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Full-Semester and Short Courses/Workshops Beginning in January - February
in All CE Winter/Spring 2025 In-Person and Online Courses
Mastering Acrylics (Online)
with Frederic Kaplan
Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Master the fundamental materials and techniques of acrylic painting in just six weeks! Through a combination of online videos, illustrated lessons, and live Zoom sessions, learn to paint in the alla prima style, apply paint both opaquely and transparently, blend color and value, and employ various layering techniques. Color mixing and theory are also addressed, and a rich resource of information about the wide array of acrylic painting materials is provided. This course is appropriate for students at all levels, including beginners, but drawing experience is recommended. Weekly Zoom meetings will supplement asynchronous instruction.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Register by: January 17
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Painting over the Line (In-Person)
with Kassem Amoudi
Wednesdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Learn to explore new possibilities and paint more intuitively under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi. Work from personal subject matter (objects, images, emotions, or ideas) to find your own visual language, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Examine how to use concepts of color, harmony, focal point, space, and mark-making as powerful tools of personal expression. Open painting is heavily supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student to guide them in their personal style and goals. This course is excellent for students pursuing abstract or nonobjective imagery, seeking knowledgeable feedback and a focused community painting environment. Painting experience recommended.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Register by: January 22
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Still Life Painting: Incorporating Metaphor and Meaning (In-Person)
with Frederic Kaplan
Fridays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Beginning with Caravaggio’s 1599 Basket of Fruit, still-life has a long history as a vehicle for transforming the commonplace into powerful statements. Take part in this intriguing tradition by exploring the symbolic and narrative potential of the unique object arrangements in PAFA’s dedicated still-life studio. This course is also ideal for gaining or advancing essential painting skills as you expand your understanding of color, composition, application and layering techniques, and painting materials. Instruction will focus on oil and acrylic paints, but gouache is also permitted. Previous drawing experience strongly recommended. Painting experience helpful but not required.
Learning Objectives:
The student will learn how to…
- Select and use basic materials, including the characteristics of various commonly used colors, solvents, and mediums
- Execute a variety of direct and indirect painting methods.
- Employ approaches to interpreting and modifying observed reality to achieve emotive, symbolic, and compositional goals
- Engage in the descriptive, emotive, and symbolic use of color, shape, and mark
- Apply basic color theory and color mixing skills
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Register by: January 24
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Metal Sculpture (In-Person)
with Steve Nocella
Saturdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
This ten-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. Open to all levels. Note: Tuition includes a $65 lab fee.
*Note: No class on March 8.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $660 (including lab fee). Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Register by: January 24
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Ceramic Sculpture (In-Person)
with Marguerita Hagan
Tuesdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Marguerita Hagan
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Explore a custom sculpture experience in clay with veteran ceramicist, Marguerita Hagan. Learn various hand-building processes with an emphasis on abstraction. Create work that is either wall-hanging or free-standing, focused on 3D qualities or surface treatments, or both. Whatever you imagine will be supported with experienced individualized attention and specific hand-building and painting techniques to manifest your intention. Gain exposure not only to hand-building directions but also to many surface treatment methods including airbrush, underglaze paints, pencils, masking, resist, glaze, overglaze lusters, and waterslide and rice paper transfer decals. Instruction will be tailored to serve the individual whether for learning basic hand-building methods or realizing a work or series. Come with no experience or translate your existing practice into the transformative language of clay. Note: Tuition includes a $30 lab fee.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $625, including lab fee. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Register by: January 28
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Woodcut and Relief Printmaking (In-Person)
with Dan Miller
Thursdays, 1 – 4 p.m.
Instructor: Dan Miller
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Printing from a drawing carved into wood or a linoleum block is the oldest and most straightforward form of printmaking. The direct nature of this process makes it an ideal introduction to printmaking for beginners, while artists of all levels enjoy its potential for intricate detail and graphic impact. All aspects of the process will be covered, including drawing on the block, carving your design, ink brayer use and press operation, and printing in black-and white and color. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $30 lab fee.
*Note: No class on March 6.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $625 (including lab fee). Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Image: Dan Miller, Leaning from the Sea, color woodcut.
Register by: January 31
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Portrait and Figure Drawing (In-Person)
with Phyllis Laver
Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Drawing from the portrait and life model is one of the most time-honored methods of art training at PAFA. Improve your observation-based drawing skills as you work in charcoal and graphite directly from life models in short and long poses, exploring gesture, proportions, anatomy and expression. All levels welcome. Note: Tuition includes a $65models fee.
Learning Objectives
- Students will stretch the traditional definitions of portrait and life drawing to merge the two into personal statements.
- Students will work with clothed and unclothed/life models who are diverse individuals.
- Students will acquire a working knowledge of varied drawing materials, including charcoal, graphite and ink.
- Students will acquire a working knowledge of form and structure in the body.
- Students will develop the ability to better see the model rather than rely on schema.
- Students will acquire knowledge of diverse artists and their ways of working.
*Note: No class on March 6.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $660, including models fee. Select credit option when registering.
Image: Phyllis Laver.
Register by: January 30
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
The Portrait in Pencil Workshop (In-Person)
with RA Friedman
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: RA Friedman
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by December 16 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2025 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Studio rental programs, Open Academy (BFA) courses, certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Using inexpensive materials, this hands-on workshop will introduce the concepts and methods needed to create a strong sense of dimension and likeness in your portrait drawings. Explore the proportions and planes of the head, neck and shoulders. Learn how to create a structural foundation and how to easily manage anatomy by breaking down forms into simple geometric shapes. Instruction will address different strategies for creating a finished tonal portrait as well as tips and tricks that will help you draw like a pro! Note: Tuition includes a $10 models fee.
For more advanced instruction or an optional follow-up to this course, see the instructor's Advanced Portrait Drawing Workshop.
Register by: January 31
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies