Upcoming Workshops
Painting Portrait Features of a Mastercopy
March 14-16, 2025 - 9:30am-4:30pm
In-Person & Zoom - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint **SOLD OUT**
This three-day workshop is pivotal for portrait artists and those wishing to explore the elements of painting that define the work of master painters. A guided examination of the master’s work will reveal much about palette choices and value structures and enable correct identification of colors and values as they relate to accuracy in color mixing. Students will examine the structure and anatomy of the eyes, nose, and mouth as portrayed by a master painter and learn to observe the subtle value shifts and edge variety that allow master portraits to look so powerfully realistic.
Master Artist we will copy: Jean Marc Nattier
Over the course of this workshop, participants will paint a close study of one feature per canvas per day ending with a small trilogy of perfectly-studied anatomy.
This is a hybrid format - the instructor will be present in-person in the studio in Manchester, CT. Participants may also join in on Zoom.
The Mill Studio of Fine Arts, 199 Forest Street, Manchester, CT
Contact is Trudy millstudiofinearts@gmail.com
Registration Info Here
Realistic Flower Painting (from a photo) Workshop
April 5 & 6, 2025. 10am-5pm
In-Person Only - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint **SOLD OUT**
Learn traditional and dependable techniques for painting realistic flowers. We start with a foundational wash drawing, then learn accurate color mixing principles that we then use while delicately painting each lovely flower. We will work from a photographic reference (supplied by the teacher) that includes a variety of flowers in the bouquet, so after the class you can continue to practice what you learned, and finish your piece. This workshop is suitable for all levels, and we may sit while we paint.
First Coast Cultural Center, 6000B Sawgrass Village Cir., Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Registration Info
Email contact: Silvia at sromero@firstcoastculturalcenter.org
Realistic Flower Painting Workshop
April 25-27, 2025. 10am-4pm
In-Person Only - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint
Learn traditional and dependable techniques for painting realistic flowers. We start with a foundational wash drawing, then learn accurate color mixing principles that we then use while delicately painting each lovely flower. We will work from a photographic reference (supplied by the teacher) that includes a variety of flowers in the bouquet, so after the class you can continue to practice what you learned, and finish your piece. This workshop is suitable for all levels, and we may sit while we paint.
Vero Beach Museum of Art, 3001 Riverside Park Dr, Vero Beach, FL 32963
Register Here - Contact: Contact: Christina Barber at cbarber@vbmuseum.org or (772) 231-0707
Realistic Flower Painting Workshop
June 14 & 15, 2025. 9:30am-4:30pm
In-Person Only - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint
Learn traditional and dependable techniques for painting realistic flowers. We start with a foundational wash drawing, then learn accurate color mixing principles that we then use while delicately painting each lovely flower. We will work from a photographic reference (supplied by the teacher) that includes a variety of flowers in the bouquet, so after the class you can continue to practice what you learned, and finish your piece. This workshop is suitable for all levels, and we may sit while we paint.
Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103
Contact: museumschool@springfieldmuseums.org or 413-314-6488
The Alla Prima Perishables Still Life Workshop
July 11-13, 2025 - 9:30am-4:30pm
In-Person & Zoom - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint
European-trained artist Christina Mastrangelo will demonstrate how to paint a realistic still life in oil using the techniques she learned in Florence, Italy at the Angel Academy. A simplified version of her 10-day still life painting workshop, participants will paint a market fruit or vegetable in dramatic lighting, focusing on applying accurate color, using sweeping brushstrokes, and creating planar form. Learn how to work with perishables using a direct painting technique in this three-day Italian-themed workshop.
The Mill Studio of Fine Arts, 199 Forest Street, Manchester, CT
Contact is Trudy millstudiofinearts@gmail.com
Registration Info Here
Flower Painting (from life) Workshop
August 15-17, 2025. 9:30am-4:30pm
In-Person Only - Open to All Levels - Medium: Oil Paint
In this workshop we will paint one flower a day, studying that bloom and painting it until completion. We will do one flower per panel for an intimate and focused study.
Over the course of 3 days we will study different flowers from life, learning dependable techniques on how to paint delicate and realistic flowers. This is a demo-paint-critique format in which Christina will demonstrate how to do a certain technique followed by the participants then painting their own set ups. Gentle critiques are an essential part of this workshop, so each student may work at their own pace and be helped to achieve greater results at their individual level.
We'll begin with a wash drawing/wipe-out technique to establish shape relationships. Once this drawing is established, we move into a color mixing/matching lecture and learn how to pre-mix our palette with accuracy. As Christina shows different painting techniques, she'll be speaking of the important thought-process behind creating convincing volume, and how we paint what we see with what we know conceptually is true. Come learn, paint flowers, and be surrounded by beauty in this enjoyable multiple day workshop!
The Academy of Realist Art, Boston
112 South Street, Boston, MA 02111
Email the academyofrealistartboston@gmail.com or call (617) 426-3006 with questions.
Still Life Workshop Reviews:
Images above are all student work from the in-person still life painting workshop.
"You will be amazed by what you can accomplish in this class, even if you have never painted before. Christina is an excellent teacher, she not only explains the concepts of classical painting with clarity, but also teaches you to apply them confidently and independently. I can't recommend this class highly enough!"
- Eliza M.
"It completely changed my level of confidence on what I could accomplish with a paint brush and canvas. Very highly recommended. This class completely opened a new door for me and over the past 18 months I have had the confidence to complete 6 oil paintings and enter/display them in shows. Christina is an excellent teacher."
- Walt D.
"Christina is a very organized and thorough teacher. She supplies detailed handouts insuring that students can review the principles and techniques during and after her class. She is patient while expecting the very best of each student and giving you the tools to accomplish your best. The 10 day workshop is worth every penny!"
- Maryanne I.
Online Still Life Workshop Reviews:
"I was nervous about taking the class online, but it wasn't hard to get use to the Zoom platform. I could see the critiques and save them. The lectures are saved (and up close) so I can review them whenever I need to. After 10 days in person, the set up normally would have to be taken down but being in my own home I can keep it up as long as I need it. Plus, I didn't have to drive anywhere. I would definitely recommend the online format."
"The online experience was very seamless. I especially benefited from the feedback delivered via the critiques when images I sent to Christina could be imported into Photoshop by her and she could then mark up the image and send it back to me for reference. I was able to print those out and so I gained a personal file of my progression through the stages. It was also helpful to receive recordings of portions of the day via email. I really enjoy the online workshop format. Christina has it down to a science."
"Amazing workshop! Christina was a constant source of encouragement and she has the amazing ability to critique forcefully without it ever feeling like I messed up, even when I had to change a whole lot! She pushed me way farther than I would have gone on my own and she explained WHY the changes would make the painting look better as she gave suggestions, instead of just telling me to fix things, which is already helping me take my other paintings to the next level."
"Christina is knowledgeable, articulate, and included all of the elements in the content one needs to know to paint realistically. She is a natural teacher. The demos and handouts she provided were excellent. Her calm patience while troubleshooting anything and everything from our painting conundrums to computer glitches was impressive. Her dedication to her work is evident in all she does. Although I did not finish my painting I feel equipped to do so and I am sure I will be employing what I learned going forward. Overall a great learning experience."
"I was so pleasantly surprised at how great it was to take the workshop from my own home - now I'm completely set up to do more still life paintings (something I never was confident doing having only done still live paintings in a classroom setting where the teacher provides everything) and I can take all the extra time I needed to really get all the detail I wanted in my painting after the workshop ended - no rushing to finish it by the last day or else! There is so much value in having this workshop online. I went through the struggle to find items that were interesting and make it into a good composition, and in doing so I became really passionate about the still life I would paint. And now I'm more confident I can find more interesting objects in my home! Lastly, because of how Christina has us set up the still life and canvas, when you take a photo for a critique, Christina can draw on top of it and literally show you exactly how your painting is off. It's magical."
All images above are student work from the ONLINE still-life painting workshops.
Join My Classical Realism Resource Library
I'm using Patreon as a Resource Library, where I've compiled tons of information about Classical Realism.
There are currently over 300 videos, exercises, podcasts, and blog posts. It's one of the best resources out there, all in one place.
Here is an example video from my Patreon library.
This one prepares a palette for painting a master copy portrait by John William Godward. Learn by watching or advance your skills by painting along.
