CURRENT CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Sauvie Island #2 - July 2024, Watercolor on paper
Pacific Northwest Sunsets En Plein Air
Learn How to Capture the sunset in real time
This class is for painters who want to build their observational skills and confidence working in the field. We’ll explore the essential foundations of plein air painting, tailored to the unique landscape Pacific Northwest. Learn how to anticipate your pigment needs ahead of time, gradients of interchanging colors, and color temperature. Gain confidence to paint fearlessly in any setting. learn how to find sunset vantage points right in your own neighborhood.. We’ll culminate in a trip to Sauvie’s island with a 360 view of the pacific northwest sky at sunset.
Led by a lifelong Portland native with years of experience in the field, this workshop includes:
An intro to gear, tools, mediums, and best practices
Lectures on plein air techniques, light behavior, and local atmospheric conditions
Exercises that prepare you to respond quickly and intentionally to shifting light
On-location demonstrations at iconic Portland parks and vistas
Guided outdoor painting sessions
Tips for finding your own neighborhood “sunset spot” that you can study throughout the year
Whether you’re just stepping outside with your paints for the first time or looking to deepen your plein air practice, this class offers a unique way to develop your observational skills and see the Pacific Northwest through a painter’s eye.
This is the first part of an ongoing seasonal series where we come together every Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer to observe how shifting temperatures and solar angles impacts the sunset. Check back to see additional workshops focusing on Pacific Northwest coastal ranges, forests, mountains, and fields.
Dynamic Portraiture: Structure & Likeness
Learn the visual language of the human face from the inside out
We’ll explore the anatomy of the skull and facial features to help you understand how to draw portraits that feel dimensional, alive, and true to your subjects. Led by an artist with over 25 years of experience, this class is lecture-driven and includes:
Weekly illustrated talks on craniofacial anatomy and facial structure
Live drawing demonstrations with real-time observation
Targeted assignments that build skill and accuracy
coming soon
How to troubleshoot your paintings
painting as problem solving
Reasoning, deduction, experimentation, and comparative analysis are all essential when discovering whats working and what isn’t in your painting practice. In this workshop you’ll learn what questions to ask yourself as you troubleshoot your paintings from a technical, emotional, and intellectual standpoint. Learn techniques to help you identify problems more accurately.
Coming Soon!
the old masters - Lecture & Demonstration
pigment, mediums, and techniques from the 1400 - 1600
In this lecture we’ll learn all about Renaissance painting techniques, mediums, and pigments. You’ll discover how painters were able to craft luminescent paintings that survived throughout the centuries. I’ll be introducing all of the tools needed and will provide live demonstrations of some of the techniques discussed. This workshop is for those who are ready to have the secrets of the old masters demystified and explained in a way that makes intuitive sense, as well as anyone whose interested in the history of painting
Coming soon!
Color relationships
beyond the color wheel
Coming soon!!
advanced Portrait painting
sculpting the face with paint
Coming soon!
art & disability
free lecture
Coming soon!