In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create acrylic paintings grounded in good technique. Discover how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.

This class is perfect for beginners or experienced acrylic painters who want to get back to basics.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, mastery of the fundamentals is a lifelong pursuit. In this course, you will learn how to create convincing realism in charcoal, step-by-step.

Whether working from simple objects, still life arrangements, or photo reference emphasis will be placed upon solidifying structure and proportion, achieving a likeness, and utilizing shading techniques to create convincing, 3-dimensional drawings.

The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class, and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will be able to confidently take on any subject matter with their new set of skills!

Are you ready for greater realism, depth and convincing skin tones in your paintings? In this course, you will fully develop your figure /portrait painting skills, bringing together traditional and contemporary techniques.
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In using both direct (wet-into-wet) and indirect painting methods, you’ll begin with a loosely drawn underpainting to serve as your guide, find generalized colours for different areas of the figure, and then move towards a cohesive rendering of form and colour. Emphasis will be placed on mixing and applying nuanced skin tones.
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You’ll work with photo reference and a live model to create your own dynamic, gestural and poetic painting!

Whether focusing on the whole figure or the portrait, attendees of this course will acquire greater confidence, ease and depth in their paintings.

In this course, you’ll gain the critical skills necessary to convey the beauty of the natural world. Working from photos, you’ll develop strong compositional drawings and translate them into rich and complete paintings. 
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Learn some general rules for painting evergreen and deciduous trees, rocks, mountains, clouds and more. Emphasis will be placed on harnessing the power of composition as a foundation within your paintings. Through colour choices that create harmonious scenes and by being attentive to the effects of light and atmospheric perspective on a landscape, you’ll develop an eye-catching masterpiece!

Work from photos provided by the instructor, or bring your own. By the end of the course, you’ll have increased confidence to paint the most inspiring scenes from nature!

In this workshop, you will learn how to paint vibrant and believable flowers. 
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Throughout the weekend, you will practice painting flowers of different shapes, learning to identify the colour, value and edges of flower petals and stems. Painting glass and ceramic vases will also be covered, so you’ll be ready for any setup. 
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Working from life and photo reference, you will paint multiple short paintings. Your instructor will spend time with each student one-on-one while demonstrating various techniques on his painting. 

In the end, you’ll develop new methods for flower painting, and bring home several new paintings to hang on your wall.

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create watercolour paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to work on various specialty papers, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more! 
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The instructor will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes.
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Emphasis will be placed on achieving harmony in values, shapes and colour. You will experiment with methods and techniques to quickly suggest convincing details.

Upon completion of the course, you will leave with a range of new skills that add strength and realism to your watercolour paintings. This course is perfect for beginners or painters who want to get back to basics.

In this essential course, you will draw from the live model, exploring classical and contemporary techniques to create powerful, dynamic, and realistic drawings.

Each class begins with a focus on fast gestural drawings, utilizing line-of-action, simplified shapes, and expressive mark-making to capture the essence of the pose. As the poses lengthen, emphasis will shift toward accuracy, structure and proportion using sighting & measuring techniques, basic anatomy, and planar construction. In the longest poses, you will focus on the subtle nuances of light and shade to create 3-dimensional, lifelike figure drawings.

Attendees of this course will enjoy heightened confidence, ease, and flow in their drawing!

Discover how to mix clean, harmonious colours and apply them with greater confidence. In this course, you’ll explore the principles of colour, including temperature, value, intensity, colour bias and complementary relationships.

Through instructor demonstrations, you’ll be guided through exercises and small paintings depicting a variety of subject matter. You’ll learn how to match observed colours, avoid muddy mixtures and create convincing effects of light and depth. Emphasis will also be placed on paint application, from thin, controlled layers to bold, expressive brushwork.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced painter looking to strengthen your foundations, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of colour and greater confidence at the easel.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, mastery of the fundamentals is a lifelong pursuit. In this course, you will learn how to create convincing realism in charcoal, step-by-step.

Whether working from simple objects, still life arrangements, or photo reference emphasis will be placed upon solidifying structure and proportion, achieving a likeness, and utilizing shading techniques to create convincing, 3-dimensional drawings.

The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class, and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will be able to confidently take on any subject matter with their new set of skills!

In this essential course, you’ll learn how to simplify the intricacies of nature, distilling them into captivating works of art.
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Starting with simple drawings of your scene focused on the shapes of light and dark areas, you’ll then begin to develop your painting. Emphasis will be placed on starting with generalized shapes and areas of colour, being attentive to the effects of light and atmospheric perspective on a landscape. 
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Work from photos provided by the instructor, or bring your own. By the end of the course, you’ll have increased confidence to paint the most inspiring scenes from nature!

Learn how to paint realistic and dynamic still-life paintings from start to finish. You will develop a deep understanding of traditional techniques, as well as explore contemporary approaches in paint application.

Students may choose to paint two small paintings or work on one larger arrangement for the entire course. Topics including drawing, composition, value organization, colour, edges, design and paint application will be addressed.

You will leave the class with a new set of skills to set up and create your own still-life masterpieces.

In this course, you will learn how to paint realistic watercolour landscapes and seascapes that capture the light and atmosphere of the natural environment.

James will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes. Using a photo reference as a starting point, you will form your strategy to translate your vision into a convincing watercolour interpretation. Emphasis will be on developing your observational and compositional skills to achieve an effective arrangement of dark and light values.  

Attendees of this course will leave with fresh ideas and skills that will add strength and realism to their watercolour landscape paintings.

In this course, you will learn the foundations needed to create oil paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.
‍
This class is perfect for beginners, those switching from acrylics to oils, and experienced painters who want to get back to basics.

In this course, you will learn how to paint realistic watercolour landscapes and seascapes that capture the light and atmosphere of the natural environment.

James will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes. Using a photo reference as a starting point, you will form your strategy to translate your vision into a convincing watercolour interpretation. Emphasis will be on developing your observational and compositional skills to achieve an effective arrangement of dark and light values.

Attendees of this course will leave with fresh ideas and skills that will add strength and realism to their watercolour landscape paintings.

In this course, you will learn the foundations needed to create oil paintings grounded in good technique.

Learn how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more! Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.
‍
This class is perfect for beginners, those switching from acrylics to oils, and experienced painters who want to get back to basics.

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create acrylic paintings grounded in good technique. Discover how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.

This class is perfect for beginners or experienced acrylic painters who want to get back to basics.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, mastery of the fundamentals is a lifelong pursuit. In this course, you will learn how to create convincing realism in charcoal, step-by-step.

Whether working from simple objects, still life arrangements, or photo reference, emphasis will be placed upon solidifying structure and proportion, achieving a likeness, and utilizing shading techniques to create convincing, 3-dimensional drawings.

The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will be able to confidently take on any subject matter with their new set of skills!

Designed for artists committed to deepening their practice, this program centres on sustained engagement with the human figure and portraiture. Over the course of the program you will develop a self-directed project by identifying ideas that matter to you, learning how to bring paintings to completion, and shaping these into a cohesive body of work. 
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Technical mastery, creative experimentation, and conceptual development are integrated into the program for the ongoing cultivation of an authentic, personal practice. Classes combine feedback, demonstrations, guided exercises, and assigned work within both traditional & contemporary approaches. Brushwork, edge control, colour relationships, palette organization, composition, glazing, and human anatomy are addressed in direct relation to your ongoing project.

The program also addresses professional practices, including the preparation of an artist statement, CV, website, and online presence.
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The program is structured as six full-day sessions: four consecutive classes to build momentum, followed by two bi-weekly sessions allowing time for independent work. 

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create watercolour paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to work on various specialty papers, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

The instructor will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes.

Emphasis will be placed on achieving harmony in values, shapes and colour. You will experiment with methods and techniques to quickly suggest convincing details.

Upon completion of the course, you will leave with a range of new skills that add strength and realism to your watercolour paintings. This course is perfect for beginners or painters who want to get back to basics.