This is a gathering of people who love to do art, be it painting with oils, watercolor, acrylic or pastels, or pencil drawings or any other visual medium. It is not a course with instruction, but an occasion where we each work on our own art,  and sometimes we share what we know—our mistakes as well as our triumphs. We learn from each other every time we meet. All visual art mediums are welcome, such as painting (non-volatile oils or other media), collage, gelli printing, alcohol inks, mixed media, Zentangle®, etc. Our coordinator is a working artist, mostly in oil, sometimes in watercolor or pastels. Bring your own supplies, share your art and be inspired by fellow artists! Group members will help clean the area after each session. Limit 18.

Karen Golden, Facilitator
12:30—3:30 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
United Christian Church
3500 W. Parmer Lane (78727)

Come engage in cognitive stimulation by increasing your knowledge of the Spanish language. This course is a continuation of Spanish 2A in the Fall. It assumes you already know basic Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation, and have some knowledge of present tense, imperfect (past) tense, and the difference between ser and estar. Moving ahead to the preterit and its use, and the compound tenses with haber, you will speak, work, and play games with your table partners in Spanish. Expect to do homework using free online resources and handouts.

All of this will be interlaced with the ongoing vintage saga of Destinos, a free online video that will give us a story and characters to talk about, and a focus for building vocabulary with the bonus of learning some culture (including songs).

Bring a binder to organize your notes, and $5 for handouts throughout the course. Out-of-class access to a computer or tablet is required to view the Destinos videos and other course materials. If you are new to this course and wish to review the Destinos chapter 1-16 already covered, go to the Destinos website. Limit 25.

Verónica Putney
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
3525 Bee Caves Road (78746)

This course is for those who have never played bridge, or for those who have played and want to review the fundamentals. This is a learn-by-doing class. You will play a lot of practice hands, each focused on learning the "Standard American" method of bidding, and on learning play-of-the-hand and defense methods most widely used by players today. Limit 20.

Jack Graham
1:00—3:00 Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
The Church at Highland Park, Burchette Room
5206 Balcones Drive (78731)

Why does one piece of visual art attract and satisfy you and another does not? What do you notice and respond to? Are some pictures unpleasant but satisfying? Does it matter to you what the artist intended to convey? What is the role of visual art in your life? In this class, we will discuss forty-five famous works of art, following the teachings of Dr. Richard R. Brettell, who taught that the purpose of art is to create an emotional impact in the viewer and that every viewer’s response is both unique and valid. Using the instructors’ book Discovering Art and video projections, each class period will focus on a few paintings, sculptures or photographs. The instructors will describe their personal response to the artwork, followed by discussions by class members. At the end of the course, you may have a broader and deeper understanding of famous works of art, and more confidence in your opinions about art. A copy of Discovering Art will also be given to each class member. Our instructors are avid travelers, students, and appreciators of visual art. Limit 20.

John C. Huber and Doris E. Polak
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, Upper Room
9508 Great Hills Trail (78759)

The Great Books Foundation, established in 1947, promotes lifelong education through the reading and discussion of outstanding literature. Its aim is to encourage all people to participate in a “Great Conversation” with the authors of significant works in the Western canon. Last term, our class had great round-table discussions every week. If you enjoy good intellectual discussion, this course is for you. In this spring’s course, we’ll discuss selections from the Foundation’s book titled Great Conversations 2, which is an anthology of classic and contemporary works. Our syllabus will consist of: The Story of Samson (The Bible), Selected poems by John Donne, Meditations 1 and 2 (Rene’ Descartes), The Nose (Nikolai Gogol), The Grand Inquisitor (Fyodor Dostoevsky), The Fall of the House of Usher (Edgar Allan Poe), Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street (Herman Melville), Goblin Market (Christina Rossetti). 

We’ll discuss one selection per week. The Great Conversations 2 book is available from The Great Books Foundation and from Amazon. Please call or text the moderator (512-694-3669) with any questions. Limit 11.

Leonard Hough, Moderator
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Unity Church of Austin
5501 W. US Hwy 290 (78735)

Historian of world cultures Thomas Berry in the 1980s called for an integration of scientific understanding of the physical universe with the humanities, arguing that an understanding of who and what we are in relation to the cosmos should guide our behavior and beliefs. This course provides a sampling of current knowledge of the cosmos, its components, history, processes, and those of our solar system, the Earth, development of life on Earth, other major Earth events, and human history. A large order! Come see why this course and its popular instructor have received rave reviews, and the highest ratings possible. Participants will consider how this knowledge should shape our behavior and beliefs, or not. We will have Power Point presentations, a movie, and discussions.

Please bring $5 to the first meeting to cover course handouts. Limit 24.

Peter Boone, PhD
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Westover Hills Church of Christ, Rm. 201
8332 Mesa Drive (78759)

This class is an introduction to mat Pilates, a low-impact workout that concentrates on strengthening many muscles of the body with an emphasis on the smaller and deeper stabilizing muscles (deep core muscles). Pilates can improve our posture and reduce lower back pain. We will also work on balance and flexibility. Participants should be able to go from a standing position to the floor and back without assistance. The class is done barefoot. Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes (yoga attire is fine). The instructor is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and a Primary Pilates instructor. Limit 25.  Note: No class on March 20; course extends one week.

Susan LeLaurin
1:00—2:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Northwest Recreation Center Multi-purpose Room
2913 Northland Drive (78757)

These forms have been used for centuries as gentle, soothing, enjoyable exercises to increase circulation, enhance balance and concentration, and gently tone the body for health and well-being. We will do Qigong exercises developed for optimum health, as well as T’ai Chi (Taiji) forms. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The instructor has been practicing and teaching for 50 years. Limit 25. Note: No class on March 13. 7 Weeks.

Anya Rylander-Jones, PhD
1:30—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Gym
3525 Bee Cave Road (78746)

This course is NOT about strange, pretzel acrobatics, but rather strengthening and stretching, with enough balance and flexibility exercises to age well and be able to do what we want to keep doing. Using yoga exercises, we strengthen and tone the body, enhance flexibility in the joints, improve balance and focus, reduce stress, and improve circulation and concentration. Please bring a mat or blanket to class and wear comfortable, non-binding clothes. As with any exercise program, check first with your doctor, especially if there is any history of untreated high blood pressure, eye complications from disease, or other health concerns. The instructor has been teaching yoga for more than 50 years. Limit 23. Note: No class on March 13. 7 Weeks.

Anya Rylander-Jones, PhD
3:00—4:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Feb. 20
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Gym
3525 Bee Cave Road (78746)