Art Instructors at 3 Square Art

Crafting a new generation of artists in Northern Colorado and Miami Florida

3 Square Art Instructors

At 3 Square Art in Fort Collins, our instructors bring a rare combination of rigorous classical training and dedicated teaching experience to northern Colorado. We emphasize the fundamentals that matter most—careful observation from life, accurate drawing, and the technical literacy required to build lasting skill. Students learn proven methods rooted in the traditions of the old masters, developing the ability to slow down, see clearly, and achieve genuine mastery of the visual language, while also exploring techniques from Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and other modern art movements.

An elderly man with glasses wearing a white shirt and black apron painting watercolor landscape on paper at an art studio with easels, shelves, and art supplies in the background.

Craig A. McKee

Associated of Art, Northwest Community College & BA Studio Arts, magna cum laude, Kenyon College, OH

Craig A. McKee is an artist, educator, and co-founder of the McKee Art Foundation (MAF) and 3 Square Art in Fort Collins, with plans for Miami. With lifelong training in drawing and painting and a BA in Studio Arts, he focuses on figure drawing and landscape while emphasizing mastery of multiple mediums—oils, graphite, and watercolor—as essential tools. He teaches observational skill and classical fundamentals, believing in rigorous skill and deep learning as well as a love of modern approaches. As a Director of MAF alongside his wife and co-founder Kumiko S. McKee, he helps lead the mission of Create, Share, Learn through studios, exhibitions, and education.

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Cassidy (Cece) Sol

BFA Visual Art (Painting), University of Wyoming; MFA Painting, Colorado State University

Cece Sol is a Fort Collins-based painter and educator. She received her BFA in Visual Art with an emphasis in painting from the University of Wyoming in 2001 and completed her MFA in Painting at Colorado State University in 2008. She taught Drawing I, Advanced Drawing, Painting I–IV, 2D Design, and established the Color Theory course at Front Range Community College (Larimer campus) from 2007–2019, and previously served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and adjunct in painting at CSU. More recently she has stage-managed and prepared gallery exhibits at the Lincoln Center and Center for Creativity. Her work appears in private collections along the Front Range.

A young woman with long dark hair with blue highlights, wearing a striped pink and white shirt and a black jacket, smiling in a cozy indoor setting with warm lighting and blinds on a window.

Elena Cantor

Elena Cantor, Florence Academy of Art; Academic Director, Umbra Academy of Art

Elena Cantor is a working fine artist and academic based in Colorado. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, she began her classical training in 2008 under Matthew Almy at the Ravenswood Atelier in Chicago and went on to complete her studies at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, her alma mater. Since arriving in the United States in 2013, she has taught art in Colorado for the past twelve years and currently serves as Academic Director of Umbra Academy of Art. She is dedicated to perpetuating the mastery of the visual language and the tradition of the old masters, guiding students toward purpose through disciplined skill development, deliberate practice, and the pursuit of real craft.

Woman smiling, wearing a black leather jacket and jewelry, standing behind a table with colorful mosaic art pieces, including a large circular mosaic with blue, yellow, orange, and brown tiles.

Renee Walkup

BA Art, Stephens College; President, Colorado Mosaic Artists

Renee Walkup is a Fort Collins mosaic artist recognized for her innovative designs and bold use of unique, often upcycled materials. She has won awards for her inventive approach and currently serves as President of Colorado Mosaic Artists, the statewide guild for mosaicists. With a BA in Art from Stephens College and a background as a professional trainer, she has taught mosaic art for four years to students of all ages. Her passion lies in the creative process itself—encouraging artists to engage different parts of the brain while transforming unexpected materials into something new and expressive.