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Session 2 - Spring: March - May Short Courses - NEW!
in All CE Winter/Spring 2023 In-Person and Online Courses & Workshops
The American Watercolor Tradition (In-Person)
with Richard Estell
Mondays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Explore the painting techniques of the masters who pioneered the 19th and 20th century American watercolor movement, including Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Charles Demuth. Characterized by bright color and bold handling that includes accents of opaque watercolor and loose washes, work in this tradition captures subject matter with dazzling light-filled effects. Practice these classic methods and learn to incorporate them into your own artwork to achieve a greater freedom of expression as well as adaptability and control in the way that you paint. Demonstrations and art historical discussions will be combined with short and more extensive still life and self-portrait exercises. This course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Richard Estell, River Rocks and Fog, watercolor, 22 x 30 in.
Register by: March 10
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Impasto Painting (Online)
with Charles Muldowney
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Impasto is a technique in which paint is applied in very thick layers, often with visible brush or painting-knife strokes, to impart texture, expression, or even sculptural effects. Impasto techniques have been an essential part of painting history, from the underlying vigorous brushwork of Renaissance artists to the distinctive mark-making of past and contemporary masters such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, de Kooning, Soutine, Lucian Freud, and Auerbach. Learn techniques to build a thick, textured surface to find your own unique impasto style.
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn the history of the impasto painting technique.
- Students will gain confidence in applying thick spontaneous layers of paint.
- Students will loosen up and discover how to create a unique mark making signature.
- Students will learn how to paint with a pallet knife and other tools.
- Students will discover the difference between direct and indirect painting.
- Students will learn the important techniques of glazing, velatura, scumbling and dry brush.
Image: Charles Muldowney, Sweet Potatoes, 2008, oil on panel, 6 x 13in.
Register by: March 14
Drawing: Representation to Abstraction (In-Person)
with Roger Chavez
Tuesdays, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Develop your drawing abilities beyond the fundamental concepts to make personal, expressive, and complex work. Moving from representation to abstraction is the challenge most artists need to take their work to another level or simply just embrace a greater understanding of the visual language. Understanding the picture plane as essentially a flat space, that has and contains shape, can help the artist not only understand the constraints of translating three-dimensional subject matter onto a two-dimensional surface, but also learn its relationship to historical translations of space such as Renaissance, Cubist and Modern applications. Use these principles to build a strong and clear understanding of representation and abstraction, to realize how they are one in the same, and to employ these linked concepts in different approaches through work from still-life and interior subject matter.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Roger Chavez, City.
Register by: March 3
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Assemblage Art (Online)
with Colleen O'Donnell
Tuesdays, 1 - 3 p.m.
From the reclusive Joseph Cornell’s fantastical sculptures to Betye Saar’s complex revisioning of racist tropes, assemblage as a means of artistic expression could not be better suited for the present moment, after years of social-distancing and tension. Assemblage intrinsically engages the unconscious while drawing on elements of design, whimsy, and chance to reflect a point of view and a moment in time. In this class, learn to transform everyday items, found objects, elements of nature, or memorabilia into three-dimensional sculpture and collage. Be guided through a different topic each week, delving into your own responses and ideas to create dramatic, humorous, emotional, and satirical works of art.
Learning Objectives:
- Make something that has value and is relevant to our experiences in this challenging time
- Supportive feedback of your work in a group of fellow artists
- Experience the process of art making in 3 dimensions, working intuitively or with pre-planned drawings
- Be introduced to the historical and contemporary innovators of assemblage art
Image: Peggy O'Donnell, Majestic Labor, clay, wood, wire, objects, 28" x 25" x 9"
Register by: March 14
Drawing with Charcoal and Graphite Pencil (Online)
with Alicia Mino
Tuesdays, 6 – 8 p.m.
Gain a firm foundation in classical drawing instruction using charcoal and graphite pencil. Working from still life subjects and natural forms through photo references, learn how to render texture, light, and contrast to create a sense of realism. Instruction will address not only line quality and shading, but also expressive addition and subtraction methods with brushes and kneaded erasers and techniques for mixing charcoal and graphite together for varied effects. Improve your drawing skills to encapsulate the world around you or to establish a firm grounding for further artistic study.
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn graphite pencil and charcoal pencil drawing techniques
- Students will learn how these mediums and techniques can be mixed for interesting effects
- Students will learn how to render realism though the study of texture, light, and contrast with graphite pencils and charcoal
- Students will learn how to utilize addition and subtraction techniques with brushes and kneaded eraser
Image: Alicia Mino.
Register by: March 14
Portrait and Figure Drawing in Ink (In-Person)
with Phyllis Laver
Tuesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Drawing the human form with ink offers an enormous range of delicate and dramatic possibilities and has been practiced by artists as varied as Rembrandt and Hockney. This dual-focus course featuring life models will allow students to hone their figure and portrait drawing skills while thoroughly investigating a variety of ink-based tools and techniques. Examples of ink drawings throughout history will be introduced and discussed each week. Instruction will be tailored to benefit both students focused on figure/portrait studies and those primarily interested in exploring the material of ink, addressing each student's individual skill level. Tuition includes a $25 models fee.
Learning Objectives:
- Students will become knowledgeable about materials through a comprehensive explanation of materials and tools
- Through discussion and demonstration, students will learn a variety of techniques in the use of ink
- Students will hone their skills in "seeing" and translating the life model onto the flat surface of the paper
- Students will use and become familiar with varied dry and wet materials
- Participants will learn about artists throughout history who have used ink in their work
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Phyllis Laver.
Register by: March 3
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Alla Prima Watercolor Still Life (In-Person)
with Keith Leitner
Wednesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Embrace the beauty and versatility of watercolor through alla prima painting. Discussions and in-depth demonstrations will acquaint beginners and those with limited experience with the basic materials and techniques. Working from still-life subjects, students will be encouraged to engage with the medium to find their own personal means of expression.
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Keith Leitner, Above Stockton, watercolor, 12 x 12in.
Register by: March 3
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION
Loosen Up! Oil Painting (In-Person)
with Roger Chavez
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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 and cityscapes, 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, making a practical setting for painting, and investigating new methodologies to apply to your paintings. Discover the beauty and freedom of loosening up your painting!
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to effectively make use of short, fast, and small painting exercises
- Learn the importance and the effectiveness of setting a viable learning environment for painting
- Learn effective color mixing along with use of materials and techniques
Please note: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.
Image: Roger Chavez, Untitled - Still Life.
Register by: March 14
CE Policy Guide Winter/Spring 2023
CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION