Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Paint from a life model in a multi-week-pose format to develop and refine your figure painting compositions.  Extended poses will allow students to adjust and resolve issues of surface, color, and composition. Instruction will cover a variety of topics including glazing, broken color, surface texture, composition and design, the relationship of the figure to the environment, the creation of atmosphere and color harmony, disrupted realism, and open- versus closed-form painting. All levels welcome. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students are welcome to draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.

Image: David Wilson

Register by: March 6 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Instructor: James Toogood 
Weekend Workshop 

Clouds and trees are common and important features in landscape paintings, their masses frequently encompassing significant portions of the composition. But how does the artist walk the fine line of imbuing these elements with texture, individuality, and detail without making them appear contrived or overfussed? This two-day workshop will present tactics for rendering these features successfully through color, form, and painting techniques. Examine types of cloud masses and how they may best be translated through additive and reductive methods.  Explore means of mimicking organic tree forms through brush movement and how to use color and detail to suggest distance.  Instruction includes painting demonstrations as well as a review of how master artists have represented these features in historic and contemporary works. Open to all levels. Demonstrations will be conducted in watercolor, but this class presents valuable information for painters of all media.

Image: James Toogood, Elbow Beach, watercolor, 10 × 14 in.

Register by: April 3 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

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.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Colleen O'Donnell 
Weekend Workshop 

Learn the techniques and tools of figure sculpture through demonstration and hands-on sculpting from the model. Explore anatomy, proportion, gesture, and design through the versatility of clay. Personal expression will be emphasized though representational and abstract approaches. Open to all levels and perfect for beginners. Tuition includes a $35 models fee.

Image: Colleen O’Donnell

Register by: April 10 

Materials List

Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Instructor: Shushana Rucker 
One-Day Weekend Workshop 

Discover the unique possibilities of drawing on Mylar in this immersive weekend workshop. Students will explore how the smooth, translucent surface of Mylar allows for even blending, soft moody values, and bold contrasts. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on exercises, participants will experiment with graphite, charcoal, and erasing techniques to create expressive drawings. Ideal for artists interested in expanding their drawing vocabulary, this workshop offers a focused introduction to using Mylar’s versatile and forgiving surface.

Image: Shushana Rucker, 30th Street, Graphite on Mylar, 6 x11 in.

Register by: March 13 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.