Ghosthouse Fine Art Studio — Attraction in Grand Rapids

A big, big fan! This place has a wonderful vibe, a true atelier atmosphere, where while some of us are sculpting, someone else is finishing their oil painting in the corner, someone else is drawing a bust, and beautiful sketches and works in progress line the walls. It’s collaborative, inspiring and very accessible. If you have ever imagined your dream art studio, this is it!

The teachers (I only met Isaac and Alec so far, but I intend to meet more!) have great taste and are extraordinary artists themselves. Easy to like and easy respect. Both are very fun, humble and approachable and a 3h class passes just like that! They give you a lot of freedom, but also direction when asked - I surprised myself at what they managed to “squeeze” out of me, what I was able to accomplish - I have never painted in oil or sculpted in clay before and now, with their guidance, these are some of my proudest achievements. I’m absolutely addicted now!

The prices are very accessible, all the materials are provided and a nice variety of classes is offered - beautiful, artistic genres and methods like alla prima and nocturne painting, and beginner-friendly ones like drawing fundamentals. I already signed up for another three! Can’t wait for more to be announced!

If you want to dip your toes, come to the Sunday life drawing class (or maybe don’t because it fills up very quickly and seems very popular - if you all come, where do we fit in? 😄). It’s only $20-25, the models are beautiful and it seems to attract the best people.

Very, very pleased and hope to come back over and over again for the best evenings in...

Really really great place for everything from open life drawing sessions to specific lessons! Alec is an incredible painter, but equally good at demystifying and teaching the process of observational art to beginners and experienced artists alike. His feedback is always thoughtful and valuable, and he's got a visible passion for sharing the work and techniques of past classical artists. Shannon is unparalleled in her rendering of moody, dramatic figure work and inventive color but also has a skill for teasing out the same sense of drama even in the stiffest of artists. Her classes really helped me bridge the gap and not just draw what I see, but draw what it feels like. Even if you're totally new, her philosophy of staying loose and finding the fun in things is approachable but really, really valuable. The first and third images were done in classes of Alec's (oil painting fundamentals and elements of impressionism), while the second was from a weekly figure session and the last from Shannon's expressive figure drawing class. Overall, ghosthouse is a rare and special space in the area for artists of any level, and I hope it...

I absolutely loved the color class! Shannon did such a great job walking that fine line between being super encouraging, and also really pushing us to evolve. I felt like I really grew in how I understand and use color and what the rules are (and how to break them)! Shannon is so open and a teacher and truly wonderful and making art accessible no matter what your abilities are.

And I did the beginner oil painting with Alec, which was also an amazing class. He is an incredible painter but somehow breaks it all down so that you feel like you too will someday get there! I asked a lot of questions and he never made me feel like an idiot, it was a very safe space for growth and I left the class feeling so inspired and much more confident in my ability to create what I want to create!

I had literally never even tried to draw before either of these classes and I’m astounded by how much Alec and Shannon were able...