Experimental Watercolor 

Kathleen Zimbicki / All Levels / $225 / Weekend Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

Experiment with the wide variety of techniques available to the watercolor artist. Explore traditional and non-traditional methods like collage with watercolor, ink with watercolor, carbon drawings with watercolor, etc. Students will block watercolor paintings with objects, spray with provided paint, or work on several paintings at a time. Students will work in Touchstone's Robert Little painting studio or take advantage of the wonderful grounds, weather permitting.

 Kathleen Cochran Zimbicki is an artist, teacher, art advocate and gallery founder. She has received numerous honors and awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, the AAP Annual Exhibition Award from Laura Hoptman, and was chosen by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as "One of the 50 Cultural Leaders of Pittsburgh." Her work has also been exhibited regionally and internationally. Kathleen founded and directed Pittsburgh's Z Gallery, which was named "Best Gallery" by City Paper and its Pittsburgh readers and staff. As a teacher, she has instructed both children and adults from Pittsburgh to Spain to France.

June 18-22

Alternative Methods of Drawing 

Ryder Richards / All Levels / $425 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

This course is an exploration in drawing on cut, folded, cast or constructed paper forms. Utilizing minimal tools and lightweight construction techniques, the course will center on creating dynamic drawings that can be altered into three-dimensional forms that can act as either maquette (preliminary) or finished works. The course will include a myriad of ways to treat the surface including painting, glazing, drawing, masking and burning. The optional method of gunpowder drawing will also be displayed. 

Ryder Richards grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas. He is the gallery director for Richland College, Dallas. As part of his artist practice he writes art reviews and curates exhibits while maintaining a prolific rate of art creation. Participating in nationwide collectives and being the recipient of several artist-in-residence opportunities has allowed Ryder the unique chance to travel and explore alternative ways to create art without access to complex tools. Currently using gunpowder and wood as his primary mediums, Ryder’s work explores patterning and power dynamics in our culture. He is also adept in digital design, figurative rendering and carpentry.

June 25 – 29 

Oil Painting, Plein-air and Studio

Bill Pfahl / All Levels / $425 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

Class will begin by concentrating on composition using direct observation. We will use viewfinders and an 8”x10” plastic “picture plane” with grid, as introduced by Betty Edwards in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Several exercises including contour/value studies of the hand, sighting a corner of the room, blind contouring and gesture drawings will be explored first with graphite. Earth or neutral tone value studies in oil, i.e. “rub-outs” will be explored on larger paper substrates primed with shellac in the studio from drawings (charcoal, pastel and oil sketches in the field). Finally direct full color painting in the field will be practiced by each student. Color mixing, cool and warm color temperature awareness and value awareness will be an ongoing point of practice. I will demonstrate a live portrait with oil on paper using this same technique. Our painting experience will be enhanced by using the beautiful Touchstone campus, the studio and field trips to the surrounding Ohiopyle State Park, Shepherd’s farm, the winery and other sites. If it rains, and at night, we will be in the studio creating still life and working on sketches from the field in oil, charcoal and pastel. My work (portrait, landscape, figure) can be viewed on www.bluecanvas.com/wpfahl

Bill Pfahl earned a BFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design EHP School in Rome. His paintings have been juried into seven AAP annuals. Bill won the AAP Friends of Art of the Pittsburgh Public Schools purchase award 1993, and best of show awards for cityscape paintings at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s annual teacher appreciation show.   Pastel cityscapes and oils have been represented and sold to local corporate and private clients through Concept and James galleries. Bill’s work has been represented in group shows including Location, Location, Location   recently at James Gallery, and is currently featured at Cohen and Grigsby’s show of plein-air painters from the AAP. In April 2010 Bill’s oil landscapes and portraits could be seen in a two person show titled Portraits of Pittsburgh with Bill Vrscak at Panza gallery. Currently Bill is an art teacher at Pittsburgh Brashear High School. In addition to having taught classes at Touchstone, Bill has been artist in residence at Ross Mountain club.  He’s also given demonstrations to and juried three regional art group annuals in the past two years, and run a portrait group each Monday for two years at Panza gallery. His work has recently been featured in Blue Canvas magazine edition five, and can be viewed at www.bluecanvas.com/wpfahl.

July 9-13

Portraits Made Easy 

Marcene Glover / Beginner / $425 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

Even if you've never drawn a portrait, this course will give you all the techniques you need. Focus is on proportions to capture a likeness, and contour shading for a three-dimensional, life-like appearance. You will work in pencil, conte and full color pastel. Lots of demonstrations and step-by-step methods will make learning easy. After this course you will be ready to stay for the Expressive Portraits week, where your style and skill will continue to grow. 

 Marcene Glover's portraits are commissioned by United States Congressmen, and collected from New York to Nevada. "Marcene's work is socially conscious. More artists should be working this way," said Director of Erie Art Museum John Vanco. "What's appealing about Glover's work is it has strong sense of place" states Krause Gallery, Rhode Island. Marcene’s works are in permanent collections of museums, Congressional Libraries, Federal Courtrooms, as well as universities, galleries and several U.S. House of Representatives member offices. Her work has sold and exhibited internationally. She has received several awards for her work, and grants from Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). Rostered with Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, and ArtsPath, she has taught residencies highlighting portraiture, mixed media creativity, and arts-in-healing, and has been a featured presenter for museums, television stations and newspapers. Marcene teaches fine arts on a college level. She received her education from Seton Hill University. She developed her signature style of Windscape painting and Color Stream drawing to portray her subject's mood, personality and history. Among her solo exhibits, Faces; Facets celebrates leadership and culture, and has traveled to more than 20 locations from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island.  "Glover has become a highly sought-after artist, due in part to her unique mixed-media and mixed-style approach, which allows her to express her subject's political views and personal heritage, in addition to creating a direct visual representation," from Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. Visit Glover at www.artessence.info

The Painter’s Experience 

Patrick Daugherty / All Levels / $450 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

Take part in a painting course designed for all levels, from beginners wanting to learn the basics to advanced artists seeking individual instruction. Emphasis is on understanding color and traditional painting techniques. All school styles and approaches are welcome. A step-by-step program is included for those new to painting. Painters are encouraged to take advantage of Touchstone’s setting by experiencing “plein air” painting. One session with a model is scheduled. Students are expected to arrive with necessary materials. A list of recommended materials is available upon request or registration.

Patrick Daugherty is a professional artist, curator and educator. He earned his MFA from the University of Wisconsin, and a BFA from Penn State University. Patrick has taught painting at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts for more than 25 years, and first taught at Touchstone in 1983. Since 1991 he has been on the faculty of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. Primarily known for his portraits, his detailed and realistic oil paintings are in numerous corporate, private and museum collections. A member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, Patrick is also Director of the Frank L. Melega Art Museum, which he co-founded in 1998.

July 30 - August 3

Expressive Portraits

Marcene Glover / All Levels / $425 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY)

 Start each session with interesting exercises and explorations that stretch your abilities. The week will be filled with demonstrations in drawing, painting and mixed media. You will have time to work in-depth to develop your style. Focus is on contour shading, layering of luminous colors, vibrant lighting and varying texture, for expressive quality. Your technical skills will grow this week and your creativity will be reignited.

Marcene Glover’s bio can be found under the Portraits Made Easy workshop description.

Fundamentals of Oil Painting

Harold O. Frontz / All Levels / $450 / Weeklong Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!)

This workshop is suitable for painters of all levels who are unfamiliar with, or would like to learn more about, basic painting theory.  The course will focus on five important principles in creating a painting: drawing, composition, value arrangement, color properties and application of the paint.  A portion of every workshop is devoted to presenting these important techniques, and demonstrations are designed to illustrate methods for gaining personal proficiency.  The instructor believes that by becoming proficient with the craft of art, each person’s artistic side can then assert itself with the freedom and confidence that comes with technical self-assurance. 

Harold Frontz is a versatile painter with an aptitude for all aspects of landscape, seascape and still life painting.  Harold has been strongly influenced by artists of the Massachusetts Cape Ann School, and has studied with Gloucester artist Charles Movalli. He also received instruction at the British Mounts Bay Art Centre in Newlyn and painted en plein air in Cornwall, England, and Northern Italy. Harold’s work is best described as impressionistic, featuring clean bright hues that provide an interesting variety of temperature, intensity and value.

September 7-9

Exploring Abstract Painting 

Joshua Hogan / Beginner / $250 / Weekend Workshop / (CLICK HERE TO SIGN HERE TODAY!)

Discover an energizing painting workshop in oils and mixed media for adults, with an emphasis on experimentation and creative process. Students will learn the basic fundamentals of abstract painting. From general discussion of oil paints and mediums, substrates and implements to hands on paint and play, students will work on the fundamental concepts of color, composition and design.

 Joshua Hogan is a contemporary, abstract painter. His most recent solo exhibition, “I Fly Like Paper” was hosted by the Jeff Edwards Gallery in Bethel Park, PA. In addition, Hogan is the co-owner of Box Heart Gallery, and an art consultant with Mox Box Consulting. He currently works as a scenic artist within the film and entertainment industry. Within the last year, Hogan worked on productions such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (feature film), The Avengers (feature film) and One Shot (feature film).