Upcycling Leather with Acrylic Painting
with Carli Christina
Illustrator Carli Christina guides beginners through the process of painting on a special leather accessory provided by you - including understanding the preparing of the surface as well as the correct paints and materials to use. Transform your special leather item into a work of art.
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October 19th & 20th 10:00am - 3:00pm
$295 + $20 material fee for special paint and leather
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Upcycling your special leather accessory
In this class, you will learn how to transform a leather accessory or clothing item into a work of art. This class will be great for creating handmade gifts and learning how to bring back life to older items. We invite you to bring any leather items that you would like to revive with the given design Carli has created.
Through this class, we will discuss: how to prep your leather, how to properly build layers of paint to remain flexible, mixing colors for full vibrancy, and varnishing.
The design Carli will be painting will be roughly 5x5” and encourages you to follow along with the provided design if you are new to painting in general. However if you have a specific piece in mind with a custom design, she will gladly help you along the way making your vision become a reality!
Carli will provide the following materials:
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Angelus Acrylic Leather Paint - Primary Color Set
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Angelus Acrylic Leather Paint - Neon Color Set
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Acrylic Leather Paint Varnish
Please bring the following:
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Leather item - surface that can accommodate a 5”x5” design
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Paint brushes
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Rag and/or paper towel
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Water cup
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About Carli
I began drawing as early as I can remember. Both of my parents were and are very talented in many ways. They definitely encouraged my creativity.
I remember my mom would draw our pet guinea pigs and I loved the level of detail she was able to achieve with a pencil, I thought it was unreal. My dad also had a skill set with drawing and would draw cartoons to make me laugh. My grandpa on my dad’s side did a lot of watercolors with inkwork, and that really captured my interest.
I have been drawing essentially my whole life. Since I was a child it helped me observe the world around me. At 11 years old, it became a way for me to understand my feelings better. It was always a way for my voice to be expressed and for me to communicate with myself and others. As I grew up, I would draw every single day in class. Eventually teachers gave up on telling me not to draw on my homework.
In 2015, I began college at the Northwest College of Art & Design and got my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Visual Communications (majoring in Entertainment Art and Illustration) in 2018.
In 2022 I returned to NCAD and have been teaching classes like Advanced Painting, Imagery & Design, Advanced Illustration, Visual Development, & Color Theory.
My work can often be described as dark surrealism. It’s ominous, but often with a whimsical and unearthly spin.
I am a mixed media artist, but the mediums I typically use are gouache paints and inks. Sometimes I use watercolor pencils and pastels for minor details.
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To learn more about the artist - visit her website at
