Sundays, 3 – 4 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury
Ten-Week Course (30-Hour Equivalent)*
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)

Explore historic and modern methods of drawing in this deep dive into its materials and techniques. Examine both realistic and expressionistic approaches through topics of line, form, and value, utilizing visual examples from the Renaissance to the modern eras.  Survey staple artist’s materials including charcoal and graphite pencil, and pastel, as well as methods for watercolor and acrylic incorporations of color and mixed media. Weekly Zoom presentations will feature visual histories, examples, explanations of techniques, and demonstrations by the instructor. Additional presentations will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, along with weekly drawing projects that will be critiqued by the instructor. This course contains valuable information for both beginners as well as experienced artists interested in expanding the creative possibilities of drawing in their work. 

*Note: No class on March 9. 

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 

Sundays, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below) 

Examine the great traditions of color in art and how to improve color application and expression in your work. Instruction will present discussions of color topics including its visual history, materials, theories, and topical approaches, supplemented by demonstrations by the instructor.  Content will address techniques in oil, water media, and acrylic, with a focus on advancing color organization and expression in your work. Weekly projects in Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, will be assigned and critiqued by the instructor. This course is ideal for both students struggling with color concepts and artists seeking to deepen their use of color in their work; beginning and advanced students welcome.  

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

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)  

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 opaquely and transparently in both alla prima and layering styles, 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

Saturdays, 1 – 3:30 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Ten-Week Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)

Abstraction in art can look like a variety of different things, from the painterly glow of a Turner seascape to the flattened patterns of a Matisse interior to Pollock’s nonobjective drip technique. But how does one get from painting realistically what one can see in the real world to translating it into invented color and shape or to abandoning form altogether? Learn from master artists throughout modern art history by trying on their techniques to find your own personal style! Explore different paint application methods, color interactions, and compositional tactics as you take on a variety of subjects, including still life, interiors, landscape, and the figure or self-portrait…using the examples of Helen Frankenthaler, David Hockney, Mickalene Thomas, and other master artists to guide you. Each session will open with lecture/critique with artist examples and then lead into open painting time with one-on-one feedback from the instructor. Whether you are seeking to drive your current work to a new direction or simply experiment with different ways of generating imagery, this is a great steppingstone to making abstraction – in whatever form it may take – personal, expressive, and satisfying. Open to all media and levels but drawing experience recommended.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.

Register by: February 7
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 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. Paint with confidence by learning techniques to tap into your intuitive process and find inspiration more easily! Experienced instruction and advice will push students to take chances and explore unexpected directions and accidental marks to achieve artistic discoveries. Students will use line, color and space, and editing possibilities to create busy/calm areas and focal points in their paintings as they work from personal imagery, expression, and imagination. Instruction will take the form of PowerPoint presentation/examples, formal direction from modern and contemporary artists, and one-on-on critiques in Zoom sessions that are geared toward open painting time in a classroom-like setting.  Painting experience recommended.  

Register by: February 21
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Tuesdays, 6 – 8 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Alicia Mino
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Learn to create lively and realistic animal portraits utilizing watercolor painting techniques. Explore the anatomy and structure of the skull and facial features, as well as the construction and natural rendering of fur and other textures. Emphasis will be placed on expressing the unique character and posture of the animal portrait subject, as students work from their choice of wildlife imagery or photos of household pets. Instruction will address basic drawing and watercolor techniques for creating precise but soft effects – perfect for the distinctive needs for creating animal likenesses.  

Register by: March 3
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Live Zoom Only)
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only 

Elevate the role of color and learn how to incorporate it both strategically and intuitively into your paintings under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi.  Examine concepts of temperature, value, saturation, and harmony/contrast through color relationships.  Explore color’s role in creating focal points, suggesting space, influencing mark, and promoting personal expression. Work from personal subject matter (objects, images, emotions, or ideas) to develop your personal style, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Zoom sessions feature open painting time, supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student to guide them toward their goals. This course is excellent for students seeking to promote their use of color in abstract/nonobjective imagery and anyone seeking knowledgeable feedback within a focused community painting environment.  Painting experience recommended.  

Register by: March 7
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses 

Saturdays, 1 – 3 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Three-Week Short Course (9 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only

Sketching is the foundation for any artist's practice. A few thumbnail sketches can be the start to a larger project by triggering an idea or capturing a place or object. Whether you are new to the practice of maintaining a sketchbook or are already in the habit of drawing on the train or in cafés, this short course is designed to keep your hand in action and guide you toward your next art pursuit. Using your surroundings as well as arranged still lifes as your subject, learn to consider line, value, shape and light as means of efficiently encapsulating both places/objects and your emotional response. Topics of discussion and exploration will include how master artists have used the sketch in their own practice and each student’s goals for their current work. This engaging class is for both the beginner and the seasoned artist.

Register by: April 18
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses