive artists as well as friends.
"I feel I am growing as an artist.” That is a quote from another student in one of the classes I am currently taking with Scott. Most any student who has taken a class with Scott Nelson, beginner, intermediate or advanced, would most likely agree that is the joy and the reward, “growing as an artist."
Jenny Mitchell
For years I used to spend Saturday mornings happily dabbling in watercolor classes. But I always felt I lacked really good basic drawing skills. Then along came the Covid pandemic and no more on-site art instruction for a while. Our local art museum offered a few classes online via Zoom. I was curious how effective it would be to use online technology and interactive art instruction – and I signed up!
And so I began taking drawing classes live and online with Scott Nelson in the Fall of 2020.
That was nearly 5 years and many, many art classes ago. I’ve taken drawing, pen and ink, colored pencil, watercolor pencil and other media – sometimes over and over again because there is just so much to learn. I no longer have to lug my art equipment out the door (except for when we go on plein air expeditions). That’s a big plus especially during winter. The online atmosphere is great fun and enables students to dial in from other states or even when away traveling. Scott has a unique and highly successful teaching style. Part of the secret of his success is that he offers us the chance to actually do some homework – as little or as much as we want. Though the work is never considered mandatory, everyone rises to the challenge anyway, and this practice between weekly sessions really helps us develop our skills in leaps and bounds. We get the opportunity to participate in an informal critique session at the beginning of each subsequent class. This is carried out with a lot of camaraderie and encouragement and is invaluable because we all learn SO much from each other. It’s lovely to see the pride everyone has in their own progress from week to week and the array of artwork posted up behind everyone's art table.
Here we are into 2025 already, with a growing community of students at all levels of learning, and a brand new Art Academy to support us on our continued journey as artists – Thank you Scott, Lisa and Two Bridges!
