2302 - Expressionistic Still Life Painting
Course Overview
In this 6-week Expressive Still Life course, students will discover the expressive power of color while developing a strong foundation in composition. Through demonstrations and guided hands-on instruction, participants will learn how to block in a composition and use positive and negative space to create dynamic visual designs.
Inspired by the bold, vibrant approaches of Cézanne and Gauguin, students will explore new ways of interpreting still life with expressive color, energetic brushwork, and personal vision. This class encourages artists to loosen up, experiment with confidence, and move beyond simply painting what they see to creating visually striking, emotionally engaging works of art.
Whether you're looking to strengthen your painting skills or develop a more expressive style, this course offers a supportive environment to explore, take creative risks, and bring your unique artistic voice to the canvas.
The Curriculum:
Week 1: Introduction to Cézanne and Gauguin, with an overview of their work and artistic approaches.
Week 2: Create preliminary drawings to establish composition.
Week 3: Block in the composition and color to establish a strong foundation for the painting.
Week 4: Demonstration of the painting process and expressive techniques.
Week 5: Individual instruction, feedback, and guidance as students develop their paintings.
Week 6: Demonstration of how the preparatory work evolves into a finished expressive painting, with final critiques and discussion.
What You'll Learn
- Develop a strong understanding of composition by using positive and negative space, value, and color to create balanced and expressive still life paintings.
- Apply painting techniques inspired by Cézanne and Gauguin to interpret still life subjects with bold color, expressive brushwork, and personal artistic vision.
- Complete an expressive still life painting by progressing from preliminary sketches and compositional studies to a confident, finished work.
Who Should Attend
Open to all skill levels, this class welcomes beginners as well as experienced artists interested in exploring expressive still life painting through color and composition.Additional Information
Materials:
- A Drawing Pad
- Charcoal pencils or sticks
- Two 16 x 20 canvases
- For acrylic bring container to hold water, gor oil use the approved solvent for cleaning brushes and bring container to hold solvent
- Paper towels
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UNM Tuition Remission
UNM Staff, Faculty, and Retirees: This class is eligible for UNM Tuition Remission under Personal Enrichment. Click here to see UNM HR's Tuition Remission policy for eligibility and tax liabilities.