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PAFA Friend Membership
Become a PAFA Member at the Friend Level or above, and save 10% on CE Classes, Workshops and Master Classes! Discount not included for special programs such as Open Academy or Summer Studio Critique Programs.
Friend Membership confers all the benefits of Household Membership for 2 adults and their dependant children under 18, plus:
- Six complimentary guest passes to share with family and friends
- 10% discount on Continuing Education classes and workshops
- Complimentary admission to the members-only Curator Conversation lecture series
- Reciprocal membership to 1,200+ museums in North America through the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM) and the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM)
Classical Design for Contemporary Artists (Online)
with Charles Muldowney
Tuesdays, 10 am - 1 pm
Design is the application of the formal elements of aesthetics to an artwork to enhance its strengths. This class will explain these formal elements of design: composition, space, value, light, color, line, texture and pattern. Course content will include art historical discussions using artists past and present to exemplify these design principles. The classes will also include demonstrations of the applications of each principle, and time to experiment and apply what you learned to your own work
Course Topics:
Composition – This class will discuss the arrangement of forms, rhythms, colors, values, and lines in a work to create an interesting image. Principles like the Golden Ratio and other concepts will be made simple. Students will be able to identify these elements in the work of classical and contemporary artists. The works of Hopper, Bartlett, Vermeer, Millet, Poussin, and others will be discussed.
Space – This class will investigate the creating of a sense of depth in a work using size, position of forms, value, saturation, edge and perspective.
Perspective - atmospheric perspective, linear perspective, intuitive perspective will be discussed and demonstrated. The class will look at the work of Alberti, Masaccio, Durer, Leonardo DaVinci, Giacometti and others.
Value and Light – This class will examine the creating of a range of dark and light in a work. High key and low-key value will be discussed and demonstrated. We will study how to manipulate the value to create a sense of illumination and drama. The class will look at work of Prud’hon, Lorrain, Rigaud, Hassam, Degas, Seurat, Rembrandt, Hopper, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Whistler.
Color – This class will examine how color works and principles of color in art to create mood, space and harmony. Artists studied: Van Gogh, Matisse, Piper, Diebenkorn, Rothko and others.
Line – This class will explore the use of line in creating planes, volume, mass, and space. Line weight, gesture, accent and passage will also be discussed. The class will look at the work of Van Gogh, Klee, Rembrandt, Kline and others.
Texture and Pattern – this class will look at creating a rich visually interesting surface that provides contrast, variety, and decoration. Artists studied: Escher, Close, Mondrian, Pollock, Klimt, Essaydi and Fish.
Learning Objectives:
- Students will recognize and apply the seven basic elements of classical design.
- Students will become familiar with several important art historical figures, and their influence on design.
- Students will experiment with a variety of techniques and materials to gain an understanding of how mark making influences design.
- Students will develop and discuss concepts and image development in the form of structured critique.
- Students will gain confidence in their ability to create interesting design within their own artwork.
Register by: May 13
Painting Animals in Casein and Gouache (Online)
with Fred Danziger
Wednesdays, 1 - 4 pm
Cats, dogs, horses, birds, even fantasy animals like dragons have enriched the history of art! Whether done as portraits or as part of your own personal art study, painting animals convincingly adds a rich element to any artist’s vocabulary. Basics, such as composition, color, drawing accuracy and animal anatomy will be part of this course, but rendering textures like fur and feathers, which bring animals to life on the canvas will be a special focus of the course.
Although students can work in any medium, the weekly demonstrations will be done in casein and gouache. Art historical examples and contemporary uses of animal imagery, as well as student discussion of their own work will also be a major part of the sessions.
Course outline:
- Getting the most out of the photo sources you use. Choosing and editing the photo. Composition, lighting, studio set up and special techniques for casein and gouache. Drawing and underpainting. Panel preparation.
- Developing the painting in stages. Shading and transitions with opaque media. Casein emulsion and glazing. Textures.
- Finishing touches. Mid-course critique.
- Combining different photo sources into one painting including different perspectives. Photoshop and free alternatives.
- Surrealism, abstraction and symbolic styles of animal imagery from Lascaux to Picasso, to contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons.
- Final critique and discussion of photographing, preserving and framing casein and gouache.
Register by: May 13
Painting Over the Line, Summer Session 1 (Online)
with Kassem Amoudi
Wednesdays, 1 - 4 pm
Take your work to the next level under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi in this live Zoom class. Expert instruction and advice will push you to explore new possibilities and work more intuitively, allowing unplanned marks and passages to become artistic breakthroughs. Paint from personal subject matter to find your own visual language, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Painting experience recommended. Kassem will begin each class with a slide presentation/lecture focusing on how master artists through history have addressed color, harmony, focal points, space, mark making, paint application, and more, and how to apply these concepts to your own work.
Register by: May 13
Mindful Painting (Online)
with Dona Duncan
Thursdays, 1 - 2:30 pm
Free your inner artist as you explore new ways of expressing your feelings on canvas. Study the life and work of master artists to be able to appreciate their work in a deeper way and to incorporate aspects of their artwork into your own personal style. Class sessions will incorporate meditation and mindfulness techniques, as well as discussions about how artists’ experiences and emotional states affect their work, as students paint together in a supportive and fun atmosphere, supplemented by music and poetry. Discover how creativity can enrich your daily life under the guidance of Dona Duncan, registered art therapist and practicing artist, in this live Zoom class. No prior art experience necessary.
Register by: May 13
Image: Dona Duncan
Natural History Illustration (Online)
with Kate Samworth
Thursdays, 3 - 5 pm
Discover the fascinating world of natural history illustration through its greatest contributors from ancient Greece to the nineteenth century. Investigate the unusual lives of those who traveled the globe in search of new specimens and how they contributed to our understanding of nature. Each week’s instruction will focus on a different field of study: botany, entomology, mammalogy, ornithology, marine biology, and cartography. Students will be guided through the process of illustrating specimens from each field using Micron pens, colored pencils, acrylic inks, or other wet or dry media of choice.
Image: Instructor Kate Samworth in her studio
Register by: May 13
Watercolor Plunge (Online)
with Tony Rosati
Saturdays, 10 am - 1 pm
Join Tony Rosati, PAFA BFA faculty and accomplished watercolorist, in this live Zoom class designed for those with little or no experience in watercolor. 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 the confidence to continue to work with watercolor beyond the workshop.
Register by: May 13
Alla Prima Landscape Painting, Section 1 (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 3 - 4 pm
Al Gury, Chair of PAFA’s Painting Department and noted author of Color for Painters: A Guide to Traditions and Practice, presents this in-depth approach to the skills, materials, colors, history, and techniques of direct landscape painting.
Working from photographs, master works, or available on-site images, learn concepts that will not only improve your landscape painting but also grow your in confidence in your artistic practice. Video demonstrations, images, and written instructions on Canvas will be supplemented by critiques and weekly Zoom discussions. Oil painting will be the primary focus, but all media are welcome.
NOTE: This is a Condensed Course, available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $525
Register by: May 13