This course is designed to help you develop the skills needed to paint a portrait and achieve a likeness of your subject, working either in a traditional or contemporary style. Focus will be on observation, composition, and color with an emphasis on skin tones as well as learning to translate the various planes of color and light that are so important in painting the figure.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Anne Graham
Cost: $365
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This one-day workshop will concentrate on painting one of the most beautiful and challenging aspects of a tree: its trunk and branches. Trunks are rarely perfectly round; instead, their surfaces present a combination of flat planes and rounded forms that interlock together and describe the tree's surface. The pattern of its branches, roots and rippling bark tell each tree’s life story and are influenced by interaction with other trees, the sun, and the earth. Our goal in this class is to simplify the tree's structure and capture its essence as effectively as possible. Rather than aiming for finished paintings, we will create several small studies focusing on the topography of different trunks and how we can communicate them using paint.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claire Haik
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Working from still life set-ups, learn the various techniques of aqueous media used for creating light, structure, texture, transparency and opacity. While the focus of the class is water-based acrylics, students are welcome to work in pastels or oil if they prefer. Instructor demonstrations and group discussion, as well as individual attention, provided during each class session.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Joeseph Sweeney
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Students learn basic techniques and mechanics of oil painting to help guide them from inspiration to expression. Working from still-life set-ups, students build paintings as they consider the relationship of objects within a composition, as well as the overall picture including color, hue, and intensity.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $200
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Paint on location at Philadelphia's historic Fairmount Park mansions! Built in the 18th century, these houses feature amazing architecture, beautiful gardens, and scenic views. Each week will feature a different instructor including: Lisa BergerLentz, Mark Bockrath, Roger Chavez, & Lou Schellenberg, demonstrating 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 & Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

The workshop begins with flowers! You will create your own flower arrangement with Jennifer’s help. Jennifer will have a beautiful selection of fresh flowers, and a container/vessel to create an arrangement for each student. She’s an excellent instructor and makes the workshop so fun. Students will go home with a gorgeous fresh floral arrangement in a container. After the flower arranging is complete, we break for a one-hour lunch. Students can bring their own, order in, or go out. The afternoon will be spent painting flowers. Jan will instruct on the painting of florals beginning with a brief demo. She will then work with students for the remainder of the afternoon as they create paintings from their own floral arrangements.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jennifer Reed & Jan Wier
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Whether you want to paint a bunch of flowers, a single flower, or just use the colors of flowers to launch an idea, this course may be for you. We will be working in oils. You may bring your own flowers to use as reference or work from whatever I choose to bring that day. This course is not about botanical painting or hyper realistic painting. It is more about expressing the joy of flowers; the colors, and textures, and shapes. If you even used this class time to practice mixing the colors you see, it will be painting time well spent.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jan Wier
Cost: $210
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Having a well-chosen limited palette is not only incredibly useful but also highly practical for plein air painting and all other studio work. That said, many artists find that a limited palette sometimes falls short—there are always a few colors they need that simply can’t be mixed from the ones they have. Through rigorous investigation, Qiang has examined color performance using a systematic process. His findings are backed by scientific evidence that supports clear reasoning and informed decision-making. He will introduce a new seven-color limited palette that he has found to be effective across nearly all genres, both in the studio and outdoors. To test its versatility, Qiang spent about a year painting exclusively with this palette.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Qiang Huang
Cost: $10
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Take an energetic painting journey with Susan Sullivan in this live Zoom Sunday class! Learn the basics of direct oil painting including composition, color mixing and paint handling. Create paintings from observation based on your own still life arrangements, window view/landscape, self-portrait, and through copying a master artwork. Receive helpful feedback and critique along the way. All levels welcome in this informative and fun class!
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

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

Given the priority of authentic light in my work, it is this element that I like to focus on during the three-day workshop. As such, we will focus on value and color temperature relationships above all else. While good drawing is paramount to our effort—since nothing spoils a painting faster than drawing errors—our time is better spent on the more difficult and crucial concepts of value and color temperature. Elements such as appropriate edges, surface texture, composition, and others will also be discussed as needed. We will be painting in oil.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mark Boedges
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This in-person/on-campus studio class presents a structured approach to painting the figure in oils from life. Topics include drawing methods, gesture, figure structure, basic anatomy, palettes, and various paint application techniques for layering and alla prima approaches. Includes instructor demonstrations and generous individualized guidance/feedback.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Al Gury
Cost: $615
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This painting-essentials course presents an in-depth and practical examination of the role of color in oil and acrylic painting. Instruction will explore mixing strategies and the effects of color choices and relationships upon depth, atmosphere, and luminosity. A variety of painting methods will be addressed, with a focus on how to exploit glazing, scumbling, and velatura layering techniques to achieve richer and more lively color. The still-life subject matter is appropriate for painters of all experience levels, although those with prior experience will benefit most from the color-emphasis in content.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Cost: $450
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Working from the nude model in poses of varying lengths, 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, if they wish.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

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 and other sites along the Schuylkill River. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Cost: $315
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. Instruction is geared toward open painting time supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with students 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

Working from a limited palette, this one-day workshop focuses on ways to create expressive florals on a larger canvas exploring energetic brushstrokes to create a harmonious and vibrant garden scene of flowers. Students will work from their own or provided imagery. Examples of colorful works by Josef Klimt and Joan Mitchell will be shared to inspire your process. A short demo will be shared on color mixing and simplification of form.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Exploring abstracts on a larger scale in the medium of your choosing, this 5-day class will push you into new territory where growth lives… only upsized, because bigger risks equal bigger rewards. You will be shown a system for developing your artistic voice, with a focus on design principles and the language of abstraction. The emphasis is on creative process, exploring new ways to develop and build paintings, create inventive compositions, and build authentic intent in your work. The class is as much a challenge for the experienced as it is for the developing artist, but it’s not for the rank beginner. Bring a sense of humor, a fearless creative spirit, and an open mind.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Larry Moore
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Enjoy open-air painting in beautiful Valley Forge National Historic Park on the National Historic Register. The church site of George Washington’s Continental Army in 1777-1778 and now home to lush scenery and historic architecture! Located in Montgomery County, 35 minutes northwest of Center City Philadelphia, with ample parking and access to restrooms. Working from diverse landscape subject matter, students will learn essential plein air approaches, including color mixing to achieve a sense of light and air, capturing time of day, compositional fundamentals, and sound drawing and painting practices. Instruction is geared toward oil/acrylic painting and pastel drawing/painting. Meeting at the Washington Memorial Chapel parking lot.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Joseph Sweeney
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Don't miss this opportunity to work with renowned painter Bill Scott to explore the sensuous yet thoughtful abstract construction of space in this two-day, intensive studio workshop. Color will be the focus as participants paint from an expansive still life environment with special prompts from Scott. This workshop is designed for intermediate/advanced painters.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Bill Scott
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Learn the basics of painting outdoors as you work on location at beautiful and historic Laurel Hill Cemetery featuring terraced grounds, sculpture, and amazing views of the Schuylkill River. Instruction will address the ins-and-outs of working outdoors, color and composition, art historical examples, and personal expression. You may work in the media of your choice including oil, acrylic, watercolor & pastel. Free parking and restrooms available.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Too much of the same green? Discover the importance of using a range of greens to make your landscapes more impactful. Begin with creating a variety of color swatches of your chosen landscape, pushing some warmer or cooler or lighter or darker. Work on balancing these with other colors in your piece to create a harmonious and balanced composition. Various examples of paintings will be shared a short demo as well in color mixing from a limited palette of color. You can choose to work on smaller landscape studies or a larger finished piece.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Abby Ober
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

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