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Plein Air Courses and Late-Semester Workshops Beginning April/May
in All CE Winter/Spring 2026 Regular In-Person and Online Courses
City Landscape Drawing and Painting (Outdoor)
with Larry Francis
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
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Plein Air Landscape at Boathouse Row (Outdoor)
with Joseph Sweeney
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
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.