For myself, and for many other painters, learning to express ourselves with brushes and paint is a lifelong learning process. I am convinced that the more time one spends painting, the better one’s results are, and the greater the satisfaction working at painting can be. I have found instruction in a shared learning environment to be both fun and productive, and I seek to foster this each time I teach.

A new series of weekly painting classes will be held in March and April of 2023. The first three weeks will focus on alla prima painting in the studio using fruit and floral arrangements. The last three weeks will focus on landscape painting from reference material. Click here to check availability and for registration.

These classes will be held at my studio, 4924 Cherryvale Ave in Soquel. Artists must bring all supplies to the first class, as we will paint Day One. The class size is limited. Click here to see the list of required materials.

This winter/spring my class series will offer both instruction on the mechanics of painting and an exploration of differing approaches to creating paintings. Painting from Life refers to the practice of painting what one sees – whether we’re on a cliff above the ocean looking at the sea, or in an art studio painting an arranged still life set up, or a live model, or what we see through a window.  Painting from References usually means painting from photographs, or from other images. (You can view a post discussing these two terms, as well as plein air, alla prima, and al fresco.)

The art of seeing is a major practice in the art of painting. Training your eyes to see value shifts, shadow colors and light effects takes practice and time. This class will present an opportunity to sharpen these skills and a variety of others in the Still Life portion.