Art, Civic Identity, and the Making of the Gates of Paradise

The fifty years Ghiberti spent forging the Baptistery doors stand as a testament to the love and devotion he felt for Florence, where civic pride found its truest expression in the patient beautification of the city itself. This lecture considers the moment the craftsman became an intellectual, witnessed in two self-portraits Ghiberti set into the Baptistery doors of Florence. In the first, the young Ghiberti presents himself as a man of the workshop, the turban of a goldsmith shielding him from dust, heat, and noise, while in his later portrait he appears as a thinker who had mastered perspective and his knowledge of classical antiquity, as reflected in his reliefs.

This workshop introduces students to the essential principles and practices of painting the figure with a chromatic palette. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of how to observe, interpret, and utilize color/value relationships to reflect the lighting, the complexion of the model and the environment accurately.

While the skill and knowledge gained in this workshop can lead to a more refined way of "finishing" a painting, the goal of this workshop is not in learning to develop a painting to a higher finish but to gain knowledge and familiarity of one's palette and its utilization. An open mind and willingness to experiment with paint application and color mixing are essential to putting the theories and principles introduced during the workshop to practice.

Demonstration only. See full workshop here.

Fundraising Raffle

There will be an informal presentation at 6:30pm about Brian Stewart's influence with the Plein Air movement in America. We are grateful that Brian presented several workshops over the years at The Atelier. His art, life, music, inspirations, awards, and professional organizations will be the focus of the discussion. There will be several paintings, prints, and his book, An Artist's Journey…VIA CATALINA, available for sale.

Brian's painting Home on the Mississippi will be shown. It is the fundraising raffle painting for the 2026 Atelier Student Show on May 15, 16, and 17. Raffle tickets will be available at this event for $10 each - cash or check only. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served. Register for this event to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

The workshop starts with a lecture and demonstration Friday evening at The Atelier to discuss materials, gear, and process. Attendees will then paint twice a day, Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons. Richard Lack once said that if you want to learn about color you paint outside. Focus will be on recognizing the values that capture the light in a scene and the way colors recede into distance. Composition will also be discussed as well as practical tips for working quickly.

Friday evening will be at The Atelier for a lecture, demonstration and Q&A. Saturday and Sunday will be two 3-hour sessions each day: 8:30am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 4:30pm.

Friday, 6:30pm–9:30pm, Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am–4:30pm

Start your child drawing at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts where they will learn methods for seeing and drawing with information our adult students learn! This program, specially designed for children, moves them through steps to learn how to draw realistically, starting with cartoon characters and progressing to more complex illustrations. This course can be continued just as our adult classes, with students working at their own pace to improve their skills. The use of markers, colored pencils, and paint will be introduced as well as working from a still life. LIMIT 10 children.

Materials: see supply list on website

Start your child drawing at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts where they will learn methods for seeing and drawing with information our adult students learn! This program, specially designed for children, moves them through steps to learn how to draw realistically, starting with cartoon characters and progressing to more complex illustrations. This course can be continued just as our adult classes, with students working at their own pace to improve their skills. The use of markers, colored pencils, and paint will be introduced as well as working from a still life. LIMIT 8 children.

Materials: see supply list on website

Students begin by drawing a plaster cast in charcoal, developing their ability to render accurate proportions and value relationships. After students finish a charcoal cast drawing, they are introduced to the fundamentals of oil techniques in grisaille, paint handling, and modeling form. Once this has been achieved, students may progress to still-life painting in oil, working on values, color relationships and composition.