The Villages - August 2019 - 25

ACRYLICS/MIXED MEDIA
WITH ARRACHME

Waves crashing on the shore, beautiful blue skies and colorful abstract paintings -
Arrachme Collins teaches them all.
The Village of Bonita resident is an accomplished artist with works hanging in
galleries around the world and adorning the covers of art instruction books and
magazines.
For The Enrichment Academy, Arrachme - who prefers to use only her first name
in the art world - teaches classes using acrylic paints and gold, silver or copper leaf on a
variety of topics, including beach scenes, ocean waves, blue skies and abstract works.
"I'm teaching principles of the pieces that I have in big exhibitions," Arrachme said. "I
have students who didn't think they could paint, and my belief is that there is a fantastic
artist in everyone, and it's just a matter of tapping into that creative soul. And we do that in
the classes."
Though she teaches classes on a wide range of topics, she encourages people to take more
than one of her classes because she says they will learn different techniques that will help
them become better artists in general.
"I tell people whether it's an abstract class, whether it's water - take them all," Arrachme
said. "The glazing, the layering that you learn in a water class - even though you don't want to
be a water painter, you want to be an abstract painter - great, you're still going to learn those
techniques. Then the goal is that they will stand in front of a blank canvas and go, 'Oh, I know what I'm going to do.'"
She says she has students who have been taking her classes for five years, and she notices the progress they have
made as artists - they are better able to see color in the world and are experiencing more happiness in life.
"Expanding the senses or getting more joy out of life is part of being an artist," Arrachme said. "That little bit
of art, whether they want to do it professionally or not doesn't matter - it's just feeling the colors and getting your
feelings onto the canvas."
For Arrachme, her art classes help her share the love and joy she finds in life - a joy she loves sharing with others.
She focuses on the therapeutic and personal expression aspects of art, and she says now is the perfect time to learn.
"As we age, our values change. It's what's fun, what is going to make our life more enjoyable - mainly joy. Art
helps us experience life - every moment just a little more. I suggest everybody does art, it's going to make their life
better."
Arrachme's art classes help her students learn not only art, but life skills they can use every day.
"Art makes you take risks," Arrachme said. "when you have that blank canvas in front of you and you say, 'Oh
gosh, can I make that first mark?' or 'What color am I going to use?' And just don't think about it, just do it. It's taking
risks, and it makes you take more risks."
One thing is for sure - Arrachme's art classes are not a risk. Bright blue skies, crashing waves, peaceful beach
scenes and colorful abstract shapes help her students express themselves through art as they learn the tips and
techniques that helped her become an incredibly accomplished artist.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Arrachme has one class a month throughout the rest of 2019 and into 2020.
Register for classes with The Enrichment Academy at any Villages recreation center between 8:30 a.m.
and 4 p.m. or by visiting districtgov.org/departments/Recreation/enrichment-academy.

MAGAZINE

http://www.districtgov.org/departments/Recreation/enrichment-academy

The Villages - August 2019

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