Workshops

February 17, 2024

MEGAN EUELL: winter studio landscape painting

Sat / February 17 / 10am-3pm / $50

Join us for a plein-air bootcamp in the studio.  Landscape painting has its challenges, but we tend to over-complicate painting outdoors.  Plein air painting is much more doable than you think!  Megan will remove the mystery as she goes through her own plein air supplies and shares her recommendations for a simplified and satisfying plein air experience.  Watch her give a painting demonstration and explain her painting process.  After a lunch break, Megan will lead a two-hour studio landscape class in which participants will paint from winter images that Megan will provide.  You will need to bring your own paint or drawing supplies.  You’re welcome to bring your own plein air set-up to get Megan’s feedback.

See more of Megan’s work at www.meganeuell.com.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

October 3 & 4, 2020

HOLLIS DUNLAP: figure painting

Sat-Sun / October 3-4 / 10am-5pm / $350

In this 2-day figure painting workshop we will study both traditional and modern realist painting techniques. We will focus on creating a sense of 3-dimensional space and form by looking at light effects, proportions, edges, and various methods of paint application. Hollis will encourage a practical use of  anatomy, focusing on major anatomical landmarks, allowing students to study the way that master painters model form and make color choices. Several techniques will be demonstrated, such as how to plan the composition, drawing from large shapes to small shapes, paint application, interpreting color based on the sources of light, and how to revise the painting as you go.  Painters will be encouraged to build the sense of form from the largest masses first, to create a sense of finish before small details are added. Poses will be 3 to 6 hours in length, and students are welcome to do several quicker sketches, or focus on 1 or 2 more detailed works. Over the weekend the instructor will paint along with the group to demonstrate drawing, color mixing, and application of paint in various realist styles.

See more of Hollis’ work at www.hollisdunlap.com.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

September 21 & 22, 2019

DEREK PENIX: loosen up- painting from photographs

Sat-Sun / September 21-22 / 10am-5pm / $325

Students will use oils (acrylics are allowed as well) to paint from photos. They will have a choice of dozens of photographs consisting of trees, boats, cityscapes, figures, koi, hanging fruit. Students will also have the option to paint from their own photos if they choose.

Penix will cover topics like how to make your paintings more 3-dimensional, the power of warms and cools, color theory, harmony, edges, shape-quality, variety, simplifying, loosening brushwork, elements of design, elements of light and shadow, the power of suggestion and finally painting how you see versus just copying a photograph.

See more of Derek’s work at www.derekpenix.com.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

July 13 & 14, 2019

ROBERT ARMETTA: alla prima still life oil painting

Sat-Sun / July 13-14 / 10am-5pm / $300

Course description coming soon…

See more of Robert’s work here.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

May 4 & 5, 2019

STEPHEN BAUMAN: painting the portrait in grisaille

Sat-Sun / May 4-5 / 10am-5pm / $350

Accuracy is considered fundamental to perfection in portrait painting. This course is designed to strengthen the student’s visual relationship with three-dimensional form, allowing you to confront portraiture, and eventually to paint with accuracy and clear intent.  Students will be working with oil paint. There will be an introduction on a variety of materials and their application in oil painting.  Portrait anatomy and structure are studied from various points of view, with particular attention paid to the anatomical construction of its parts: the skull, ear, eye, nose and mouth.  The class will work on one long pose, focusing on structure, proportion, edge quality, light impression and atmosphere. Students receive daily individual critiques to help guide them towards a fully resolved and accurate painting.

See more of Stephen’s work on Instagram here.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

February 23 & 24, 2019

CORNELIA HERNES: painting the draped figure

Sat-Sun / February 23-24 / 10am-4:30pm / $330

As an inspirational source for this workshop, resonate the magical worlds of painters like Sir Alma Tadema and Jhon William Waterhouse. They are an example of artists who at the turn of the Century 1900 truly celebrated the dynamic beauty of sheer and featherlight fabrics as well as heavy robes to disguise and reveal the human body. While fabric follows gravity it also echo the shape and express the movement and structure of the form it drapes across. In the endeavor of painting the figure with drapery, we must learn to see how abstract forms engage with the underlying structure of the body.

In this workshop we will explore observation techniques and strategies for painting the drapery on the figure with oil on linen. We will begin with finding the underlying structure of the figure and venture to blocking in the figure and drapery with broad brushwork developing the form from abstract to specific while working with paint.

The format of the workshop will be a combination of painting demonstrations and individual feedback, which allow students of all levels to participate, however prior experience to painting and drawing is an advantage.

See more of Cornelia’s work at www.corneliahernes.com.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

January 5 & 6, 2019

EVAN KITSON: the dynamic torso: skull, ribcage, & pelvis

Sat-Sun / January 5-6 / 10am-5pm / $275

See more of Evan’s work at www.evankitson.com

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

December 15, 2018

ARTHUR FREDERICKS: the art of photographing your art

Sat / December 15 / 9:30am-1pm / $80

Arthur Fredericks has been a professional photographer for the past 9 years. He specializes in event photography at Hofstra and Stony Brook University.  He has taught for the SBU Cont. Ed Program with a focus on Beginner Photography as well as Lighting Basics for Beginners.  As part of his work he has photographed artwork (paintings and sculpture) for gallery, print, sales and the web.

Each participant will leave with a finished, edited photo of their work(s) for the web or prints (limited to 2 per person).

The class will cover the following topics:

• Camera Settings:  ISO, Exposure, Shutter Speed
• Lighting set-up and Settings: Natural Lighting, Flash, Strobe
• Correct Color Checking
• Equipment:  Tripod, Software
• Using your iPhone

See more of Arthur’s work at www.arthurfredericks.com.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

December 12 & 13, 2018

DALE ZINKOWSKI: tonal portrait drawing

Wed-Thurs / December 12-13 / 10am-5pm / $250

In this 2-day, intensive workshop, students will work from the live model, over an extended pose and will discover a clear and straightforward way to approach drawing the portrait tonally, with an emphasis on accurate drawing and observation, particularly the subtlety that the model presents.  

Participants will spend the first day of the workshop drawing the portrait by using a reductive method, toning the paper with charcoal or graphite powder, then achieving value by either rubbing out for the lights, and adding charcoal / graphite for darker values.  The second day of the workshop, students will work on paper (that we will tone together) during the first day, and utilizing various dry mediums such as colored pencils, graphite, and charcoal, work to achieve a finished portrait drawing.

Students will also learn how to capture the likeness of the model, and simulate the effects of light washing over the forms presented before them.  Through constant demonstrations, and individual critiques, all information covered in this workshop will be thoroughly explained so that each person will meet their individual goals.  All levels are welcome.

See more of Dale’s work at www.dalezinkowski.com

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

November 3 & 4, 2018

AMAYA GURPIDE: a painterly approach to portrait drawing

Sat-Sun / November 3-4 / 10am-5pm / $350

In this two-day workshop we will explore portrait drawing through a linear and mass-oriented approach.  Beginning with an understanding of the structural scaffolding that supports the construction of the head, and moving to an abstract comprehension of the visual experience.  We’ll discuss visual narrative, translating a particular mood of the sitter, and hierarchies of information.

We will be working with pencil and white chalk on one pose throughout the weekend, with daily demonstrations and individualized critiques.

Amaya is currently teaching as a Principal Instructor at the US branch of The Florence Academy of Art in Jersey city where she has her own studio.

See more of Amaya’s work at www.amayagurpide.com

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

July 3, 2018

DANIEL G. daSILVA: dynamic figure drawing

Tues / July 3 / 6:15pm-9:15pm / $30

Bridge the gap between gesture and a finished figure drawing in this introductory workshop.  You will be introduced to drawing the figure with movement, energy and accuracy, so that your drawing is not only rendered properly but is imbued with feeling.  All levels are welcome.

Topics covered will be:

• Haptic Drawing techniques.
• how to find and use hidden shapes to draw the figure quickly and accurately.
• to see and draw holistically, including determining perspective.
• how to achieve volume and dimensionality before shading/modeling.
• how to add emotional content to your drawings
• how to balance dual concerns of feeling and precision.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

June 2 & 3, 2018

JORDAN SOKOL: the figure in oil

Sat-Sun / June 2-3 / 10am-5pm / $350

During this 2 day class, students will work on one pose as we explore the various stages of the figure painting process. Through demonstrations and individualized critiques we’ll discuss basic and advanced concepts of understanding and deconstructing the visual experience into easily understood elements, and develop a structured thought process for translating those elements accurately in paint. Using a limited palette, we’ll go over figure construction, the relationship of light and form, tonal abstraction, palette organization and the “optical impression”.

Jordan Sokol was born in 1979 in Queens, New York. He began his artistic training at age 14 when he was accepted into the Palm Beach County H.S. for the Arts. After graduating he enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute and in 2003 was accepted into The Florence Academy of Art. As a student he began teaching in the Florence Academy’s drawing program and became Director of the Intermediate Program (Advanced Drawing – Beginning Painting) in 2010. Jordan lived and worked in Madrid in 2013 before returning to the US to direct the Florence Academy’s branch in Jersey City. His drawings and paintings are in private collections throughout Europe and the US.

See more of Jordan’s work at www.jordansokol.com

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

March 27 & 28, 2018

STEPHEN BAUMAN: painting the portrait

Tue-Wed / March 27-28 / 10am-5pm / $300

Accuracy is considered fundamental to perfection in portrait painting. This course is designed to strengthen the student’s visual relationship with three-dimensional form, allowing you to confront portraiture, and eventually to paint with accuracy and clear intent.  Students will be working with oil paint, and will be guided through the process of toning their own canvas. There will be an introduction on a variety of materials and their application in oil painting.  Portrait anatomy and structure are studied from various points of view, with particular attention paid to the anatomical construction of its parts: the skull, ear, eye, nose and mouth.  The class will work on one long pose, focusing on structure, proportion, edge quality, light impression and atmosphere. Students receive daily individual critiques to help guide them towards a fully resolved and accurate painting.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.

February 24 & 25, 2018

CORNELIA HERNES: painting the draped figure

Sat-Sun / Feb. 24-25 / 10am-4:30pm / $300

As an inspirational source for this workshop, resonate the magical worlds of painters like Sir Alma Tadema and John William Waterhouse. They are an example of artists who at the turn of the Century 1900 truly celebrated the dynamic beauty of sheer and featherlight fabrics as well as heavy robes to disguise and reveal the human body. While fabric follows gravity, it also echoes the shape and expresses the movement and structure of the form it drapes across. In the endeavor of painting the draped figure we must learn to see how abstract forms engage with the underlying structure of the body.

In this workshop we will explore observation techniques and strategies for painting the draped figure in oil on linen. We will begin with finding the underlying structure of the figure and venture to blocking in the figure and drapery with broad brushwork, developing the form from abstract to specific while working with paint.

The format of the workshop will be a combination of painting demonstrations and individual feedback. Students of all levels may participate, however prior experience to painting and drawing is an advantage.

The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your registration.