Fall 2025

MULTI-WEEK CLASS


Design Topics in Watercolor


Visual Arts Center 

Richmond Virginia

September 19-October 24, 2025

Fridays 10-12:30 


For those who are already proficient with the watercolor medium. Students will expand watercolor expertise with a new topic introduced each week. Some exercises include and are sequential: botanical illustration, oversized still life, exercises to loosen up, skeleton study, and painting from a live (clothed) model.


Register Here 

WEEKEND FALL WORKSHOP


Sketchbook as a Traveling Companion & Visual Memoir FULL with a WAITLIST


Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Richmond Virginia

November 8-9, 2025

10am-4pm


Want to be able to capture that sense of a wonderful moment and place whether traveling or just hanging out? Or record the little and big items in your life to create a unique visual record? Participants will learn several easy and successful strategies for drawing, painting, collage and writing in situ to turn their adventures and everyday life into hand held works of art. Mini-field trips within and outside the museum will also offer source material and inspiration.


Basic watercolor and drawing skills are not essential but will be helpful. 


Register Here   (Workshop 33)

WEEKEND PRE-HOLIDAY WORKSHOP 


Value to Color to Eye Travel


Alexandria Art League (Torpedo Factory) 

Northern Virginia

December 6-7, 2025

 10am-4pm

Learn how value and color are related so that you can make them work for your benefit to give your paintings the impact or subtlety that you want them to have. The strategies taught create a stronger awareness of presence, eye travel and illusionary space in your work. Instead of focusing on one or two finished pieces, several studies will be created. This technique driven workshop has been featured by the artist in Watercolor Artist Magazine and is not media sensitive-watercolor, acrylic, and oils are all welcome. Please use a medium that you are familiar with.


Prerequisites: basic drawing and painting skills .


Register Here 

Winter 2026

MULTI-WEEK WORKSHOP


Introduction to Watercolor- Workshop


Visual Arts Center 

Richmond, Virginia

Friday Mornings January-March

9:30am-noon



Get introduced to watercolors or refresh your knowledge of the medium. We’ll explore our materials, then cover application methods like wet–on–wet, glazes, blocks, resists and lifts. We’ll also cover work area set–up, composition set–up, lost and found edges, transferring imagery and methods for controlling the paint. With an emphasis on value as a way to produce convincing compositions, class discussions will touch on color theory, light, texture, and transparency. We’ll paint from direct observation and reference photos. Expect lots of one–on–one guidance and detailed demonstration from the instructor. Students will come away with a deeper understanding of this medium and its expressive possibilities.


Registration Coming Soon (VisArts.org)



One Day WORKSHOP


NEW Colors that Converse, Talk, Shout, Mumble and Whisper: An Unique Approach to Color Theory and Composition


Alexandria Art League (Torpedo Factory) 

Northern Virginia

January 10, 2026


This new approach to color composition allows for a more expressive conversation between artist and viewer. Students will learn how to stratify the visual information in their own selected images to create eye travel and a compelling, distinct narrative. This workshop is not color palette sensitive. Any painting media (oil, acrylic, gouache or watercolor) is welcome. Instruction begins with skill based exercises that can be references for students' future paintings and finishes with work on an individual composition. Art history tie-ins will include works from the nearby National Gallery.


Prerequisites: Basic painting skills and color theory knowledge


Register here 


MID WEEK WORKSHOP


Visual Hierarchy in Painting Composition


Alexandria Art League (Torpedo Factory) 

Northern Virginia

March 24-26,2026

3 Day Workshop 10am-4pm 


In this fast paced three day workshop we will be exploring how to visually compose by using a sequential approach to the elements of design that promotes a variety of eye travel paths and focal points in your work. Beginning with simple cut paper collage work to quickly understand and manipulate different compositional models, then moving onto thumbnail copyist studies, the class will transition to painting student's own desired subject matter. If time allows, students will also learn how to set up their own still life and edit in-camera reference photos for more dynamic compositions.


Prerequisites: basic drawing and painting skills . 


Register Here