Teaching
For over 20 years, I have dedicated myself to teaching painting, drawing, sketching, and print based mediums to students ranging in age from 3 to 93, encompassing a broad spectrum of abilities and special needs. My experience spans community and public school settings, as well as private mentorship, allowing me to tailor my approach to each individual’s unique journey.
I firmly believe in nurturing students in a way that fosters lifelong creativity building and growth. To achieve this, I provide students with a fresh and evolving visual language, empowering them to explore how and where they belong within the grander narrative of society—its past, present, and future.
The curriculum I have developed consists of several integral components: Contextual Understanding, Meaning and Critical Thinking, Production, Assessment, Reflection, and Connections. Together, these elements create a comprehensive and enriching art experience. This approach not only embraces art history and aesthetic appreciation but also nurtures creative thinking and meaningful engagement with real-world contexts, all through thoughtfully designed, hands-on artistic activities.
Current Classes and Workshops
Red Deer Polytechnic, Series Summer Art Workshops
Week Two, July 13 to 17: Exploration in Mixed Media (Register Here)
This week-long workshop offers participants an opportunity to deepen their understanding of composition and material exploration through individualized feedback, group discussion, and guided demonstrations. Participants will receive one-on-one feedback on works in progress, allowing for focused support tailored to their individual interests and chosen mediums, including those wishing to work acrylic, oil, watercolour, and drawing materials.
Through short lecture-style presentations and demonstrations, multidisciplinary artist Deltra Powney will introduce approaches to building strong compositions that consider balance, spatial relationships, and the activation of the picture plane. Rooted in visual theory, these principles are transferable across artistic mediums while remaining responsive to the distinct physical properties and behaviours of each material. Particular attention will be given to the challenges and creative possibilities that emerge through combining mediums, which serves as a central focus of the workshop experience.
Week Three, July 20 to 24, 2026: Open Studio: Developing your Personal Artistic Voice (Register Here)
This Open Studio experience supports artists in developing a sustainable creative practice within an individualized studio environment guided by multidisciplinary artist Deltra Powney. Through group facilitation, one-on-one guidance, individual feedback, and group critique, participants will engage in meaningful dialogue about the personal and public dimensions of their artistic practices within a contemporary context. Emphasizing visual art theory, strong composition, and the physicality of materials, artists are encouraged to explore and create in a variety of mediums including drawing, sketching, acrylic, oil, watercolour, and mixed media.
Please check links for updates on new experiences I am offering.