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Continuing Education at PAFA

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CE Four- Through Six-Week Short Courses

in CE Courses by Format/Length

Watercolor Plunge (Online)

$250

with Tony Rosati

Calendar Next available session starts May 28, 2024 at 1 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Tuesdays, 1 – 4 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Tony Rosati
Six-Week Short Course (18 hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Join Tony Rosati, PAFA BFA faculty and accomplished watercolorist, in this live Zoom class designed for those with little or no experience in watercolor. Acquire a thorough grounding in basic watercolor materials and techniques, including papers, brushes and pigments, as well as transparent and opaque painting methods. Gain the confidence to progress in your skills and enjoyment in the medium, in future studies or personal expression. 

Image: Tony Rosati.

Register by: May 17

Materials List

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Plein Air Painting in Gouache (Outdoor)

$325

with Michelle Oosterbaan

Calendar Next available session starts Jun 1, 2024 at 10 am, runs for 5 weeks

Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Five-Week Short Course (20 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Gouache (opaque watercolor paint) is the perfect medium for landscape painting in the open air! Painters of all levels will fall in love with it as a portable, fast-drying, and easy-to-clean-up alternative to oils. Explore gouache’s subtle but vibrant color and versatile application methods as you portray the beauty of Philadelphia’s parks in your own personal style. Learn techniques for choosing a composition, mixing color, and working efficiently outdoors as you complete a series of rapid sketches and at least one sustained painting. Open to all levels. Painting locations featuring shade, restrooms, and other amenities may include Wissahickon Park in Mt. Airy, Washington Square Park near Independence Hall, and Bartram's Garden in Southwest Philadelphia. Note:  Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.

Image: Michelle Oosterbann. 

Register by: May 24

Materials List

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Metal Sculpture (In-Person)

$320

with Steve Nocella

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

Saturdays, 1 - 4 p.m.*
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

This six-week course teaches the basic skills needed for making metal sculpture. Learn fundamental methods of cutting, bending and welding metal such as sawing, heating, and MIG welding. Students will be encouraged to explore the medium with directness and spontaneity to gain a knowledge and understanding of its complexion. Note: Tuition includes a $25 lab fee.

*Note: No class on July 6 for Independence Day weekend.

Images: Steve Nocella, Bust with Helmet and Facemask No. 6, 2023. Mixed media.

Register by: May 24

Materials List

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Monoprint/Etching (In-Person)

$315

with Tony Rosati

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

Mondays, 1 - 4 p.m. 
Instructor: Tony Rosati 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

This course presents basic intaglio and monotype printing techniques including monoprint, drypoint, etching, aquatint, collograph and polymer plate methods. Image embellishments will include embossing, chine collé, collage, paper plates and mixed media techniques. All levels welcome; experienced students may continue independent work. Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.  

Image: Tony Rosati, Pine Barrens, Monotype, 8 x 6 in.

Register by: June 24 

Materials List  

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

Fundamentals of Oil Painting (Online)

$250

with Susan Sullivan

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

Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Are you intimidated by the idea of oil painting? This course will help the beginning painter gain confidence in a variety of techniques including direct and indirect painting; color mixing; using mediums, solvents and additives; and painting with a brush and palette knife. Subject matter will include still life, portrait, interior spaces, landscape, and a master copy. Zoom class times will be comprised of group lectures and demonstrations, as well as studio painting time where the instructor will work one-on-one to guide students toward successful compositions. Drawing experience required. 

Image: Susan Sullivan, Malibu, Oil on panel, 16 x 16 in.

Register by: June 24 

Materials List  

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Impasto Painting (Online)

$250

with Charles Muldowney

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 2, 2024 at 10 am, runs for 6 weeks

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Charles Muldowney 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Impasto is a technique in which paint is applied in very thick layers, often with visible brush or painting-knife strokes, to impart texture, expression, or even sculptural effects.  Impasto techniques have been an essential part of painting history, from the underlying vigorous brushwork of Renaissance artists to the distinctive mark-making of past and contemporary masters such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, de Kooning, Soutine, Lucian Freud, and Auerbach. Learn techniques to build a thick, textured surface to find your own unique impasto style in this course. 

Learning Objectives 

  • Students will learn the history of the impasto painting technique. 
  • Students will gain confidence in applying thick spontaneous layers of paint. 
  • Students will loosen up and discover how to create a unique mark making signature. 
  • Students will learn how to paint with a pallet knife and other tools. · Students will discover the difference between direct and indirect painting. 
  • Students will learn the important techniques of glazing, velatura, scumbling and dry brush. 

Image: Charles Muldowney. 

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

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

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

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





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