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Traditions in Landscape Painting (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 3 – 4 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)
In this visually rich and interactive class, students will be guided through the development of the color and styles of contemporary landscape painting from its beginnings in the 16th century to the modern era, with a focus on historical Dutch landscape painting, the English and French plein air painters, the Impressionist landscape, and early modern forms of personal expression in the genre. Each class will include a visual history of the topic, color palettes, the materials and techniques of each approach, and a video demonstration by the instructor. Working from master copies and photos, as well as observational painting, will be addressed. Weekly project assignments will be critiqued by the instructor. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the development of landscape painting while developing individualized painting approaches and personal style.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
* No class on May 26 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Register by: May 10
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Foundations of Art 101 (Online)
with Al Gury
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)
Al Gury, Professor of Painting and Drawing at PAFA, and noted author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing, presents the foundational basics of art making. This course is designed for individuals who are new to or just beginning to study art, or for those desiring a refresher in the basic elements, with a goal of imparting a solid and practical understanding of essential topics and practices. As a survey course, each week will focus on a specific topic and a project assignment. Topics will include the materials of drawing and painting, drawing shapes, measuring, forms, perspective, depth, use of line, understanding light and shade, and composition. Exercises will include the basics of charcoal and pencil drawing, use of pastel, color concepts, and how oil paints work. Subjects will include still lifes, interior spaces, portraits, and life drawing through the use of masterworks. Course content and assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Weekly Zoom meetings will provide opportunities for Q&A, art history discussion and references, illustrations of key concepts, and explanations of the weekly project by the instructor.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
* No class on May 26 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Register by: May 10
Image: Al Gury.
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Narrative Painting for Fine Art and Illustration (Water-Media) (Online)
with Kate Samworth
Thursdays, 3 - 5 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Six-Week Short Course (18 hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Develop your artistic voice through a series of drawing and painting projects with artist and award-winning illustrator, Kate Samworth. Work from observation, memory, and imagination to learn to clearly communicate your ideas through pictures. Content includes demonstrations in perspective drawing, working from reference materials, and developing the palette best suited to the intention of each work of art. Weekly feedback from instructor and group conversations/critiques will cultivate new ideas and promote understanding of course concepts. Students will work in drawing materials and the water-based color media of their choice. Learning Objectives:
- Use new approaches to conveying ideas and emotions
- Deepen your understanding of perspective to create a convincing sense of space and atmosphere
- Develop a personal sense of color harmony through color mixing exercises
- Learn the most effective ways to work from reference materials and avoid the pitfalls of using photographic references
- Examine historical and contemporary narrative works as a means of developing your voice
Image: Kate Samworth, Pollinators.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Alternative Media for Illustrators (Online)
with James Heimer
Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: James Heimer
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Refine your visual communications skills and experiment with personal style through unconventional media. In other words, this is creative playtime for adults.
This course is designed for creative professionals who are eager to expand their personal mark-making language, strengthen their capacity for visual problem solving, and develop unique strategies for managing creative block. Students will be challenged with creating illustrative two- and three-dimensional work using found materials in addition to experimenting with DIY printmaking methods. Through various group exercises and individual assignments, this class will encourage artistic growth through critical thinking and process-related risk.
This course will utilize the online learning platform Canvas, and includes video demonstrations, lectures, and assignments. Weekly group exercises and individual critiques will be conducted via Zoom.
Image: James Heimer.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Watercolor Plunge (Online)
with Tony Rosati
Tuesdays, 1 – 4 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Tony Rosati
Six-Week Short Course (18 hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
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 confidence to progress in your skills and enjoyment in the medium, in future studies or personal expression.
Image: Tony Rosati.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Masters' Guide to Abstract Painting (Online)
with Susan Sullivan
Tuesdays, 6 – 8:30 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 different 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 include lecture and artist examples, in-class painting time, and 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.
Image: Susan Sullivan, Pool Puddle, Oil on canvas, 20 x 20 in.
Register by: May 17
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Figure as a Point of Departure Workshop (Online)
with Kassem Amoudi
Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Live Zoom Only)
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only
If you are tired of getting lost in the details and traditional modes of representational painting and want to take a risk by exploring new ways of expressing the human form, this class is for you. Learn to paint and draw the human figure in a looser, more expressionistic contemporary manner. Expert instruction and advice from the instructor will push students to work more intuitively, allowing unplanned marks and passages to become artistic breakthroughs. PowerPoint presentations and examples of contemporary ways of using the figure will be provided to enhance your understanding of the abstract qualities of space, line and color. Sessions will include live painting time in the style of a traditional classroom environment, with critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student. Open to all levels of figure drawing/painting experience, but students should have experience with using their materials of choice. Note: Due to the emphasis on live instructor feedback and in-class painting, this Zoom class is not recorded.
Image: Kassem Amoudi, Shadow 3 (detail), acrylic on canvas.
Register by: May 31
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Fundamentals of Oil Painting (Online)
with Susan Sullivan
Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Are you intimidated by the idea of oil painting? This course will help the beginning painter gain confidence in a variety of techniques including direct and indirect painting; color mixing; using mediums, solvents and additives; and painting with a brush and palette knife. Subject matter will include still life, portrait, interior spaces, landscape, and a master copy. Zoom class times will be comprised of group lectures and demonstrations, as well as studio painting time where the instructor will work one-on-one to guide students toward successful compositions. Drawing experience required.
Image: Susan Sullivan, Malibu, Oil on panel, 16 x 16 in.
Register by: June 24
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies