Before a painting deserves a large canvas, it must survive the study. In this intensive one-day workshop, professional artist Vlad Duchev guides serious painters through the disciplined process that separates hesitation from mastery: structured, intentional studies. In today’s art culture, artists are often encouraged to “just paint.” But strong paintings are not accidents. They are built. A study is not a warm-up. It is not a quick sketch. It is a focused investigation. When you isolate one problem at a time — value, composition, temperature, edge, brushwork — clarity replaces guesswork. Confidence replaces correction. Authority replaces uncertainty.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Vlad Milan Duchev
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

Learn how to paint beautiful landscapes on location! In this class, we will discuss the fundamentals of painting en plein air as well as more advanced topics like drawing, composition, and color theory. The first day will begin with a 30-minute lecture and discussion on the core concepts of plein air painting. This will be followed by a 2.5-hour painting demonstration. After a 1-hour lunch break, students will begin work on their own paintings while Marc gives individualized instruction. Class will end at 4pm, but students may continue to paint if they wish. Days 2 and 3 will follow a similar format. The class will end with a group critique and discussion.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Marc Anderson
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Paint on location at Philadelphia's historic Fairmount Park mansions including Laurel Hill Mansion, Ormiston Mansion, Woodford Mansion, Strawberry Mansion and Ridgeland Mansion! Built in the 18th century, these houses feature amazing architecture, beautiful gardens, and scenic views. Each week will feature a different instructor who will demonstrate oil, watercolor/gouache and pastel techniques, reference art historical examples, cover the ins-and-outs of working outdoors and encourage personal expression. Includes a tour of each historic house (optional)! Work with the materials of your choice including watercolor, oil, acrylic and drawing media. Restrooms and free parking will be available.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Various
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

In this fast paced and fun weekend workshop we discuss the importance of composition and design in our work and then apply what we’ve learned to a variety of subjects in the process exploring the magical qualities of watercolor.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mick McAndrews
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Create your own collage from painted paper in the online Zoom class with Katie Knoeringer! Learn how to plan and complete an original work of art from pencil sketch to finished collage. This class covers processes for generating ideas, spatial drawing techniques, basic color theory and collage techniques.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Katie Knoeringer
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Inspired by painters like Cezanne such as John Marin, this class will inspire your process to loosen up and reveal what is important in a scene. If you have ever enjoyed sketchbook studies of scenes that are not fully painted, this workshop will give you the opportunity to practice working quickly but thoughtfully to create smaller studies (under 8 x 10) of several images of your own, using rich color but leaving the white of the paper to enhance the light in a scene. There will be short demonstration and discussion as the instructor shares master painters demonstrating this style of painting to inspire your process.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Our interest is whether two distinct pictorial genres, the portrait and the nude figure, can challenge each other and make each more interesting. The expressive overlap in portraiture and figure painting has been a central concern in my work for over forty years. To explore this experience the workshop will consist of two all day poses. Participants may use any painting medium (oil, acrylic, pastel, opaque watercolor), but the emphasis will be in pushing the participants’ efforts through changes and revision which may include the model’s change of state from nude to clothed or vice versa. My interest is in “likeness” which is as much involved with gesture, proportion, and spatial context as the disposition of features, complexion, and light.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Scott Noel
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Geometry has been a source of interest, beauty and creative inspiration for the artist through the ages. Geometric forms, lines and shapes are all around us and can be seen in everything from architecture to plant life to seashells. Learn non-mathematical strategies inspired by geometry designed to enhance your ongoing body of work or be the starting point for a new one with focus on simplifying subject matter, building a unified composition and creating or enhancing a color palette. Work in the medium of your choice: acrylic, gouache or watercolor while working from your own reference photographs, drawings, books or digital imagery. Designed for both beginners and experienced art makers.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Smith
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

This two-day workshop explores how artists can use limited palettes, dominant color relationships, and value structure to create landscape paintings with greater mood, atmosphere, and emotional impact. Through demonstrations, discussion, and hands-on painting exercises, students will learn how simplifying color choices can create stronger design, clearer visual statements, and more expressive paintings. Student Level: Open to painters with prior experience (beginner through advanced). This workshop is not intended for absolute beginners with no painting experience. Medium: Oil is preferred; however, painters working in other media are welcome provided they have prior experience in their chosen medium.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mark Vander Vinne
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Every strong painting begins with a thoughtful foundation. In this one-day workshop, students will first explore applying transparent patches of vibrant color to the painting surface, creating an energetic underpainting that adds excitement and provides color relationships to build upon throughout the process. From there, we'll establish transparent darks to define the value structure, composition, and overall color harmony. You'll learn to mix a variety of rich, colorful darks while connecting dark shapes to dark shapes and light shapes to light shapes, creating visual pathways that guide the viewer's eye through the painting. Once the design is established, we'll transition to thicker, opaque light passages, bringing the painting to life with clarity, unity, and luminous color.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Fred Jackson
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Watercolor is a wonderful painting medium due to its vibrant and translucent nature, quick drying time, and easy set-up and clean-up. Explore this versatile medium a supportive and immersive environment! Focus will be color theory and brush work demonstrations as we explore the basics of color mixing, layering washes and a sense of touch. Painting from natural subject matter including still life, botanical studies and landscape. Drawing experience is helpful but not required.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Paint loose and intuitive in a workshop where color, shape and line come together to make impactful designs inspired by your color palette and your style of brushwork. Students will work on various small color studies (4 x 6 or 6 x 8) at first to determine color palette and choose a favorite composition to paint larger the second half of the day (11x 14 or 16 x 20). This is a day for those who move away from painting objects or landscapes to emphasize feeling and movement.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Experience the joy of watercolor painting in combination with gouache and ink to create a range of effects! Learn techniques for layering ink and watercolor to develop a deep, rich surface as well as direct, alla prima methods while you work from your own photographs. Add gouache and drawing media for contrast and definition. All tools and techniques will be explained and demonstrated including preparatory drawing, brushes, types of paper, use of color and painting methods. Designed to be instructional and fun for students of all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Kowbuz
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647