Painting is a balance between intentional seeing, thoughtful design, and spontaneous discovery. In this six-week course, we'll explore how to move beyond simply observing our subject to recognizing what we find meaningful and what we want our painting to communicate. Beginning with the architecture of a painting through the development of a strong value structure, we'll explore how shapes, patterns, color, and expressive mark-making work together to create a unified and dynamic painting. Equally important is the creative process itself—allowing the application of paint, intuitive decisions, and unexpected discoveries to influence how we see and respond to our subject. Weekly instructor demonstrations, discussion, and hands-on painting with individual guidance, as students develop paintings that are expressive, painterly, and uniquely their own.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Fred Jackson
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Discover the freedom and spontaneity of loose watercolor painting in this fun, relaxed class! This course focuses on letting go of perfection and embracing the unpredictable beauty of watercolor. You'll learn techniques for painting with soft edges, vibrant color blends, and expressive brushwork—without getting caught up in too many details. Working from your own photo references, we’ll explore subjects like florals, landscapes, and everyday scenes, while gaining confidence in your own unique style. If you’d like to break out of a tight, controlled approach, this class will help you loosen up and enjoy the process.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Anne Whalon
Cost: $245
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This class with instruction by Alice Meyer Wallace will focus on classic watercolor techniques - Sargeant, Homer, Rodin, Nolde, and particularly Charles Demuth, from Lancaster, PA. Come enjoy this fun and relaxed class! The class will work predominantly from still life but on occasion, the instructor will lead the class in painting from the model (2 times) and there will be an option of experimenting with watercolor and collage.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alice Meyer-Wallace
Cost: $245
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

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: $585
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Instead of getting caught up in tiny details, we focus on making big, bold strokes with large, juicy brushes. By loading our brushes with a generous amount of water and pigment, we can let the colors mingle and flow across the paper in exciting and unpredictable ways. It’s a messy, joyful experience that helps students overcome the fear of a blank page and discover the unique magic of watercolor as a medium. This approach encourages a playful mindset and results in vibrant, expressive paintings that are full of life and movement.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Paulette Staley
Cost: $245
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

How do we move beyond simply making a successful painting and begin to develop work that feels personal? This class will focus on building a personal language in painting through individual exploration, experimentation, and group discussions. Students are welcome to work with any subject matter and in any medium, from realism to semi-abstraction. We will consider how choices involving color, composition, edges, paint handling, and simplification can contribute to a more individual and cohesive body of work. Rather than following a single approach or formula, students will be encouraged to identify what genuinely interests them and to strengthen the qualities in their existing work. Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Cost: $540
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

In this intermediate-advanced painting course students will work from personal family photographs (historic or contemporary) to cultivate a deeper connection with one's family history, or simply to create a strong painting based on photographs that have been stashed away for years in family archives. We will address issues such as the head, proportion, simplification, and color mixing. Students will work from full color images or in sepia- this will be determined based on the references used. Students work at their own pace and will receive one-on-one instruction. Lessons will be supplemented by discussions of notable figurative painters. Any painting medium may be used (instructor works in oil paint).
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Cost: $540
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: $540
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Using your own inspiration e.g., photos, tablets, still life objects etc., you will learn different techniques to give your paintings life and energy. Composition, value, color mixing and technique will be the main focuses of this class. All mediums and skill levels are welcome!
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Stefanie Lieberman
Cost: $585
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This class with instruction by Alice Meyer Wallace will focus on classic watercolor techniques - Sargeant, Homer, Rodin, Nolde, and particularly Charles Demuth, from Lancaster, PA. Come enjoy this fun and relaxed class! The class will work predominantly from still life but on occasion, the instructor will lead the class in painting from the model (2 times) and there will be an option of experimenting with watercolor and collage.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alice Meyer-Wallace
Cost: $490
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Workshop participants will begin by learning to handle watercolor materials: papers, paints, brushes, palettes, and more. From the bold application of washes to fine detail, we’ll explore specifics: how to begin a watercolor and how to conclude a work, wet-in-wet to dry-brush, what to put in and what to leave out. The skillful use of the elements of composition and the simplification of form will provide a means to achieving dynamic results. We’ll also explore ways of creating a sense of light and mood in a watercolor, through the use of structured tone. The class will be looking at the watercolors by J. S. Sargent, Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth critically.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $210
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Watercolor is a versatile medium, which can be both transparent and opaque. Using a variety of subject matter, some techniques explored will be drawing for watercolor, painting without drawing, wet-in-wet watercolor, glazing with watercolor washes, the use of gouache and other aqueous media with watercolor. The instructor will start each class with a demonstration or an explanation of the technique for the day. Students will be encouraged to work in their own personal style. Each class will end with a group critique with the emphasis on constructive criticism.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Wendy Scheirer
Cost: $210
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This class will focus on each individual student and help them to learn, pickup and polish their watercolor skills. Each student will paint from their own reference. They will be helped step by step to accomplish their own painting. Attention and focus on individual growth at the students’ own pace will be central in this class. Learn to paint watercolors in a free, fun and fluent manner. Discover and nurture your own personal style of expression. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Indira Cariappa
Cost: $410
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553