Mondays, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. 
Instructor: Richard Estell 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Explore the painting techniques of the masters who pioneered the 19th and 20th century American watercolor movement, including Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Charles Demuth. Characterized by bright color and bold handling that includes accents of opaque watercolor and loose washes, work in this tradition captures subject matter with dazzling light-filled effects. Practice these classic methods and learn to incorporate them into your own artwork to achieve a greater freedom of expression as well as adaptability and control in the way that you paint. Demonstrations and art historical discussions will be combined with short and more extensive still life and self-portrait exercises. This course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels.

Image: Richard Estell, Watercress, 2011, watercolor, 30 x 22 in.

Register by: March 2 
Materials List
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  (Zoom meetings supplemented by Canvas content)
Instructor:  Roberto Osti 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

The human body is one of the most fascinating and inspiring subjects for artists, but many are intimidated by its complexity. Join Roberto Osti, artist, teacher and author of Basic Human Anatomy: An Essential Visual Guide, to draw the human figure with confidence through an understanding its basic shapes and underlying anatomy. Study the human form from a structural point of view to become familiar with its basic landmarks, essential volumes, main muscle groups, and proportional relationships. Supplement this anatomical knowledge with classical rendering methods using graphite, charcoal, and chalk on on white and toned papers, including the trois crayons technique, to produce beautiful figure drawings. The online structure allows for an optimal overhead view of the instructor’s demonstration drawings and a focused but conversational community environment as students draw alongside the instructor and complete in-class work together. 

Image:  Roberto Osti, Katal Huyuk Venus, 2006, red eath colored pencil on paper, 13.75x17.75 

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

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 
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
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

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.

Tuesdays, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. 
Instructor: Justine Ditto
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Photolithography the process by which images are photographically transferred to a plate and then printed. This wonderfully approachable practice allows students to transition from image creation to printing relatively quickly while still learning the principles of lithographic printmaking. In this short course, students will be guided through the process of creating lithographs using both photographic materials and hand-drawn imagery. Instruction will cover film drawing techniques, plate exposure, developing, and press printing. Each student will produce one monochromatic photolithograph printed either in black or a color.  Advanced students may have time to make two prints or one two-color print.  This type of printmaking is excellent as an introduction to lithography as well as a great technique for experienced printmakers to add to their repertoire. Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.

Note: Due to the number of steps and detailed process in this medium, most of the work will be done during class time through direct instruction and with the instructor present. Only students with previous lithography experience will be permitted to print outside of class.  Students who miss more than one class may not be able to complete the course work as demonstrations cannot be repeated due within the condensed format.  

Image courtesy of Justine Ditto

Register by: March 24 
Materials List
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Instructor: James Toogood 
Weekend Workshop 

Clouds and trees are common and important features in landscape paintings, their masses frequently encompassing significant portions of the composition. But how does the artist walk the fine line of imbuing these elements with texture, individuality, and detail without making them appear contrived or overfussed? This two-day workshop will present tactics for rendering these features successfully through color, form, and painting techniques. Examine types of cloud masses and how they may best be translated through additive and reductive methods.  Explore means of mimicking organic tree forms through brush movement and how to use color and detail to suggest distance.  Instruction includes painting demonstrations as well as a review of how master artists have represented these features in historic and contemporary works. Open to all levels. Demonstrations will be conducted in watercolor, but this class presents valuable information for painters of all media.

Image: James Toogood, Elbow Beach, watercolor, 10 × 14 in.

Register by: April 3 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Instructor: Larry Francis 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 
Rain Date: May 31

Capture the small-town beauty Manayunk's hilly streets, rowhomes, and storefronts.  Learn to create a convincing sense of space, light and time of day while depicting streetscapes, trees, water and sky.  Color mixing and painting techniques for oils will be demonstrated, but all drawing/painting media are welcome.  Located just 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, Manayunk offers engaging urban and riverside neighborhood subjects with parking, shade, provisions and facilities available. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations. 

Image: Larry Francis, Hill Town Paintings - View from Fleming, 2024, gouache on blue grey paper, 18 x 24 in.

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