Guided by Martha Johnson, this course is for students ready to deepen their practice. The focus here is on your vision. We will move beyond exercises to help you develop your own ideas into a finished piece or a cohesive series of works. You’ll explore more advanced techniques in colour, composition, and application, with the freedom to work in a style that suits you, from realism to abstraction. Martha provides expert guidance and mentorship to help you push your boundaries, strengthen your artistic voice, and create more ambitious paintings.

• Advance Your Technique Mastery: Delve into more advanced painting techniques that will refine your brushwork, texture creation, and detailing. Learn how to control your medium with precision for more sophisticated outcomes.
• Explore Colour Theory in Depth: Gain a deeper understanding of colour theory, including colour relationships, contrasts, and harmonies. Learn strategies for colour mixing to achieve a wider range of hues and tones, and understand how to use colour effectively to convey mood and atmosphere in your work.
• Develop Personal Style and Voice: Encouraged by personalized guidance, you’ll have the opportunity to refine your personal artistic style. This course will help you identify and develop your unique voice as an artist.
• Study Advanced Composition Techniques: Learn about the principles of composition. Understand how to create compelling and balanced compositions, use of focal points, and the dynamic arrangement of elements in your artwork.
• Critique and Peer Review Sessions: Participate in critique sessions, offering a chance to receive constructive feedback from both the instructor and peers. These sessions are designed to foster a collaborative learning environment and to encourage the sharing of insights and techniques among classmates.
• Practical Application and Project Work: Apply your learning through hands-on exercises that challenge you to integrate new techniques and concepts into your personal work.

• Acrylic pigments (Ultramarine blue, Alizarin Crimson, Hansa Yellow, Yellow ochre)
• 8-ounce white Gesso
• Small Matte medium
• One canvas (no smaller than 14”x18”)
• Charcoal Pencils (medium) and Willow stick for drawing
• Sketchbook (no smaller than 12 x14″)
• Five acrylic bristle brushes including one 1” Bright style brush, two medium sized brushes, one small and one Rigor style brush for detail
• Printed landscape photocopy, one black and white, one colour, each 11” x 17”, if possible
• A few sheets of Bond printer paper
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• A couple of coloured pencils
• Ruler or straight edge
• Rags
• Nitrile gloves
• Water container