Learn to apply these valuable guidelines to your own creative processes to find useful and meaningful ways of generating ideas, moving past ruts or stumbling blocks, and maintaining a steady and productive studio practice. This hands-on drawing/mixed-media class will utilize engaging exercises to challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone and find inspiration in chance, impediments, and everyday objects. Work on paper in your choice of media from imagination or prompts to explore means of building abstract imagery through mark-making and layering. This class is geared toward students with some prior art-making experience but is perfect for those who are launching their artistic career/studies, artists returning to the studio after an absence, and anyone seeking inspiration and stimulation for their art-making practice.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Mixed media art and collage offer a myriad of possibilities to combine papers, photographs, and 3D elements to make a statement, convey something personal, or create something textural, colorful, and beautiful. Develop rich and complex imagery finding inspiration from memory, literature, films, and other sources, while working in a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional materials. Sessions will discuss the characteristics of adhesives, paper and fabric cut-outs, wood, and plastics. Students will receive one-on-one instruction and participate in open discussions about their ideas and work. Topics include construction, storage and presentation strategies. Open to all levels.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Anthony Ciambella
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Get to the heart of your authentic work and your personal style by: 1) Making a lot of work (Quantity over Quality) - This quiets the internal critic and gives our unique ideas a chance to breathe. 2) Having a deadline: The best antidote to procrastination and “waiting for inspiration”. 3) Focusing on process over product. I'll do a demo of a painting for the first half of each day, with the students painting the second half of the day. Attendees may use oils or acrylics. Students should bring their own photos or still life objects to work from.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Patrick Lee
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Enhance your creativity with the highly individual medium of collage! Learn how to bring together random materials to create your own unique images, patterns and textures. Alicia will guide you through the process as you compose a layout, create surfaces, gather materials according to color, texture and pattern, and paste up your composition. Enjoy a day of artistic exploration and have fun discovering the numerous ways to manipulate paper, cardboard, fabric and more!
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alicia Mino Gonzalez
Cost: $85
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647