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Continuing Education at PAFA

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In-Person Classes

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Figure Painting: The Extended Pose (In-Person)

$330

with David Wilson

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 13, 2024 at 10 am, runs for 6 weeks

Saturdays, 10 a.m - 1 p.m. 
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Paint from a life model in a single pose for the entire course. Extended time with a single subject allows students to work with the instructor to tailor exercises that address their individual interests, including the development of one large image or several smaller studies. The first session will include time for gestural and thumbnail drawings in preparation for the model’s final placement. 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. 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: July 5
Materials List

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

Handquilting (In-Person)

$195

with Sheryl Kessler

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 13, 2024 at 10 am, runs for 4 weeks

Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
Instructor: Sheryl Kessler 
Four-Week Short Course (12 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

The act of hand-stitching is a meditative and relaxing process that produces beautiful and unique results without any machine required. Learn the techniques of slow-stitching by creating your own small (wall-hanging)-sized quilt. All techniques will be taught by hand, but students are welcome to bring personal sewing machines if they wish. The following methods will be taught:   

  • Patchwork  
  • Applique (raw edge and turned edge)  
  • Traditional quilting and tied quilting  
  • Binding   

Benefit by working alongside other participants, to enjoy conversation and company and to learn from, and admire, each other’s work! 

Image: Sheryl Kessler, I KEEP ON FALLIN' IN AND OUT OF LOVE WITH YOU.

Register by: July 8
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

Watercolor in the Park (Outdoor)

$295

with Keith Leitner

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 14, 2024 at 9 am, runs for 6 weeks

Sundays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
Instructor: Keith Leitner 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Capture the colors of summer en plein air through vibrant watercolor! Become comfortable and confident with the practice of working outdoors at picturesque Lemon Hill, Laurel Hill, and other select locations around the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fairmount Park. Instruction will cover means of accurately and expressively depicting outdoor sites, watercolor painting techniques, color mixing, and the history and capabilities of water media. All levels welcome. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.    

Learning Objectives:    

  • Learn to observe and depict landscape and cityscape en plein air with attendant materials and set up  
  • Learn color mixing and watercolor application techniques  
  • Study of pigment history and development  
  • Learn about watercolor history via short discussions of painters and their motifs 

Image: Keith Leitner.

Register by: July 8
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

In-Depth Watercolor, Session 2 (In-Person)

$675

with James Toogood

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 19, 2024 at 9 am, runs for 6 weeks

Fridays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 
Instructor: James Toogood 
Six-Week Condensed Course (42 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.5 Undergraduate Credits (See Below)

*This course was originally scheduled to take place July 12 - August 16.  Please note revised dates (delayed by one week).

Enrich your knowledge of painting with an in-depth look at watercolor. Thoroughly investigate a wide range of watercolor materials and techniques from your choice of landscape, still life, portrait, and figure subjects. Open to watercolorists of all levels and to acrylic/oil painters looking to broaden their skills.  

Learning Objectives  

  • Students will learn about color theory as applied to watercolor.  
  • Students will receive a comprehensive explanation of watercolor materials and tools, with particular focus will be paid to the properties of paint and pigments as they interact with the paintbrushes and paper.  
  • Through both discussions and demonstrations, first time participants and beginners will learn a variety of techniques that are fundamental to watercolor, presented in a systematic step by step method. Participants can expect to have regular individual instruction, given at their current skill level.  
  • Focus also will be paid on acquiring the skills needed to achieve a richness of color and a feeling of light.  
  • Participants will work from direct observations from the still life and model, as well as from one’s own source materials.  
  • Those not taking the class for credit will have the option to work on landscape, still life, portrait and figure or abstraction, as they wish.  
  • Participants will be exposed to a variety of watercolor styles and encouraged to discover one’s own personal aesthetic.  
  • The course is ultimately designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accomplished, personally rewarding watercolor paintings.   

Optional: This Condensed Course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $995. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering. 

Image: James Toogood, Venice

Register by: July 12
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

The Portrait in Pencil Workshop (In-Person)

$205

with RA Friedman

Calendar Next available session starts Jul 20, 2024 at 9 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Instructor: RA Friedman
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only

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.

Image: RA Friedman. 

Register by: July 12
Materials List 
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

The Art of Watercolor Workshop (In-Person)

$195

with Keith Leitner

Calendar Next available session starts Aug 3, 2024 at 9 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Instructor: Keith Leitner 
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Discover the beauty and versatility of watercolor through colorful and thoughtful still life arrangements. Discussions and in-depth demonstrations will acquaint beginners and those with limited experience with basic watercolor painting materials and techniques. A variety of approaches will be explored, and students will be encouraged to engage with the medium to find their own personal means of expression.  

Image: Keith Leitner. 

Register by: July 26
Materials List  
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Monotype Workshop

$235

with Tony Rosati

Calendar Next available session starts Aug 10, 2024 at 9 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Instructor: Tony Rosati
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Monotypes are an expressive and accessible entry into printmaking: draw or paint an image on a Plexiglas plate or other surface and then print it on paper or fabric to create a one-of-a-kind artwork. Instruction will cover both hand-printing and press techniques, as well as water- and oil-based colors. Tuition includes a $10 lab fee.

Image: Tony Rosati, Aquarium II, Monoprint, 18 x 24 in.

Register by: August 2

Materials List

Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Spontaneous Abstraction (In-Person)

$225

with Kassem Amoudi

Calendar Next available session starts Aug 10, 2024 at 9 am

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi 
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Many artists can feel frustrated in front of a blank canvas, unsure of how to start and what to paint. This workshop offers a step-by-step technique which will enable you to paint with confidence by tapping into your intuitive process and finding inspiration more easily. Experienced instruction and advice from the instructor will push students to take chances and explore unexpected directions and accidental marks as a means of achieving artistic discoveries. Demonstration of different drawing and painting techniques will enhance your knowledge of the process of painting. Students will utilize line, color and space, as well as the possibilities of editing, to create busy/calm areas and focal points in their paintings. Painting experience recommended. 

Image: Kassem Amoudi, Windows and Doors 25, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 in.

Register by: August 2
Materials List 
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 





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