Service Description

Join Gallery Zella's co-founder Zella Hannum for 3 hours of basic oil painting instruction. Includes all paints and materials. Zella earned her BSME, MSME, and PhD in engineering as well as her MBA. While engineering and business fueled her career, Zella has had a love affair with the arts since childhood. She retired from industry and moved to Bryson City in 2015 to open Gallery Zella. She soon yearned to produce her own artworks. She began first as a photographer and later tried her had at painting. In 2020 she took an immersive class with internationally renowned painter Jenny Buckner. But it was not until she became an apprentice of Jon Houglum in 2023 that she found her own style. She completed his two-week immersion class spring 2024 in Spain and continues to study with Jon in his private master class here locally. Zella teaches renaissance style oil painting using translucent layers of paint for dramatic yet subtle dimensional effects that result in visually dynamic luminescent images. She especially enjoys teaching those who are new to oil painting students how to paint smoky mountain vistas with colorful skies and cloud action.