Art Classes

Jim teaches painting at beginner to advanced level. Courses and workshops cover still life, portraiture from life, and portrait painting from photographs. Classes are kept small, no more than eight students, to allow individual guidance throughout. The methods taught are observational and process-driven, grounded in colour, value, edge control, and the handling of paint. The courses use specific genres as a framework. The techniques are transferable across still life, portraiture, landscape, and figurative work.

Expressive Painting with Still Life

Medium: Oils or Acrylics

Skill Level: Beginning to Advanced

Cost: members $170, non-members $220

Duration: 6 weeks, one weekly 2.5 hours session

Starting: Thursday November 5th, 2026, 6:00 pm

Location: Morean Art Center

Summary:

This course will teach you how to use tools and techniques to enable you to paint expressive painting using Oils or Acrylics. During the six (6) week course you will paint at least two paintings. Working with the same “Still Life” over three weeks, you will learn how to paint from observation, measure, and use paint to bring the composition to life.

Whilst we use the genre of “Still Life”, the techniques and methods learned can be used for other genres such as portraiture, landscapes, and figurative.

You will learn:
• How to use comparative method to capture the composition
• How to use different palettes of color
• How to handle paint and edge control
• How to use color and value to create a convincing impression of light
• Technical information regarding materials

Artists should have a basic understanding of painting techniques, as well as some practical experience, and should be prepared to use an easel either standing or sitting down. Prior experience of painting “still life” is welcomed but not a pre-requisite.

Examples of Jim’s Still Life work.

View Work and Feedbackof artists that participated in the course.

For more information on the course you can contact

Jim

Expressive Portrait Painting with Life Model workshop

Medium: Oils and Acrylics

Skill Level: Beginning to Advanced

Cost:

Duration: 10:00am - 4:00pm (lunch 12:00 am - 1:00 pm)

Starting: TBD

Location: TBD

Summary:

The course will teach how to use tools and techniques to enable students to paint expressive portraits. Working with a life model, students will learn how to observe, measure and use paint in order to bring the composition to life.

Students will learn:
• The basic proportions of the head
• How to use comparative method to capture an accurate likeness of the sitter
• How to use a limited palette of colors
• How to handle paint and edge control
• How to use color and value to create a convincing impression of light
• Technical information regarding materials

Each class is limited to 8 students in order to allow the tutor to individually guide and support each student throughout the process.

View Workand Feedback of artists that participated in the course.

For more information on the course you can contact

Jim

Expressive Portrait Painting with Life Model workshop

Medium: Oils and Acrylics

Skill Level: Beginning to Advanced

Cost:

Duration: 10:00am - 4:00pm (lunch 12:00 am - 1:00 pm)

Starting: TBD

Location: TBD

Summary:

The workshop will teach how to use tools and techniques to enable you to paint expressive portraits. By the end of the worksop, you will have painted a portrait from a life model. You will learn how to observe, measure and use paint in order to bring the composition to life. You can paint in either oil or acrylic, as long as you are familiar with the medium. Prior experience of portrait painting is welcomed but not a pre-requisite.

You will learn:

• The basic proportions of the head

• How to use comparative method to capture an accurate likeness of the sitter

• How to use a limited palette of colors

• How to handle paint and edge control

• How to use color and value to create a convincing impression of light

• Technical information regarding materials

Each class is limited to 8 students in order to allow the tutor to individually guide and support each student throughout the process.

View Workand Feedback of artists that participated in the course.

For more information on the course you can contact

Jim

Portrait Painting from Photographs

Medium: Oils and Acrylics

Skill Level: Beginning to Advanced

Cost: TBD

Duration: 6 weeks, one weekly 2.5 hours session

Starting: TBD

Location: TBD

Summary:

This painting course will teach you tools and techniques to enable you to paint a portrait from reference photographs. It is a 6 weeks course and at the end of the 6 weeks you will have completed at least one painting. You will learn how to observe, measure and mix paint in order to bring the composition to life.
Whilst we use the genre of “Still Life”, the techniques and methods learned can be used for other genres such as portraiture, landscapes, and figurative.

Students will learn:
• How to mix a certain color from primary colors and develop a color wheel
• Difference between warm and cold colors
• How to work with values
• How to enlarge/transpose/copy a picture to a canvas
• How to interpret the light and dark areas of the photographs to values
• How to handle paint and edge control
• How to use color and value to create a convincing impression of light
• Technical information regarding materials

For more information on the course you can contact

Jim