Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m. 
Instructor: Shushana Rucker 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Explore the possibilities of palette knife painting in this six-week course led by artist Shushana Rucker. Designed for painters of all levels, the course introduces students to a range of knife techniques for applying oil paint to create bold lines and strong texture. Through demonstrations, guided exercises, and individual feedback, students will learn how to mix bold color and use texture to heighten expression and atmosphere. Working from observation and reference imagery, participants will complete several finished paintings and develop a personal approach to working with the knife. No prior palette knife experience required.

Image: Shushana Rucker, View from I-76, oil on panel, 6 x 12 in.

Register by: March 5 
Materials List - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Fridays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Zoom meetings supplemented by Canvas content)
Instructor:  Colleen O'Donnell 
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent) 

Unlock your creative voice through the art of assemblage. Learn how to build a cohesive body of mixed-media work by exploring themes, motifs, and the power of working in a series. Through discussion, material exploration, and supportive critique, develop your visual language while experimenting with found objects and personal materials. By the end of the course, each participant will complete a meaningful 3–6 piece assemblage mini-series that expresses their unique story and artistic perspective.

Image: Student Patti Rosenberg.

Register by: March 6 
Materials List - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Weekend Workshop 

Gain the basics you need to step into an acrylic painting practice! Learn to use quick-drying acrylics in thin, transparent layers as well as thicker, more opaque applications that produce textural and impasto effects. Materials like fluid mediums, gels, and pastes will be demonstrated, along with both brush and palette knife techniques. Experiment with both limited and expanded color palettes as you work from still life subjects. This workshop is ideal for students looking for a non-toxic, flexible painting medium, as well as anyone seeking to explore acrylics’ excellent potential for representational and abstract work. Drawing experience is recommended.   

Image: Fred Kaplan. 

Register by: March 6 
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Paint from a life model in a multi-week-pose format to develop and refine your figure painting compositions.  Extended poses will allow students to adjust and resolve issues of surface, color, and composition. Instruction will cover a variety of topics including glazing, broken color, surface texture, composition and design, the relationship of the figure to the environment, the creation of atmosphere and color harmony, disrupted realism, and open- versus closed-form painting. All levels welcome. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students are welcome to draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.

Image: David Wilson

Register by: March 6 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (*Includes a visit to the PAFA archives on Wednesday, April 8.) 
Instructor: Morgan Dummitt 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
No class on April 5 

William Rush was the first major American sculptor, a master of woodcarving as well as terracotta and bronze. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ cast collection houses several of Rush’s portraits and figures, and this class offers the rare opportunity to closely study these masterpieces. Students will copy a sculpture by Rush, learning both the particularities of the master’s technique and the basic principles of terracotta figure modeling. All levels are welcome for this exciting opportunity to closely study Rush’s sculpture in anticipation of the PAFA Museum's landmark exhibition, A Nation of Artists. 

Student Learning Outcomes

• Gain a basic understanding of the osteology, myology, and anatomy of the human portrait and figure
• Learn from William Rush’s techniques for organizing the body into simplified sculptural forms
• Carry out best practices for modeling and maintaining water-based clay sculpture
• Understand best practices for creating ceramic sculpture

*Note: This course includes a visit to the PAFA archives for a behind-the-scenes look at William Rush works on Wednesday, April 8, (time TBA) as well as an invitation to exhibition opening events.

Optional: Add a PAFA Friend Membership to your registration to receive member privileges just in time for A Nation of Artists and 10% off this course instantly, as well as 10% off all other regular CE classes* during your one-year membership -- select membership add-on option with price adjustment during checkout! (*CE member discounts limited to Friend and above levels and apply to regular CE courses and workshops only -- special programs such as Extended Studio Courses and studio rentals are ineligible for tuition deductions.)

Image: William Rush, Self-Portrait, ca. 1822, terracotta, 15 1/2 x 18 x 11 in. Collection of the PAFA Museum.  Accession # 1849.1.

Register by: March 9 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 3 - 4 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings) 
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
No class on April 5 

Explore ways to improve your use of color and enhance your personal style and expression with Al Gury, noted professor and author of Alla Prima,Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. Great colorists such as Velasquez, Manet, Matisse, and Diebenkorn among others will provide the focus for weekly explorations of how to improve color in your work. Visual histories and examples, materials, problem solving, and color theories will be presented through live Zoom meetings and recorded video demonstrations, with a goal of helping each student find their own color voice. Instruction includes a weekly painting project to guide the participants through understanding and improving color choices in their work and subject matter. Assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, and critiqued by the instructor for helpful feedback. Open to all levels of experience and all media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel.

Image: Al Gury.

Register by: March 9 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Instructor: Linda Gist 
Weekend Workshop 

Embody the spirit of spring with fresh and immediate painting! Learn to capture the essence of a living, botanical subject quickly and spontaneously in pencil and watercolor. This alla prima method can be used for preparatory studies for sustained paintings, compiling a field sketchbook, or as an end in itself. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $10 materials fee to cover floral subjects.

Image: Linda Gist.

Register by: March 13 
Materials List - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: RA Friedman 
Weekend Workshop 

This intensive workshop is designed for those looking to push their portrait drawing abilities toward the professional level. Demonstrations and in-class exercises will open up how you see, think, and approach the creation of a likeness, avoiding common pitfalls. Explore subtleties of form and the relationships of lines, planes and tones, capturing the character and energy of the subject. Additionally, instruction will cover facial expressions and deep anatomy of the face, neck, and upper body. Drawing will be primarily in graphite pencil and stick. Introductory portrait drawing or equivalent recommended. Note: Tuition includes a $10 models fee.

For more introductory instruction, see the instructor's Portrait in Pencil Workshop (not required for enrollment in the Advanced workshop).

Image: RA Friedman

Register by: March 20 
Materials List - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.