Successfully producing expressive, painterly paintings from photographs requires a knowledge of both the advantages and potential pitfalls of photographic sources. While providing useful visual information, photos often mislead - distorting subjects and flattening the picture plane. In this workshop students will use photographs as a point of departure, a reference point from which information will selectively and intelligently be drawn. Developing an enhanced visual awareness of compositional design, the importance of shapes, color harmony and paint application is critically important. This workshop will help students learn to “see” as painters. They will be challenged to take chances, be bold, expressive and spontaneous. Group and individual critiques will be given. The workshop will be challenging, the environment supportive, fun and positive.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Georganna Lenssen
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Led by master artist Michael Doyle, students consider the composition of a figure within an interior setting. Students may elect to draw or paint, using a variety of materials.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Working from both cast studies and life models, this class emphasizes the rhythm, form, and structure of the human figure. Some attention is given to introductory anatomy. Students may elect to draw or paint, using a variety of mediums. Open to all levels, from beginner to experienced.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Light & Shadow - Bring your paintings to life! Whether it is portrait, still life, landscape or abstracts, the presence of light against shadow gives the subject form and dimension. Bring your own inspiration to class and with this principle in mind, watch your paintings come to life! Composition and color mixing will be a focus in this class. All mediums and skill levels are welcome!
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Stefanie Lieberman
Cost: $280
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Designed for artists ready to challenge themselves and take their work to the next level, this class is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the artist's own creative process and sensibility. A variety of subject matter will be explored. Level: Previous drawing and painting experience is recommended.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Karen Fogarty
Cost: $325
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Acquaint or re-acquaint yourself with the pleasure of oil painting. Learn about the materials and techniques that form the basis of the medium. Students will use still life, simple and complex, as subject matter. All levels are welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Karen Fogarty
Cost: $325
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Working from your own reference material, we will spend each week focusing on a particular aspect of landscape painting. Individual techniques will be held each session in a supportive atmosphere. Syllabus will be provided. Please bring painting materials to the first class. All mediums welcomed.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Bonnie Mettler
Cost: $325
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This workshop will focus on the problem of combining the genres of still-life and interior painting into a single picture. We will start by addressing the problem of finding a subject and the practical and formal problems of setting up a still life. We will discuss how to organize and simplify complex information, how to have a unified sense of light throughout the picture and how to perceive color and tone relationships. We will also cover aspects of drawing that will help in the creation of a convincing sense of space. Students are welcome to bring their own objects or work with objects on hand at the center.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Peter Van Dyck
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Using simple everyday objects in thoughtful well-lit compositions, students create fresh and dynamic paintings. Through instruction, demos, and examining the work of master and contemporary painters, students begin with a direct painting approach and proceed in clear stages. The course covers the key ingredients of great painting, including composition, paint handling, edges, value and color relationships, and modeling form. Students will develop a solid and dependable approach to painting, providing a strong foundation to build upon. Level: Appropriate for beginner and intermediate painters. The returning student is free to work on independent projects whether still life, landscape, or the figure.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sasha Diehl
Cost: $270
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Qiang’s approach to still life painting will be demonstrated with particular focus on creating dramatic set ups by observing the light distribution, and using bold and loose strokes to create a powerful and accurate representation on canvas. Using demonstrations and individual assistance, Qiang will explain his process of creating energetic paintings by manipulating values, colors, edges, and brushwork. Personal attention will be given to each student according to his or her current skill level and personal goals in art. The workshop is designed for indoor practice with live settings. Qiang has developed computer tools to help artists to see color more accurately and simplify the painting process. He will share his color study and introduce the tools in this workshop.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Qiang Huang
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Unleash a new level in your painting! Choose a photograph of your own and explore methods and techniques for abstracting a scene from a small value or color study to a larger contemporary piece. A short demo, art examples and individual instruction will be provided throughout the day. Students may work in oil or acrylic. Please bring several photos to choose from and include one small (6 x 6 to 8 x 10) and one large (16 x 20 to 24 x 36) substrate with your supplies.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Jill Carver will discuss how unity and variety are paramount to create overall harmony in a painting, exploring design tools relating to the core components of shape, value and color. Not only will she be explaining how to manage each of these elements but also how to explore the visual ‘what-if’s’, experiment, and identify ways to produce personal, poetic, intentional paintings. Jill embraces the notion that creativity - and fun - are rooted in the design choices we make. She will also explain how the choice of design/compositional tools should be dictated by the subject matter and what an individual artist wishes to say about it. Jill will structure the workshop through set exercises, slide-shows, lectures, demos and brainstorming discussions.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jill Carver
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Whether you are new or returning to oil painting, learn its materials and techniques and how to apply them effectively in this comprehensive foundational course. Instruction will discuss and demonstrate a range of colors, paint brands, and painting mediums and demystify painting conventions such as “fat over lean” and “thick over thin.” Working from still-life subject matter, begin with simple “direct” alla prima sketches, and then advance to “indirect” layering approaches of building upon a tonal underpainting – first with a limited selection of transparent and opaque colors, and later with a more extended palette. Develop methodologies for the process of making a painting, including managing color and value, and constructing an engaging composition. Previous drawing experience recommended.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Cost: $450
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This 6-week class will focus on painting simple spring blooms. Please bring your favorite spring flowers and a small simple vase. We will work from life and from photos to capture the essence of these floral forms. The approach will vary between direct quick studies and longer layered paintings. Level: intermediate to advanced. Medium: all mediums welcome, instructor works in oils. Supply list: bring your preferred brushes and paints, fresh flower(s) and a small vase.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Cost: $300
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Enjoy a laid-back atmosphere as we study the flora, fauna, and man-made structures in and around the Wayne Art Center Grounds. We will work in the plein air tradition of painting. Each week a new "study" will be completed. Prior plein air painting experience required (or please practice using your equipment in the weeks leading up to the class).
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Color is perhaps the most misunderstood and confusing element of painting for people. This workshop will focus on color’s theoretical underpinnings —how it works and why it works— and how to apply these principles when faced with the reality of painting with artist's pigments. Key elements of understanding and mixing color effectively will be covered. Participants will work to develop their own vocabulary of color through making color studies and scales, and paint from a still life to practice seeing, relating and mixing colors. This workshop is designed for beginning through intermediate painters who are looking to gain a greater understanding of color and the color mixing process. Participants may choose to work in oil or acrylic.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Bruce Garrity
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 1-267-514-8647

The oil sketch is a traditional way for painters to execute preparatory ideas and quickly capture initial impressions – perfect for plein air painting! Learn useful techniques for rapidly encapsulating color and form while working directly from observation. Locations with shade and restrooms include Bartram’s Garden along the Schuylkill River and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, near Philadelphia International Airport. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Cost: $325
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Painting the human form from observation is one of the cornerstones of PAFA's long tradition of rigorous instruction. Working from the nude model, investigate color mixing, proportion, and composition using oil paint as a medium. Focusing on alla prima painting techniques and a limited flesh-tone palette, learn to model the human form through gesture, shape, volume, and temperature – excellent for painted sketches and preparatory studies, foundations for extended work, or an introduction/refresher to figure painting. Intended for all skill levels, this course also offers the valuable opportunity for more advanced students to continue to hone their skills to deepen their understanding of the language of painting. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students may draw-only, or use other appropriate media.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn to explore new possibilities and paint more intuitively under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi! Work from personal subject matter (objects, images, emotions, or ideas) to find your own visual language, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Examine how to use concepts of color, harmony, focal point, space, and mark-making as powerful tools of personal expression. Open painting is heavily supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student to guide them in their personal style and goals. This course is excellent for students pursuing abstract or nonobjective imagery, seeking knowledgeable feedback and a focused community painting environment. Painting experience recommended.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Cost: $450
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Unleash a new level in your painting! Choose a photograph of your own and explore methods and techniques for abstracting a scene from a small value or color study to a larger contemporary piece. A short demo, art examples and individual instruction will be provided throughout the day. Students may work in oil or acrylic. Please bring several photos to choose from and include one small (6 x 6 to 8 x 10) and one large (16 x 20 to 24 x 36) substrate with your supplies.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Wondering what Water Mixable (Soluble) Oil paints are all about? Known for blurring the line between watercolor and oil paintings, Beth Bathe's unparalleled style evokes feelings of nostalgia, like an old sepia-toned photograph. Beth uses unconventional tools including squeegees and Q-tips, along with her brushes focusing on composition, values, edges, and drawing rather than color. During this one-day intensive workshop, Beth shares her unique technique with students. In the morning Beth will do a demo from a still life setup and show how she uses simple apps on her phone to simplify forms, enhance value and emphasize composition. In the afternoon students will work from similar still life setups. This workshop is for all level of painters.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Beth Bathe
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Without question, every oil painter benefits from color mixing instruction:  Understanding how to accurately see, mix, and adjust color not only allows you to achieve the results you want in your work but also enables you to avoid the pitfalls of wasting paint though inaccurate and poorly understood pigment mixing.  Explore key methods and principles for effective color mixing, using a limited palette to create prismatic hues and earth tone colors. Instruction will address the role of light in the visual perception of color, as well as subtractive and additive color systems. Work from varied still life arrangements to put your color comprehension into practice, and advance your painting skills for all subject matter. 
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Enjoy open-air painting in beautiful Valley Forge National Historical Park, a painter’s delight of lush scenery and historic architecture! Located in Montgomery County, 35 minutes northwest of Center City Philadelphia, the park features great views of the Schuylkill River, Valley Creek, the Valley Forge Farm, Mt. Joy, Mt. Misery, and many valleys, cabins, and colonial houses, with ample parking and access to restrooms. Working from diverse landscape subject matter, students will learn the essential materials, tools, techniques, and strategies for painting on site. Instruction will cover a variety of plein air approaches, including painting with a knife and brush, painting from an imprimatura, Macchiaioli painting, and working from sketches to block in local color.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Charles Muldowney
Cost: $325
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Paint portraits from a variety of models using the direct painting method. Examine the proportions and volumes of the head, as well as the placement, structure, and characteristics of the facial features, through preliminary drawings and demonstrations. Develop color using a limited palette to understand how to use chroma, temperature, value, tint, and tone. Instruction will address materials, composition, paint handling, and color mixing, blending, and theory. Homework assignments working from photos, Masterworks, or oneself/others will encourage students to learn to make personal aesthetic and technical choices and to practice concepts addressed in class. Open to all levels, this course is excellent for beginners as well as experienced students who want to review fundamental techniques or who simply enjoy painting portraits from life.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roberto Osti
Cost: $590
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Paint from a life model in a single pose for the entire course. Extended time with a single subject allows students to work with the instructor to tailor exercises that address their individual interests, including the development of one large image or several smaller studies. The first session will include time for gestural and thumbnail drawings in preparation for the model’s final placement. Instruction will cover a variety of topics including glazing, broken color, surface texture, composition and design, the relationship of the figure to the environment, the creation of atmosphere and color harmony, disrupted realism, and open- versus closed-form painting. All levels welcome. Students are welcome to draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Many artists can feel frustrated in front of a blank canvas, unsure of how to start and what to paint. This workshop offers a step-by-step technique which will enable you to paint with confidence by tapping into your intuitive process and finding inspiration more easily. Experienced instruction and advice from the instructor will push students to take chances and explore unexpected directions and accidental marks as a means of achieving artistic discoveries. Demonstration of different drawing and painting techniques will enhance your knowledge of the process of painting. Students will utilize line, color and space, as well as the possibilities of editing, to create busy/calm areas and focal points in their paintings. Painting experience recommended.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Cost: $225
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

The primary focus of this 3-day in-classroom workshop will be on color. While Cynthia is known as a palette knife painter and will give a knife demo, the aim of the workshop is to help people find their own visual voice. What separates you from your fellow painters, what are your particular skills and strengths from which to grow?
 
Location: Marietta, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Cynthia Rosen
Cost: $450
Sponsor: Susquehanna Art Workshops
Website, email, 717-314-9551

You can learn to create wonderfully energized paintings, capturing the light and atmosphere of your subject. Joe's 3-day plein air workshop will fill you with confidence and vision to move you forward.
 
Location: Marietta, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Joe Gyurcsak
Cost: $600
Sponsor: Susquehanna Art Workshops
Website, email, 717-314-9551