This one-day workshop shows how to develop strong compositions within your landscape paintings, with emphasis on movement and energy. Working from photographs in the studio, we will develop small drawings and color studies, which we will analyze for compositional power. Through these exercises and a historically illustrated discussion, we will explore the use of fundamental compositional elements, including: the rhythms of verticals and horizontals, the push and pull of shapes and colors, the distribution of space, and the simplification of masses. Suitable for all levels. Consists of drawing and painting components. Students are welcome to work in oil or water-based paint.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claire Haik
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: $235
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Architecture can appear overwhelming, but by training our eye to see past detail, we can convey buildings in paint very powerfully. In this class students will strengthen their perceptual acuity with regards to seeing buildings and structures more confidently and clearly: simplifying, conveying details, edge variety, sighting angles. We will begin by completing smaller and faster studies, while working in either grayscale or a limited palette. These small studies will teach us how to see complex information simple, and clearly. Day two we will begin longer session paintings, using a full palette and slowly begin adding details, learning how to sight angles, assess perspective issues simply, and vary our edges and marks to create more nuance paintings.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Learn the basics of painting with watercolor and pastel, ideal for plein air, as you work on location at beautiful and historic Laurel Hill Cemetery featuring terraced grounds, sculpture, and amazing views of the Schuylkill River. The instructor will demonstrate techniques, reference art historical examples, and encourage personal expression. Instruction will be geared to watercolor, but experienced oil/acrylic painters are welcome. Free parking and restrooms available.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery & Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Line is the fundamental element in drawing, capable of a wide range of aesthetic possibilities, from describing shape to creating space and atmospheric effects. Capture the landscape though descriptive and expressive drawn line in this indoor studio workshop. Instruction will examine varying quality and character of line, as well as how it serves to define positive and negative space – the active/focal elements and surrounding spaces – as an all-important means of establishing balance, focus, and visual order in any composition. Learn to achieve a variety of effects by using conte crayon, ink and brush, micron pen, and white paint. Students will work from their favorite landscape photos, first to investigate mark-making with ink and brush, and then to work toward image translation.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Enjoy the glories of nature while learning to paint efficiently outdoors. Learn how to choose prime painting locations and improve plein air painting techniques. Through a combination of demonstration, lecture, and individual painting, students better understand the importance of value, chroma, and hue within the landscape and walk away with valuable color mixing techniques and recipes. While the class is geared toward techniques in oil and acrylic paints, watercolor and pastel artists are welcome. Suitable for beginners through advanced. Students will meet at a different location every week. If there are weather-related postponements, classes will either move indoors or be added on to the end of the session. Locations include Valley Forge Park, Historic Sugartown, The Willows and Skunk Hollow Park.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Randall Graham
Cost: $280
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

During this painting workshop I will lead you through the process of capturing the overall essence of a particular place and will cover techniques to render the changing light in the plein air setting. We will focus on a few key factors including drawing with color shapes, breaking down the motif into a minimum number of color values, the importance of edge quality, and the use of editing. I will conduct a quick painting demo highlighting the feel of the location and to help students with an idea of execution. The objective will be to lay in the whole underpainting, then we will break it down and reconstruct it through the layering process. Students can work on one or multiple paintings.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Charles Newman
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

In this class, we will explore how the landscape can be interpreted to convey mood and atmosphere through the use of color, line, edge, and composition. We will look at landscape work from other artists, and discuss the various options in assessing the landscape while choosing what to include. We will execute preliminary drawing and color studies, and at least one final work.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Nicole Michaud
Cost: $280
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Bring your favorite landscape or seascape photos to this one-day workshop. Class engages in brief discussion on various methods and techniques used to create abstracted land and sea paintings. Students create one small color study and move into large format to create a final composition balancing line, form, color and texture, learning to "loosen up" and move away from the complexity and detail of a photograph. 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

What happens when you put down your paintbrush and paint with your fingers? You engage directly with the paint, surface, and tools in an immediate and tactile way. This "hands-on" workshop is about having the time to explore and discover the process of landscape painting in a spontaneous way. We will focus on your memory of the landscape by emphasizing the elements: sky, air, horizon, water, land, color, and light. Plus, of course, the desire to express all that with paint. All supplies are included to create six to nine small paintings. You need only bring your curiosity and openness. Ideal for beginners and experienced art makers who want to shake up and unblock their creative process.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Damini Celebre
Cost: $85
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery & Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647