Painting & Drawing
Code: D1020-25
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III
Level III
Students have formal training in critical issues of 2-D art making, experience with public critiques and a solid portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
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MC
Master Class
Master Class: New Avenues and Investigations
Aug 4 - 8, 2025
9AM-5PM
Concept
In this master class workshop for advanced painters, students investigate their intentions and concerns within their painting practice, while working at a rigorous pace in the studio. Class consists of one-on-one and group critiques, discussion, and ample studio time to make new inquiries into your work. Participants are challenged to explore new avenues and dive deep into the content and methods behind their practice. Topics for discussion include content, color and gesture, symbolism, and more. Ruby Neri teaches daily from 1pm – 5pm. Mornings are dedicated to independent studio time with Liz Ferrill present for feedback and dialogue. Students are asked to bring a digital portfolio of recent work to share with the class.
View All Painting & Drawing Workshops
Media & Techniques
Choice of painting medium (e.g. oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, etc.), critiques, discussion, studio time
Faculty
Liz Ferrill
Senior Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking; Artists-in-Residence Program; Critical Dialogue Program
Liz Ferrill is the Senior Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking at Anderson Ranch. She received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has had solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, including in Aspen, Nashville, Omaha, New York City, and Berlin, Germany.
Ruby Neri
Ruby Neri (b. 1970, San Francisco) draws upon 20th-century West Coast traditions and a global catalogue of art historical and anthropological modes. She depicts the human body as a porous instrument of pleasure, terror, and everything in between, placing her in a lineage of Los Angeles-based artists like Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy. Her focus on hand-driven craft connects her to the Bay Area Figurative and Funk movements. Over the last 20 years, Neri has been a leading figure in the revival of ceramics as a contemporary art medium. Her vessels evoke earthy tactility and psychological intimacy, while her use of sprayed glazes links her ceramics to the street art she produced in the late 1990s as a member of the San Francisco-based Mission School, blending contemporary urban art with the archaic power of pre-historical wall-painting and object-making.
Ruby Neri "Domestic Multiplicity," 2024 acrylic on canvas 82 x 72 x 1 1/4 inches
Workshop Details
Workshop Supplies
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact Lindsey Yeager, [email protected].
Provided by Anderson Ranch
Equipment
- Butcher paper
- Containers
- Cordless drills and impact drivers
- Cutting mats**
- Drawing boards
- Easels
- Gamsol (OMS)**
- Gloves
- Glues**
- Hand tools: hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, clamps
- Laser printer
- Palette knives**
- Palette-topped utility carts
- Presentation projector
- Push pins
- Rags
- Rulers**
- Scanner
- Scissors
- Spray bottles**
- Staple guns
- Stools
- Tape**
- Work tables
What you need to bring
Required Tools and Supplies
- All materials needed to make your work (paint, brushes, surfaces, etc.)**
- Digital portfolio
- Prohibited supplies: power tools, torches, spray paint, encaustic, turpentine, resin, plastisol, any solvent that isn’t low VOC
Optional Tools and Supplies
- White (or light colored) t-shirt for screen printing**
* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off. The store aims to stock comparable items, though specific products from the supply list may vary based on inventory.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Painting & Drawing
Painting & Drawing Studio in Aspen / Snowmass
The Painting & Drawing Studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a professional studio environment designed to support immersive artistic practice across a wide range of media. The space provides dedicated work areas, natural light, and technical infrastructure for artists working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, and drawing.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Painting & Drawing workshops at Anderson Ranch.
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 tools, computer access with Adobe software, wifi, 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.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for Painting and Drawing workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
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III
Level III
Students have formal training in critical issues of 2-D art making, experience with public critiques and a solid portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
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MC
Master Class
Aug 10 - 14, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Investigating Spatial Relationships in Painting
Hilary Pecis, Liz Ferrill
Tuition $1,350
Code D1123-26
Master Class In this master class workshop for advanced painters, students investigate their intentions and concerns within their painting practice, while working at a rigorous pace in the studio. Class consists of one-on-one and group critiques, discussion, and ample studio time to make new inquiries into their work. Participants are challenged to explore new avenues and dive deep into the content and methods behind their practice. Topics for discussion include source material, negative/positive space, zooming in on a painting and working from a crop, content, color and gesture, and symbolism. Students are asked to bring a digital portfolio of recent work to share with the class. * Please note: Hilary Pecis teaches daily from 9 am – 3 pm. Late afternoons are dedicated to independent studio time with Liz Ferrill present for feedback and dialogue.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
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P
Portfolio Review Required
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have a portfolio of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.
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AMS
Advanced Mentored Studies
Aug 10 - 14, 2026
9AM - 5PM
Advanced Mentored Studies: Topics in Painting: Studio Practice and Critique
Holly Hughes, Stephen Westfall
Tuition $2,600
Code D1122-26
The second year of this three-year advanced mentorship program encourages each student to push their studio practice. Working at a rigorous pace, engaging in critical dialogue with the group and with the instructors in individual critique, artists refine and expand their investigations. Wide-ranging topics include concept and approach to contemporary art practice as well as technical and material explorations. Students are expected to work independently with the support of their class peers and instructors, raising the ambition of their own studio goals. Although primarily a painting workshop, participation by installation artists and other artists working across media is encouraged. The goal of the series is for students to gain community, develop insight into their work and, through discussion, challenge themselves to reflect on their artistic intentions.
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O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Aug 10 - 14, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Abstract Painting: Mark, Surface & Gesture
JJ Peet
Tuition $1,295
Code D1124-26
This workshop encourages students to approach abstraction with spontaneity and mark making as an emphasis when forming an image. With an intention to challenge painters to engage in surface and materials, we focus on our response rather than preconceived notions about image making. Students are encouraged to interact with drawing and painting materials in a physical way, while considering color palette, speed, and gesture to aid in the process of developing paintings that are strikingly personal and visually compelling.