Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Instructor: Charles Muldowney
Five-Week Short Course (20 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Enjoy open-air painting in beautiful Valley Forge National Historical Park, the encampment site of George Washington’s Continental Army in 1777-1778 and now home to a painter’s delight of lush scenery and historic architecture!  Located in Montgomery County, 35 minutes northwest of Center City Philadelphia, the park features great views of the Schuylkill River, Valley Creek, the Valley Forge Farm, Mt. Joy, Mt. Misery, and many valleys, cabins, and colonial houses, with ample parking and access to restrooms.  Working from diverse landscape subject matter, students will learn the essential materials, tools, techniques, and strategies for painting on site.  Instruction will cover a variety of plein air approaches, including painting with a knife and brush, painting from an imprimatura,  Macchiaioli painting, and working from sketches to block in local color.  Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation.

Image: Charles Muldowney, Valley Forge Arch. 

Register by: June 24
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies

Tuesdays, 6 – 8:30 p.m. 
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Four-Week Short Course (10 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Learn to paint the unique effects of evening light and activity of Center City and University City, Philadelphia. Discover techniques for managing the shifting light and shadows of the setting sun as it plays across the city’s historic architecture. This plein air option is perfect for summer painting, allowing artists to take advantage of cooling evening temperatures and the subtle or dramatic palette of sunset and dusk.  Previous painting experience required. Restrooms near all locations. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations. 

Image: Jane Freilicher, Rooftops, 1989, oil on canvas, 14 x 18 in. Collection of PAFA; accession #2011.1.41. Art by Women Collection, Gift of Linda Lee Alter. Copyright © 1989 Jane Freilicher, Courtesy Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York.

Register by: July 1
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies 

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 

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