Brooklyn-based painter and PAFA alum Christine Lafuente considers her paintings “poetic responses to visual experience.” Responding to the still life motif, learn how to build an oil painting directly, with the emphasis on color. The workshop will begin with a painting demonstration, followed by painting sessions in which students will be guided through a series of focused procedures: composing a painting and establishing tonal design, mixing color, achieving harmony and palette organization, applying large color masses, and using principles of oil viscosity to build form into wet-into-wet painting.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Christine Lafuente
Cost: $850
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Ideal for teens who want to further their drawing skills and develop a strong body of work for their portfolios. Students will work in drawing media from the still life, PAFA’s historic cast collection, and figure/portrait models to learn principles of composition, value, perspective, and drawing techniques.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This class will stress the learning process to achieve this goal; from basic proportions, structure and value relationships for the beginner, intermediate and advanced students may choose to work in color, but would encourage one to take at least first day or two of drawing and then to full color portraits with emphasis on enhancing values, color and design. We will do some value studies of a generic eye, nose, mouth and ear for a better understanding of their structure. We will talk about the process of learning to see, not to copy, but how to interpret. Good design is related to good drawing, and to me good drawing enhances good judgment and good taste.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ned Mueller
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405

Learn everything needed to know about this medium and how to control it. Workshop will focus on understanding light by painting still lifes and then the portrait from models. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Christine Swann
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405

Most people can name a specific moment in their lives when something changed it forever. For artists and writers, we agree that learning and creating in community has enriched our lives in so many different ways. We have experienced fun, personal, mental and emotional life-changing growth. Around the world, we explore adding Zentangle to our mixed media art and use it as an opening exercise in our writing practice. It is intentional, abstract art and a safe place to create, even when you aren’t an artist. Conscious Creations Art Studio, in Exton, is the home of Philly Area Zentangle® (2012) This retreat weekend promises to enlighten, broaden skills, and enhance your creative spirit.
 
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Cost: $500.00
Sponsor: Conscious Creations Art Studio
Website, email, 484-889-8668

I have a “go for the essentials and make every stroke count” approach to painting, no matter the medium. I believe this lends a sense of freshness and clarity to the work, especially watercolor. Emphasis in this workshop will be on helping students find the essential elements and qualities in the subject matter, and through demonstrations and group critiques show how to present them in a simple, direct way. The object is to eliminate extraneous information and details, and simplify the subject. Students will be encouraged to look beyond the representational aspect of the subject to the dynamics of contrast, light, movement, space; elements which help make paintings come alive. Students will work from their own photos or sketches.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Bill Vrscak
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405