Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Instructor: Roger Chavez 
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours) 

Cultivate fluid mark-making and bold approaches to subject matter through rapid and loose painting studies. Tight and precise painting, especially in the early stages of an artwork, can sometimes lead to work that appears stiff and over-labored, or to locked-in compositions that are difficult to change or correct. Working from the still life, cityscapes, and the life model, utilize short, small painting exercises to learn new ways of starting paintings, keeping compositions open to adjustment, and both initiating and retaining a sense of freshness in your forms and brushstrokes. Instruction will address color mixing, painting materials and methodologies, and the importance of cultivating viablemethods for growth in your painting practice. Discover the beauty and freedom of loosening up your painting! Note: Tuition includes a $25 models fee.

Image: Roger Chavez

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

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 - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Weekend Workshop 

Gain the basics you need to step into an acrylic painting practice! Learn to use quick-drying acrylics in thin, transparent layers as well as thicker, more opaque applications that produce textural and impasto effects. Materials like fluid mediums, gels, and pastes will be demonstrated, along with both brush and palette knife techniques. Experiment with both limited and expanded color palettes as you work from still life subjects. This workshop is ideal for students looking for a non-toxic, flexible painting medium, as well as anyone seeking to explore acrylics’ excellent potential for representational and abstract work. Drawing experience is recommended.   

Image: Fred Kaplan. 

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

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.

Sundays, 3 - 4 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings) 
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
No class on April 5 

Explore ways to improve your use of color and enhance your personal style and expression with Al Gury, noted professor and author of Alla Prima,Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. Great colorists such as Velasquez, Manet, Matisse, and Diebenkorn among others will provide the focus for weekly explorations of how to improve color in your work. Visual histories and examples, materials, problem solving, and color theories will be presented through live Zoom meetings and recorded video demonstrations, with a goal of helping each student find their own color voice. Instruction includes a weekly painting project to guide the participants through understanding and improving color choices in their work and subject matter. Assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, and critiqued by the instructor for helpful feedback. Open to all levels of experience and all media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel.

Image: Al Gury.

Register by: March 9 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

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 - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Instructor: Joseph Sweeney 
Three-Week Short Course (12 Hours) 

Join veteran plein air artist Joe Sweeney for a unique opportunity to paint inside one of the oldest rowing clubs in Philadelphia: the Bachelors Barge Club on Boathouse Row.  Work from picturesque views of the Schuylkill River with the benefit of full access to the historic building with access to the dock, rain-/sun-sheltered porch, and amenities including restrooms.  Experienced guidance will cover tactics for working efficiently outdoors, selecting a composition, color mixing, and capturing time of day and atmospheric effects.  Instruction and demonstrations will be geared toward acrylic, oil, and pastel painting, but experienced watercolorists are welcome to participate.  Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.

Learn more about the history of the Bachelors Barge Club at https://www.bachelorsbargeclub.org/history. 

Register by: April 21 
Materials List - Coming Soon 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.