How much do you love your pet?

SF-based art instructor Samuel Price to teach a one-day workshop in pet collage at Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Self-taught San Francisco-based collage artist Sam Price will teach a pet collage workshop at 10 a.m. on Saturday Oct. 18 at SebArts.

Catsters, dogsters and petsters everywhere, it’s time to get your game on: The pet collage workshop is coming to town. Collage artist Sam Price, 43, of San Francisco, will teach the class on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.

Price, a self-taught artist, arrived at pet collage via a circuitous educational route. He began attending Skyline Junior College in 2000, to earn his surgical tech certification, but soon transitioned to art. 

“It all started when I sold my first James Baldwin portrait to a client in Sonoma County, and from then on, I’ve been pursuing my career as an artist, and building my career as a creative content maker,” he wrote during an email exchange with the Sebastopol Times.

Nowadays, he is known for his large, unique pet portraits, which he makes out of tiny magazine squares and which have been showcased in exhibitions, collections, public art installations and festivals far and wide. 

He spends much of his time teaching art classes in the South Bay and Peninsula areas, in addition to offering online “Masterclass” art workshops on his website and hosting and attending various Bay Area events. 

He also published his first book, “Collage Art Technique,” last year, which has allowed his unique art style to reach a larger audience.

Regarding his upcoming class at SebArts, Price wrote, “For those interested in joining this workshop, I’d say that collage art is a hands-on, accessible technique that’s akin to hobbies like knitting or quilting. You’ll be working with readily available materials like magazines and paper. Plus, I’ll provide valuable guidance and a copy of my book, ‘The Paper Collage Workshop,’ published by Quarto USA, to help you succeed, regardless of your background or skill level.”

The class is designed for adults and teens, ages 12 and above. Each registered student will need to bring a photo of their pet to class. The class includes all materials, plus four hours of in-person instruction at SebArts. The live workshop will be followed by a two-hour live Zoom call at a later weekend date, during which Price will provide students with feedback and instruction on their collage projects. Students will also receive access to pre-recorded video lessons between the workshop and the Zoom call, to assist them with their artistic process.

Price’s favorite thing about teaching collage classes is watching adults reconnect with their creativity. Many of his adult students have not worked with collage since their early school years, and he enjoys “witnessing their creative sparks reignite” as they work on their pet collages. He believes that everyone has artistic talent, regardless of whether or not they believe themselves to be artistically gifted.

“We all have a talent and we all can grow as artists in our own way,” he wrote. “I’m excited to welcome all the new students to this fun workshop at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.”

Pet Portrait Collage Workshop, Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (1/2 hr lunch), Ages 12+, $200, materials and book included. Find out more here.