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Continuing Education at PAFA



Courses by Subject

Introduction to Gouache Painting

$395

with Shushana Rucker

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 6, 2026 at 6 pm, runs for 8 weeks

Tuesdays, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM  
Instructor: Shushana Rucker  
Eight-Week Short Course (24 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Learn the fundamentals of painting with gouache, the opaque watercolor paint. Painters of all levels will fall in love with it as a portable, fast-drying, and easy-to-clean-up alternative to oils – great for travel or limited working time and space. Explore color and painting techniques through still life subjects and personal photo references. Students will gain familiarity gouache’s unique characteristics to work on a variety of surfaces, master paint fluidity and control, accurately mix color and predict its effects, and promote its layering capabilities and surface qualities. Open to all levels; prior drawing experience is helpful for any painting course.

Register by: September 29  
Materials List
  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Woodcut Printmaking

$315

with Rebecca Gilbert

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 14, 2026 at 12:30 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM  
Instructor: Rebecca Gilbert
 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Printing from a drawing carved into wood block is the oldest and most straightforward form of printmaking. Artists of all levels enjoy its potential for intricate detail and graphic impact. Learn the basics of relief printmaking, including carving techniques, care of tools, types of wood and paper, registration, and how to use mark-making to translate ideas into dynamic black and white images. Instruction will cover printing by hand and on an etching press, using oil-based inks. This course is most suitable for folks that have some experience with printmaking, but all levels are welcome. Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.

Register by: October 7  
Materials List
   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Papermaking: Sheetforming to Sculpture

$345

with Clay Tenhula

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 15, 2026 at 12:30 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Thursdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM  
Instructor: Clay Tenhula  
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Discover the myriad of possibilities of handmade paper from sheetforming, to painterly pulp techniques, to sculptural forms in PAFA's Brodsky Center Paper Studio. Learn fundamentals or build on previous papermaking knowledge as you begin by forming sheets with a mould and deckle, and then move beyond into working with colored pulps and exploring 3D techniques such as casting and draping paper over armatures to create paper sculptures. Working with cotton, flax, and abaca fibers, experience how paper can fuction as both surface and structure.  All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $50 materials/lab fee. 

Image: Clay Tenhula

Register by: October 8  
Materials List  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Portrait Painting Basics Workshop

$250

with Theodore Xaras

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 17, 2026 at 9 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM  
Instructor: Theodore Xaras  
Weekend Workshop (14 Hours)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

This comprehensive workshop covers all aspects of painting a traditional portrait. Topics include achieving a likeness, modeling light and shade, mixing flesh tones and applying paint through various techniques. All participants will produce at least one finished portrait. Includes demonstrations and portrait history. Valuable information for all levels. Note: Tuition includes a $25 model fee.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will learn to analyze and construct a portrait using clearly defined steps.
  • Students will be able to achieve a likeness through the careful observation of shapes and their color/value equivalent, which together, form the “topography” of the face.
  • Students will learn how to mix and adjust colors to produce accurate flesh tones.
  • Students will be able to produce one completed portrait, either a head and shoulders or the entire torso and hands.
  • Students will be able to paint a recognizable portrait from life.
  • Students will gain an appreciation for the art of portraiture from their own work as well as becoming acquainted with historical and contemporary examples as a basis for further study.

Register by: October 9  
Materials List
   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Autumn Leaves and Fruit in Watercolor Workshop

$195

with Linda Gist

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 24, 2026 at 9:30 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM  
Instructor: Linda Gist  
Weekend Workshop 

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Watercolor is the perfect medium for capturing the jewel-like tones and gradients of color in autumn’s changing leaves and abundant harvests. Learn to preserve the season’s rich textures and tapestries of color by exploring a variety of paint mixing and application techniques while working from natural forms. This workshop will include demonstrations of wet-into-wet and dry-brush techniques and one-on-one instruction. All experience levels welcome.

Register by: October 16 
Materials List  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering. 

Introduction to Stone Lithography

$315

with Rae Helms

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 28, 2026 at 6 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Wednesdays, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM  
Instructor: Rae Helms  
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
 
No class on November 25

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

This six-week class introduces students to stone lithography, the traditional printmaking method of creating fine art prints from drawings made on limestone blocks. Students will learn the basics of this fascinating process, including graining the limestone to prepare it for drawing, creating an image in oil-based lithographic crayons and ink, etching the stone by means of a chemical process, inking the stone, and operating PAFA’s litho press to print an edition of prints. Students will benefit not only from expert class instruction, but also from access to PAFA’s beautiful, light-filled printmaking facilities (including its selection of limestone blocks) and plenty of monitored lab hours for outside work for the entire length of the course! Note: Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.

Check out this informative illustrated explanation courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

Register by: October 21  
Materials List
   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Watercolor Plunge

$295

with Tony Rosati

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 29, 2026 at 1 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Thursdays, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM  
Instructor: Tony Rosati  
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
 
No class on November 26 (Thanksgiving Break)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Take the plunge to learn the fundamentals of watercolor through this beginner-friendly class designed for those with little or no painting experience! 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 further your skills and enjoyment in the medium, in future studies or personal expression.

Register by: October 22  
Materials List
   
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.

Assemblage and Mixed Media Art (ONLINE)

$265

with Colleen O'Donnell

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 29, 2026 at 6 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Thursdays, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Instructor: Colleen O'Donnell  
Six-Week Online Short Course (Zoom + Asynchronous Content; 18-Hour Equivalent)
 
No class on November 26 (Thanksgiving Break)

Register by August 21 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDFALL2026 at checkout (and click “+” to calculate the deduction). PAFA members at the Dual-Plus/Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Fall classes and workshops only. Remaining Summer classes, Studio rental programs, Open Academy (Certificate) courses, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.

Students in this online assemblage art course will master the foundational techniques of mixed-media construction from their home studios. Participants will develop a sharp eye for transforming everyday household or discarded objects into cohesive three-dimensional narratives, learning to evaluate items for both their structural integrity and their symbolic meaning. Beyond physical fabrication, students will cultivate critical thinking and visual literacy by actively participating in live Zoom critiques. By the conclusion of the workshop, learners will possess a portfolio of finished sculptures alongside the technical and creative problem-solving skills necessary to independently share, critique, and execute complex multi-material art projects.

Register by: October 22  
Materials List
  
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.





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