Painting & Drawing

Make, reflect, consider, engage—these are all critical elements of the Painting and Drawing workshops at Anderson Ranch. Our exceptional workshops combine focused, hands-on art making with critical feedback for artists of all levels. Painting and Drawing guest faculty are phenomenal artists and educators with experience supporting students by offering technical knowledge and encouragement.

The bright, natural light of the Wyly Painting and Drawing Building provides an inspiring environment where students can explore and expand their artistic practice. Our facilities are equipped with individual worktables, wall space, easels, rolling palettes, odorless solvents, a wide range of hand and power tools, computer access with Adobe software, wi-fi, printing, scanning, and projection capabilities. Spend a week here— or several—and engage in a variety of activities that will fuel your practice throughout the year.

Elizabeth Ferrill

Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing and Printmaking; Chair, Artists-in-Residence Program; Chair, Critical Dialog

Elizabeth Ferrill received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has had solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, including in: Aspen, CO; Nashville, TN; Omaha, NE; New York, NY; and Berlin, Germany. Liz is the Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing and Printmaking at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Preferred Pronouns: She/Her

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Anderson Ranch Campus

Upcoming Workshops

  • I

    Level I

    Students have very limited experience or none at all. Classes usually start with a full day of basic instruction.

  • II

    Level II

    Students have basic knowledge of 2-­D art making including form, negative space, value and line.

Jun 5 - 9, 2023
9AM-5PM

In Translation: Abstraction In Process

Corey Antis

Tuition $1,195
Code D0101-23

How do we perceive what we observe and how do we translate what we perceive into an abstract language? By investigating the processes of observation and painting, this course introduces students to the exploration of abstraction. Students experiment with both oil and water-based media, use direct and indirect painting approaches, develop a strong base of technical and conceptual knowledge, and discover how visual metaphor and material processes work together. Students are encouraged to experiment with individual interests that emerge from color study, drawing exercises, and visual projects to find their own abstract language.

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  • O

    Open to All

    Students of any skill and knowledge level.

Jun 5 - 9, 2023
9AM-5PM

Painting as Metamorphosis

Jody Guralnick

Tuition $1,195
Code D0102-23

Dive into metamorphosis, the state which not only defines nature but also the process of painting. Using nature as source material, we read, discuss, observe, and then embark on a painting journey, thinking about painting as process and movement rather than as a fixed form. Students explore ways to talk about nature with paint without needing to reproduce observations in a literal way, melding abstraction and representation, discovering and producing depth, and allowing an image to float to the surface. We learn to develop form, mix color, and consider composition, all inspired by what we see around us.

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  • O

    Open to All

    Students of any skill and knowledge level.

Jun 5 - 9, 2023
9AM-5PM

Portrait and Figure in Watercolor: Curiosity and Awareness

Brian Shure

Tuition $1,195
Code D0103-23

Bring the face and figure to life with the transparency and immediacy of watercolor, an extremely expressive media that can also be highly controlled. With daily demonstrations and a series of simple and accessible studio exercises, students develop skills controlling resoluble colors, reserving and pulling back highlights, and maintaining brilliant and delicate tones that are unique to water-based media. We work from life as well as photographic sources in this deceivingly direct paint medium, capturing the essence of the portrait and figure by taking time to look and record what we see.

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