In this two-part workshop, students will learn the fundamental language of landscape painting in oil. The first session will  introduce strategies to simplify the complexity of the landscape and craft an emotional response to the motif. Students will create a series of color studies and sketches from life. The organization of composition, perspective, color, and value will be explored. In the second session, students will learn how outdoor and studio work can be combined to create a final painting. While the first session will focus on alla prima techniques, the second will utilize drawing, layering and underpainting to create a lively final painting.”

Weekend 1: 
Day 1: Brief lecture of master work examples and basic ideas of composition/design for landscape, drawing and sketching outdoors, picking a motif 
Day 2: Introduction to paint setup and demo, work time with instructor feedback  
Day 3: Painting outdoors continued, optional group critique, suggestions for homework and next steps 
 
Weekend 2: 
Day 1: brief lecture of examples- past artists who have worked from landscape study and in studio (classical, impressionist, contemporary). Planning/drawing and underpainting (Gamblin makes a quick-dry umber that would work well to dry initial pass overnight) 
Day 2: developing the landscape- values,  color, edges
Day 3: finishing pass, optional critique 

Equipment and painting supplies provided as part of tuition.

BSoFA Artistic Director, Raz Seri, teaches the art of figure drawing and painting from life in our fabulous north light studio in New Bedford, Mass.

Morning classes leave afternoons free to explore New Bedford and nearby towns and cities. Plein Aire painting groups will be able to paint at the mill as well as multiple public ocean and city parks .

New Bedford for those who are curious.

New Bedford was once the greatest whaling port of North America and home and inspiration to Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick. In later years after the whaling industry went into decline, the city was reborn as the biggest textile mill city in New England. Once the mills closed, New Bedford went into economic decline, but not for long.

Today, the bedrocks of the town: the commercial sea port, the architecture, the protected and beautiful public beaches and parks, and the diverse community and entrepreneurial spirit live on.

​

Nearby Regions

Other close points of interest include Providence and Boston. Ferry service to Martha's Vinyard and Nantucket departs daily from New Bedford.

Opportunities for seaside pleine aire painting and beaching are just steps outside from BSoFA's east coast studio.

Watercolor painting offers unique challenges and inspiration for artists. Mastery requires an understanding and respect for the spontaneous nature of the water color medium.

In this 10 session workshop beginning July 5, students will explore watercolor properties of while creating vibrant paintings by layering color washes.

​

The first session will be devoted to painting on dry and wet paper and later sessions will focus on refining colors and deepening values through layering. Students will work from still lifes and photo references of their choosing 

All supplies are provided as part of the class fee.

Elena Cantor leads these introductory - advanced level Classical Portraiture classes and workshops.

​

In Classical Portraiture, students begin by making a pencil sketch of the model's head with special attention to the head's anatomical structure over 2 sessions. They then will create a tonal study of the model's head with either charcoal or oil paint.