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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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Students show their work at the Visual Art Institute classes at the Highland Community Center in Highland.

Courtesy Visual Art Institute

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Students show their work at classes at the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden.

Courtesy Local Artisan Collective

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What can you create?

We all have an artistic side, a part of us that wants to turn a canvas into a painting or a pile of clay into a sculpture.

Many of also, however, have that little insecure voice in our heads that doubts if we could ever have the skill or talent to create anything beautiful.

Instructors who teach local art classes know better.

“The thing that I love the most is seeing the light go on with someone who doesn’t think they’re very good and then, suddenly, they get it,” said Bruce Robertson, executive director of the Visual Art Institute which teaches classes in Utah County as well as having a South Salt Lake facility.

He recalled teaching a woman in a class on abstract portraiture with mixed media elements, and things didn’t seem to be going well.

“She just really didn’t like it, so she threw it away,” Robertson said. “I went and fished it out of the trash, and then sat down and talked with her about it and how good it was. She got a new appreciation for it.”

Later that student told him that it was that piece that all her kids wanted copies of and were arguing over who would get the original.

“She didn’t have an appreciation because she wasn’t looking through it with the eyes that she needed to appreciate what her effort,” Robertson said. “She wasn’t thinking it was worth anything, but it was just beautiful.”

Stephanie Howerton, the co-owner of the Local Artisan Collective in Ogden, could also tell many similar stories as she has worked with students as an art class teacher.

“My favorite part is the overall experience of watching people realize that they did something amazing with their own two hands,” Howerton said. “Sometimes they didn’t believe they could do that, and now they have it instilled that they are amazing and that they can do these things. They can learn a new skill and have fun. People get just this happiness in their eyes.”

Maybe the problem for you isn’t so much believing yourself as just finding a way to get started.

That’s where local art classes, like those taught by Howerton, Robertson and their colleagues, can make a big difference.

“It’s a chance to develop new skills and see what you’re interested in,” Robertson said. “Maybe you want to see if you want to paint, or want to draw or do some digital art or something. It’s a great way to try new things.”

And in an era where more and more people are realizing the detrimental effects of overuse of screen time, arts and crafts have even more appeal.

“There is something about being able to unplug and just be yourself, having that connection of just working with your hands,” Howerton said. “Whether it’s creating a silver ring, whether it’s working with glass blowing or a paint brush or moving your body and creating something. I think that’s a pretty incredible thing for people to be able to experience.”

Both the Local Artisan Collective and Visual Art Institute are places where you can embrace your creative side. Here is a little more about their stories and what they offer:

Visual Art Institute

As with many business, the Visual Art Institute was organized when someone saw a need in art instruction that wasn’t being met.

“Stephanie Burn was teaching at Utah State and she felt like college students coming in hadn’t maintained their creativity,” Robertson said. “Children just have this innate creativity and she wanted to develop a program specifically for kids to help them maintain that through high school.”

In the 45 years since the institute was formed, it has evolved to include classes on a variety of art methods as well as for a various ages.

“We have kids classes, we have digital classes, we have painting classes, watercolor, oil and drawing classes,” Robertson said. “We’re adding classes in Utah County on 3D printing and digital animation. We really focus on making sure that it’s not just entertainment. We want these classes to be teaching things so that they’ll develop, and then they can just take class after class and continue to get better.”

Many of the courses, which take place at the Highland Community Center in Utah Valley as well as in Salt Lake City, last over a period of 12 weeks, giving students a chance to really hone their craft and build their skills. But Robertson said that they also have drop-in availability so individuals who just want to try out some of the art involved can try things out without the full time commitment.

“We’ve tried to make it so that people could come in and just find out what’s going on,” Robertson said. “They could participate for a week or two and do something on a smaller scale than committing to 12 weeks.”

He looks at the process of helping the students grow as similar to the process of creating art itself.

“It’s just helping people to recognize that gem within themselves,” Robertson said. “They’re the rough-cut jewel, but they just need a little polishing, a little bit of help, and that makes it dazzling. That’s what I love the most is just seeing when something happens within them and also there’s this new confidence. They see something in themselves that they hadn’t seen before.”

For more information on the Visual Art Institute, go to visualartinstitute.org.

Local Artisan Collective

If you are looking for a wide range of artistic opportunities, the art gallery and shop at 2371 Kiesel Ave. in Ogden is a place you should definitely check out.

“It’s really cool because people get to come and have an experience that’s really unique,” Howerton said. “We do a lot of unusual classes like glass blowing, silversmithing, marbling and press flower classes. We also do like watercolor and acrylic classes and all sorts of things. Our classes are all set up so that you don’t have to have a lot of experience with anything to come and learn how to do it or to have a good time.”

That variety means that the collective works with a wide range of clients, from business and community groups to residents of all ages.

“It’s fun to see the younger kids getting excited, and they kind of have no like inhibitions about it,” Howerton said. “It’s really cool to see the amazing things that they make when they’re just told here’s some skills and let’s use your imagination. We have people who are older come in for classes and we have generations of people that come and build their family relationships.

“A lot of our classes are more process based instead of product based, where we really want to instill in people that they’re an artist, they can do this and just to enjoy the process of things.”

In addition to classes, the Local Artisan Collective is a place for Northern Utah artists to showcase and sell their work.

“We have over 30 artists in the store, and everyone is local, so they’re from Weber, Davis Morgan or Box Elder County,” Howerton said. “You can come and find a variety of things at all price levels. We have stickers that are a couple dollars all the way up to paintings or fine jewelry that are $500 and a little bit of everything in between, with books and clothes and hats and prints and leather work and food and candy and all sorts of stuff. We have books here that are great from local authors.

“You get to have that incredible experience in person. One person came in and said, ‘It’s kind of like Etsy came alive in here.’ I think it’s true. You actually get to get to come and experience it all year long.”

For more information and class schedules, go to localartisancollective.com.

Most communities have a variety of art class providers, including at community centers and libraries as well as at shops. Some are listed on the Utah Valley Calendar (see L4) or can be found by visiting local arts and crafts stores.