5 Studio Agnew Fine Art Classes That Have Nothing to Do With Drawing

Maybe You’re More Artistic Than You Think

I don’t think being “artistic” means you have to be able to draw realistically. Art can be observational, experimental, functional, abstract, process-driven, or simply something you make with your hands because you’re curious about what will happen.

And sometimes, trying a class that doesn’t require you to draw is exactly what gets someone comfortable with creating again.

You might come in thinking, I’m not an artist.

You might leave thinking, Wait…I made this?

That’s a pretty good place to start.

At Studio Agnew, I want there to be an entry point for people who are curious about art but aren’t sure where they fit. You don’t have to walk through the door knowing how to draw.

You just have to be willing to make something.

Find Your Way In

Take a look at the Studio Agnew calendar to see what’s coming up. Maybe there’s a class you’ve been curious about, or maybe you’re ready to try something completely new. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Request a class or book a private group.

There’s more than one way to make art. You just have to find the one that makes you want to try.

One of the things I hear all the time is, “I’m not artistic,” or “I can’t draw.” And I get it. When we think about art, we often picture someone sitting in front of an easel, drawing a perfect portrait or painting something realistically from observation. But that’s only one part of art.

Not all art has to be a drawing, an illustration, or a painting.

Art can be about experimenting with materials, learning a process, working with your hands, noticing what happens when you try something new, and creating something you didn’t know you could make. That’s something I believe in both my own artistic practice and in the classes I teach at Studio Agnew.

Sometimes the best entry point into art isn’t picking up a pencil and trying to draw. It’s finding a process that makes you curious.

1. Book Arts & Traditional Bookbinding

You don’t need to know how to draw to make a beautiful book. In my traditional bookbinding classes, we focus on the structure and process of creating a book by hand. Japanese stab binding is a particularly beautiful technique that uses stitching to hold the pages and covers together. There’s something very satisfying about taking individual materials and turning them into a finished, functional object.

And yes, it’s art.

2. Cyanotypes

Cyanotypes are one of my favorite ways to introduce people to an entirely different way of making art. Instead of drawing a picture, you arrange objects—often leaves, flowers, and other natural materials—on specially treated paper and let the sun do the work. The result is a distinctive blue-and-white image created through a photographic process. You’re still making artistic decisions about composition, shape, placement, and contrast, but you don’t have to draw any of it.

3. Suminagashi: Water Marbling

Suminagashi is the Japanese art of floating ink on water to create delicate, organic patterns. You add ink to the surface, gently manipulate the water, and then capture the pattern on paper. No two pieces turn out exactly the same. There’s a little bit of technique, a little bit of experimentation, and a lot of letting the process happen. It’s a great reminder that sometimes creating art isn’t about controlling every detail. It’s about seeing what happens and responding to it.

4. Abstract Painting

Abstract painting is another great example of why you don’t have to know how to draw to make art. Instead of trying to accurately represent an object, you can work with color, shape, texture, movement, composition, and mark-making. You can experiment, layer, cover something up, add something back, and see where the process takes you. Instead of asking, “Did I draw that correctly?” you’re asking, “What happens if I try this?” That is still art.

5. Nature-Inspired Making

This is an area I’m continuing to explore through my workshops at Leu Gardens. My Fall Fairy Door Workshop is one example. It’s not about drawing a perfect picture. It’s about designing, building, choosing materials, and creating a little world from natural and seasonal elements.

Coming up in November, I’ll also be developing a birdhouse workshop at Leu Gardens as another way to explore art through making. These projects may look different from a traditional fine art class, but the creative thinking is still there. You’re making choices, solving problems, working with materials, and creating something that didn’t exist before.

Follow the Creativity

© 2026. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy

Join the Creative Canvas

Get art, inspiration, and studio updates delivered to your inbox.

Subscribe to receive The Sketchbook Stories—your weekly look into art, creativity, and the studio process—plus early access to workshops, events, and new work from Studio Agnew.

Thoughtful, creative, and always rooted in making.

Visit the Studio
Monday
10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday
Closed (Off-Site Workshops)

Wednesday
10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday
10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Saturday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday
Private Bookings by Appointment

Studio hours may vary based on scheduled classes, workshops, and private events. Please view the class schedule or contact Studio Agnew before visiting.

Contact

Studio Agnew is a working creative studio in the heart of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, offering art classes, workshops, and creative experiences for artists of all ages and skill levels.

689-582-8959 | lindsay@studioagnew.com

Studio Agnew Information

Visit the Studio
107 E. Central Ave., Howey-in-the-Hills, FL. 34737