Art Workshops, Classes & Retreats
Fridays, June 3 - July 8, 2022
Discover the wide range of possibilities available for creating works on paper with noted educator, sculptor and draftsperson, Colleen O'Donnell! Investigate personal expression in various drawing media including charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, and pastel. Subject matter will include still life from observation, landscape and portraiture using photographs as a point of departure, as well as your imagination. All materials and techniques will be explained and demonstrated. All levels are welcome, especially beginners.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Colleen O'Donnell
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647
June 4-5, 2022
Paint on location at beautiful Fern Valley Farm, part of the Ardrossan Estate, the 850-acre family seat of the Montgomery/Scott/Wheeler extended family, made famous in the movie The Philadelphia Story with Kathryn Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. Landscape painting topics will include color mixing to achieve a sense of light and air, capturing time of day, compositional fundamentals, and sound painting practices. Painting outdoors can be a daunting experience for the newcomer. When learning the intricacies of this art it pays to learn from someone who has over 20 years' experience in the field. In this class, Joseph Sweeney will be your guide.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Joseph Sweeney
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632
Sundays, June 5 - July 17, 2022
Explore the exciting versatility of acrylics in your own painting style in this class! Study master artists such as Egon Schiele, Ludwig Kirchner, and Paul Klee in order to develop alternative and personally expressive ways of depicting objects, people, cities and landscapes. Instruction will cover the important aspects of acrylic painting, including color, texture, and its potential for three-dimensional effects. All levels welcome; no painting experience necessary.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alicia Mino Gonzalez
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647
Sundays, June 5-26, 2022
Get outside and enjoy the summer breezes while you paint the landscape along the picturesque Schuylkill River, adjacent to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Select locations include the historic Fairmount Waterworks, scenic Lemon Hill and beautiful Laurel Hill Cemetery. Instruction will include composing an interesting picture, color mixing in oil and direct, plein air oil painting techniques which will enable you to rapidly capture a scene. Restrooms and parking available.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sean Sauer
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647
June 6-10, 2022
Among representational artists, there has been an endless battle between those who paint from life and those who use photographic references. However, it’s a misguided argument: the source of the visual information we use to paint is irrelevant. The real issue lies not in painting from life or photos, but whether we’re simply copying what we see as opposed to using the information as a springboard for creating the paintings we want. In this workshop, participants will work from photographic references of the landscape to learn to break down the information, analyze it, and use it to generate tonal sketches, change color palettes, and create paintings based on multiple images, memory, and imagination. Lectures, demonstrations and one-on-one painting instruction each day.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John MacDonald
Cost: $850
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632
June 13-17, 2022
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. Select locations along the Schuylkill River will include beautiful Laurel Hill Cemetery and Bartram’s Garden.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632
Wednesdays, July 6 - August 10, 2022
Draw Philadelphia’s picturesque historic and commercial architecture, using fundamental observational drawing techniques to capture the world around you. Learn simple methods for applying the principles of linear and atmospheric perspective to your drawings, giving them dimension and depth. Students at all experience levels are welcome, with instruction designed to appeal both to those who enjoy portraying landscape subjects in the open air and to students seeking to hone their basic drawing skills. This course takes place in easy-to-access Central Philadelphia and University City locations. Restrooms are available near all sites. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632
Thursdays, July 7 - August 11, 2022
Enjoy open-air painting in beautiful Valley Forge National Historical Park, a painter’s delight of lush scenery and historic architecture! Just 35 minutes northwest of Center City Philadelphia, the park features great views of the Schuylkill River, Valley Creek, the Valley Forge Farm, Mt. Joy, Mt. Misery, and many valleys, cabins, and colonial houses, with ample parking and access to restrooms. Working from diverse landscape subject matter, students will learn the essential materials, tools, techniques, and strategies for painting on site. Instruction will cover a variety of plein air approaches, including painting with a knife and brush, painting from an imprimatura, Macchiaioli painting, and working from sketches to block in local color. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Charles Muldowney
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632
Sundays, July 10-31, 2022
Capture the colors of summer en plein air through vibrant watercolor and pastel. Become comfortable and confident with the practice of working outdoors, using either or both mediums, at picturesque Lemon Hill and other select locations around the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fairmount Park. Instruction will cover means of accurately and expressively depicting outdoor sites, pastel drawing and layering methods, watercolor painting techniques, mixed media applications, color mixing, and the history and capabilities of each medium. All levels welcome.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632