Drawing + Painting is a very popular area of study and has the most offerings – over thirty each semester. Beginning students are encouraged to start with a Basic Drawing class then graduate to more advanced classes such as Drawing in Color: Pastel, Watercolor Studio, Introduction to Painting or many other courses or workshops.
Instructors Sally Bowring, Merenda Cecelia, Joan Elliott, Dawn Flores, Amy Smith, Marie Reardon, Catherine Southall, and Martha Prideaux teach most of the weekly classes.
Class Schedule
Pet Portrait Workshop [31]
Sat & Sun, Mar 25 & 26, 10 am–4 pm (2 sessions) | Studio School, 2nd floor
Kendra Wadsworth
Start by exploring a variety of dog and cat portraits by other artists. Then with guidance from the instructor and working from photographs you provide, learn to create accurate, detailed or expressive portraits of your own pet using drawing materials and oil or acrylic paint.
$145 (VMFA members $130)
Drawing Trees [32]
Sat & Sun, Apr 1 & 2, 10 am–4 pm (2 sessions)| Studio School, 2nd floor
DAWN FLORES
Basic drawing skills are essential to building a strong foundation from which to express creativity in any medium. By focusing on the beauty of trees, students learn the importance of observation, proportion, perspective, and form while discovering and cultivating an appreciation for the anatomical complexity of nature’s botanical wonders. Students will work directly from observation on the VMFA grounds and from photographs provided by the instructor.
Click here for materials list.
$145 (VMFA members $130)
Color with Sargent [33]
Mon, May 1 -- 22, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (4 sessions) | Studio School, 2nd floor
DAWN FLORES
Artist John Singer Sargent was a master of color. His blacks were textured, his whites were complex, and his side-by-side use of warm and cool colors gave his paintings vibrancy. In this intensive class, students will study Sargent’s artwork through slide presentations and catalogs. Working in either watercolor or acrylic paint, students will complete color exercises, copy Sargent’s work, and create their own compelling pieces inspired by Sargent’s use of color. Prerequisites: basic drawing and watercolor or acrylic painting skills.
Click here for materials list.
$145 (VMFA members $125)
Plein Air Painting Intensive [34]
Wed, May 10– 31, 9:30 am–12:30 pm (4 sessions)| Studio School, 2nd floor
KATHY CALHOUN
Explore drawing and painting the landscape from direct observation.With guidance from the instructor, students develop a more fluid response to painting on location. Students need to provide their own plain air painting easel, stool, and painting supplies. Prerequisite: basic drawing & painting skills.
Click here for materials list.
$145 (VMFA members $125)
Color and Abstraction in Painting May Intensive [35]
Fri, May 5–26, 10 am --1 pm (4 sessions) | Studio School, 2nd floor
SALLY BOWRING
Expand technical and critical skills and learn to develop new ideas and imagery. The class will focus on using the VMFA's 20th- and 21st-century galleries as points of interest and inspiration. In the studio, students work from a variety of subjects, focusing on color and abstraction. The instructor will provide suggestions and individual critiques. Prerequisite: basic drawing & oil or acrylic painting skills.
Click here for materials lists.
$145 (VMFA members $125)