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Continuing Education at PAFA



CE Courses by Medium/Discipline

Abstract Drawing/Mixed-Media: 10 Rules for Art Students (In-Person)

$295

with Keith Leitner

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 2, 2024 at 1 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Tuesdays, 1 - 4 p.m. 
Instructor: Keith Leitner 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Artist, philosopher, and influential 20th-century composer John Cage, along with artist and educator Sister Corita Kent, developed a set of 10 Rules for Students and Teachers to encourage artistic production. Learn to apply these valuable guidelines to your own creative processes to find useful and meaningful ways of generating ideas, moving past ruts or stumbling blocks, and maintaining a steady and productive studio practice.  This hands-on drawing/mixed-media class will utilize engaging exercises to challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone and find inspiration in chance, impediments, and simply your coffee cup. Work on paper in your choice of media from imagination or prompts to explore means of building abstract imagery through personal means of mark-making and layering.  Instruction will be supplemented by discussions of the artists who encouraged Cage and those who were influenced by him.  This class is geared toward students with some prior art-making experience but is perfect for those who are launching their artistic career/studies, artists returning to the studio after an absence, and anyone seeking inspiration and stimulation for their art-making practice.  

Image: Keith Leitner.

Register by: June 24
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Drawing from Photos (Online)

$250

with Alicia Mino

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 2, 2024 at 6 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Tuesdays, 6 – 8 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Alicia Mino 
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Learn strategies to translate your photographs into drawings that both retain the photo’s realism and promote your personal expression. Using colored pencil (which combines the possibilities of color with the ease of dry media), explore tactics for accurately translating your imagery to your drawing surface; identifying, mixing, and layering color to achieve vibrant effects; creating realism through the study of texture, light, and contrast; and employing addition and subtraction techniques to expand your range of mark-making. Work from your choice of photographic subject matter – a great option for students seeking to make art from personal experiences, capture family and friends who cannot pose for portraiture, or expand their interests and skills in landscapes, animals, or other subject matter not easily accessible.  This course is excellent for beginners or those interested in colored pencil or photorealistic drawing techniques. 

Image: Alicia Mino.

Register by: June 24
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Oil Painting: Comprehending Color (In-Person)

$295

with Roger Chavez

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 3, 2024 at 9 am, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 9 a.m - 12 p.m*
Instructor: Roger Chavez 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Without question, every oil painter benefits from color mixing instruction:  Understanding how to accurately see, mix, and adjust color not only allows you to achieve the results you want in your work but also enables you to avoid the pitfalls of wasting paint though inaccurate and poorly understood pigment mixing.  Explore key methods and principles for effective color mixing, using a limited palette to create prismatic hues and earth tone colors. Instruction will address the role of light in the visual perception of color, as well as subtractive and additive color systems. Work from varied still life arrangements to put your color comprehension into practice, and advance your painting skills for all subject matter.  

*Note: No class on August 7. 

Image: Roger Chavez

Register by: June 24 
Materials List 
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

Plein Air Painting in Valley Forge (Outdoor)

$325

with Charles Muldowney

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 3, 2024 at 10 am, runs for 5 weeks

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Instructor: Charles Muldowney
Five-Week Short Course (20 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)

Enjoy open-air painting in beautiful Valley Forge National Historical Park, the encampment site of George Washington’s Continental Army in 1777-1778 and now home to a painter’s delight of lush scenery and historic architecture!  Located in Montgomery County, 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.

Image: Charles Muldowney, Valley Forge Sunset, Watercolor. 

Register by: June 24
Materials List 
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Essential Drawing Techniques (In-Person)

$305

with Roger Chavez

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 3, 2024 at 1 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 1 – 4 p.m.* 
Instructor: Roger Chavez 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Draw what you see competently and with confidence. Drawing is not only the basis for other creative endeavors like painting and sculpting, but also a powerful means of describing the world around you and expressing yourself. Instruction will address fundamental concepts including line, shape, perspective, value, and composition. Draw from still life objects, the life model, and more while learning the proper use of drawing materials, sight-measuring methods to accurately gauge proportions and space, shading techniques to develop three-dimensional form and contrast, and means of developing personal expression. Ideal for beginners and those in need of a refresher. Tuition includes a $10 models fee. 

*Note: No class on August 7. 

Image: Roger Chavez. 

Register by: June 24
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Watercolor: Depicting the Natural World (Online)

$250

with Roberto Osti

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 3, 2024 at 2 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 2 – 4:30 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Roberto Osti 
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

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 technique for recording nature in a fresh and fun way.  In this course, learn fundamental drawing techniques and essential watercolor techniques to create both quick field sketches and detailed, finished artworks. Subject matter will include flowers, plants, and animals. Reference images will be gathered through observational sketches and photography.  An ideal course for those interested in both the fine arts and the Illustration field. 

Image: Roberto Osti.

Register by: June 24
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Drawing with Ink (Online)

$250

with David Wilson

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 3, 2024 at 6 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 6 – 8 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Drawing with ink offers a wealth of descriptive and expressive possibilities for fine art and illustration purposes. Learn pen, brush, and quill techniques to create rich values, crisp lines, textural or decorative effects, and atmospheric washes.  Hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, and wash methods will be covered, as well as preparatory drawing and corrective strategies.  Students will work from still-life, interiors, and photos with demonstrations, critiques, and posted content from the instructor toward helping each individual realize their goals in the medium.

Image: David Wilson.

Register by: June 24
Materials List 
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Paint the Evening City (Outdoor)

$175

with Frederic Kaplan

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 9, 2024 at 6 pm, runs for 4 weeks

Tuesdays, 6 – 8:30 p.m. 
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Four-Week Short Course (10 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.) 

Learn to paint the unique effects of evening light and activity of Center City and University City, Philadelphia. Discover techniques for managing the shifting light and shadows of the setting sun as it plays across the city’s historic architecture. This plein air option is perfect for summer painting, allowing artists to take advantage of cooling evening temperatures and the subtle or dramatic palette of sunset and dusk.  Previous painting experience required. Restrooms near all locations. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations. 

Image: Sybille Zeldin, Street Scene, Courtesy of student. 

Register by: July 1
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 





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