Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 
No class on May 23 

Painting the human form from observation is one of the cornerstones of PAFA's long tradition of rigorous instruction. Working from the nude model in poses of varying lengths, investigate color mixing, proportion, and composition using oil paint as a medium. Focusing on alla prima painting techniques and a limited flesh-tone palette, learn to model the human form through gesture, shape, volume, and temperature – excellent for painted sketches and preparatory studies, foundations for extended work, or an introduction/refresher to figure painting. Intended for all skill levels, this course also offers the valuable opportunity for more advanced students to continue to hone their skills to deepen their understanding of the language of painting.  Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students may draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.

Image: David Wilson

Registration still open!
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 3 - 4 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings) 
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent) 
No class on May 24 

Explore the methods of some of the greatest painters in recent art history with Al Gury, noted professor and author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. Notable women artists including Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cecilia Beaux, Gwenn John, Jane Freilicher, Elaine de Kooning, and Vanessa Bell will provide the basis for weekly painting projects. Learn from, and gain an increased appreciation for, these masters through an examination of their materials, color palettes, working methods, and histories through visual examples, discussions, video demonstrations, and tailored painting projects that will be critiqued by the instructor for helpful feedback. Class meetings will be held on Zoom, and assignments and asynchronous class content will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Open to all levels of experience and all media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel.

Note: This course is a continuation of the Spring 2026 course, Methods of the Masters: Great Women Painters, but students need not have taken the first course to participate in this class.  This course will present new material to students who enrolled in the earlier class. 

Image: Cecilia Beaux, Head of a French Peasant Woman, late nineteenth century, oil on cardboard, 16 1/16 x 12 7/8 in.  Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Registration still open!
Materials List  
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering. 
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)  
No class on May 24 

Explore the creative and expressive possibilities that can enhance your traditional and observational artwork. Each week the class on Zoom will begin with a traditional subject: still lifes, landscapes, portraits, interiors and figures and master works with a goal of exploring and bringing greater expression and creativity to the subject. Content will include Q&A about materials and processes that students might struggle with, the visual history of the creative diversity and variety of the subject in art history, color, style and compositional possibilities, richly informative materials posted in Canvas and video demos by the instructor. A weekly project will be assigned with a goal of incorporating creative possibilities in each subject with critiques on Canvas by the Instructor. Each class will be recorded for review and sent to students weekly. The class learning goal for students is an enriched toolbox of creative ideas, and possibilities for the artistic process. Open to all media.

Registration still open! 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering. 
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Weekend Workshop (One-Day, 7 Hours)
Rain Date: June 6* 

Capture the active life of the city and its rich architecture. This is an excellent workshop for anyone who wants to learn to sketch on the bus or train, in cafés and public parks, or while traveling abroad. Topics include perspective, gauging proportions by eye, gesture figure drawing, and methods for simplifying form. All levels welcome.

*Please reserve the rain date in your schedule when registering – no refunds for withdrawals less than one week prior to the original workshop date, including for students unable to attend the postponed date. See policy guide, below. 

Register by: May 22 
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Instructor: Steve Nocella 
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours) 
No class on July 4 

Explore the possibilities of stone carving by using traditional and nontraditional methods. All processes from rough carving to polishing will be covered, and various tools and techniques will be demonstrated. Open to all levels. Note: Tuition includes $30 lab fee.

Learning Objectives 

• Develop proficiency in basic tool use including manual carving, pneumatic carving, sawing, grinding, and sanding.
• Learn the methods of stone carving beginning with "roughing out" a form and finishing with sanding and polishing.
• Develop a perceptual ability for spatial relationships of the elements that constitute a sculpture or a three-dimensional image.
• Learn to use creative and critical thinking in the process of carving sculpture.
• Gain an appreciation for the influence and informing effect that medium and process have on image making.
• Acquire an introductory understanding of the history of stone carving and the capacity to conceptualize context for the student's sculpture.

Register by: May 22 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturdays, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. 
Instructor: Steve Nocella 
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours) 
No class on July 4 

This ten-week course teaches the basic skills needed for making metal sculpture. Learn fundamental methods of cutting, bending and welding metal such as sawing, heating, and MIG welding. Students will be encouraged to explore the medium with directness and spontaneity to gain a knowledge and understanding of its complexion. Open to all levels. Note: Tuition includes a $65 lab fee.

Register by: May 22 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 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 (12 Hours) 

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: June 18
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

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: July 2 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.