The natural world is an infinite and fantastic source of inspiration for the artist, and the versatility and luminosity of watercolor make it the perfect means of expression. Learn essential drawing and watercolor techniques to create both quick field sketches and detailed, finished artworks. Subject matter will include flowers, plants, animals and landscapes. Reference images will be gathered through observational sketches and photography. An ideal workshop for those interested in both the fine arts and the illustration field.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roberto Osti
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn the basics of drawing with pastel and watercolor, ideal for plein air, as you work along the picturesque Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The instructor will demonstrate techniques, reference art historical examples, and encourage personal expression. Amenities will be available along the way. All levels welcome.(rain date: June 7)
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Paint your way through the mystery and uncertainty of the art-making process in this intuitive, practical and empowering workshop with acclaimed artist and PAFA graduate faculty member, Neysa Grassi. Dispel the voices of criticism in your head, and learn to perceive doubt as a valid means of investigation rather than a destructive force. Work in gouache and mixed media on paper to discover the freedom that comes from generating imagery without preconceived outcomes. Discussion of painting practices and feedback on students’ previous work will supplement studio activity. Instruction will be presented on an artist-to-artist basis, whether participants are beginners or seasoned artists.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Neysa Grassi
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore Philadelphia’s rich tradition of natural history illustration through fascinating museum visits and hands-on art-making with award-winning artist, illustrator and PAFA alumna Kate Samworth. Follow the path of Charles Wilson Peale, the painter, scientist, inventor, and naturalist who established the nation’s first natural history museum in 1786, in an effort to collect and catalogue all living things. Visit the American Philosophical Society and the Library Company of Philadelphia and others to view prints, paintings and ephemera related to the exploration of the natural world at the end of the Enlightenment era. Return to PAFA to create your own nature illustration of flora and fauna with a new understanding of the role of those who collected, preserved, identified and depicted living things through history.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore the vibrant and subtle possibilities of watercolor painting. Learn the fundamentals of the medium, including the selection of papers, brushes, and pigments, as well as transparent and opaque painting methods. Work from still life, photographs, and the cityscape. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

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