More information about your class on Fridays 11-2 pm, at various East Bay Locations

You’re Enrolled. What’s next?

You can start consulting the list of painting materials here, and this PDF explaining gear and supply considerations.

If you have never painted outdoors before, check out this page for plein air newbies.

Watch Your Inbox

You will get two emails about a week before class starts, one with last minute instructions and another with an invitation to Classroom, the online space where you can access all of the resources for this class. You can go there to print out the notes for each demo, handouts related to our topics, see curated videos and look at examples of our work.

A Typical Session

We will get together promptly at 11:00 AM so please arrive at 10:30. More experienced students may choose to scout a spot and and begin painting immediately. Beginners are welcome to join me as I demonstrate topics related to outdoor painting in a variety of media. I will help you pick a spot that matches your abilities if you are a beginner. By 11:45 everyone will be painting and I will be coming around to help each person individually. Bring a lunch you can eat on the go. We will continue painting until 1:45 pm, when we will meet in the parking lot to celebrate pour accomplishments. You are welcome to stay later in you want, but please be at the parking lot at 2:00 so you can share your work.

Once you get home, please accept the email invitation from Classroom to review the session’s topic.

My Contact Info

If you have questions before class starts, please email me. For help getting to the painting location on the day we are painting please text 510-932-1526 instead of calling - I screen all my calls and reception is poor in several locations.

Oh, The Places We’ll Go In August!

Locations may change depending if a heat wave or extremely cold & windy weather is announced.
Alternate locations include Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, and Lake Anza in Tilden Park.
Detailed instructions will be emailed two days before our painting dates. Always check your email!

SP Reservoir View from Tilden. Watercolor, 2009.

San Pablo Reservoir

A large park in El Sobrante with water and hill views, in a quiet environment of nature sights and sounds. Large parking lot, shade trees, and bathrooms.

Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary

A salt marsh habitat for aquatic birds & other endangered species right next to Alameda Beach. Views of the bridge and of Bay Farm Island.

Sunset Cove Park at Lake Merritt. Oil on canvas, 2022.

Sunset Cove at Lake Merritt

This long park bordering the lake offers shade and urban views framed by water. Enjoy unobstructed sky views! Street parking is not difficult.

Madrone at the Gardens. Acrylic on canvas, 2023.

The Gardens at Lake Merritt

We’ll return to this park with shade, bathrooms and so many choices in terms of what to paint. Lots of parking with a fee of $3.

What To Get

Painting Supplies

If you are a beginner, please check that you have the seven paint colors on the checklist. If you use acrylic, you’ll need acrylic medium (matte or glossy). If you use oils, you may bring solvents because we are outdoors. If you use watercolor or acrylics, painting water is what people tend to forget. Click here for acrylic, watermedia, and oil painting lists. Always leave an extra canvas in your car, in case you forget to bring one.

Gear

You will need a portable easel. If you are bringing a french easel or if you don’t want to carry your gear, you will also need a cart with big wheels. To make emergency repairs and keep things from flying away, you’ll also need to place these in your car: stakes, a plastic bag for rocks, bungee cords, large paper clips, cord or twine and duct tape. Click here for gear and tool recommendations.

For Yourself

A charged cell phone tops the list. Tell your loved ones where you will be going. If you take daily medication, make sure you take it, or take it with you. Sunscreen, snacks, a jacket, a hat, a scarf and drinking water are also important to have in your car. Below is a button with the checklist to review the night before you go painting.

Download Checklist

What About The Weather?

Rain
In the unlikely event of summer rain, you will receive an email and a phone call, confirming our session has been cancelled. We will meet remotely via Zoom, and I will teach an alternate lesson on the use of photo references to complete a landscape.

FOG
Classes will continue during foggy conditions. Please keep an old winter coat, a hat and a scarf in your car.

FIRE SMOKE
Visibility will be impaired, but more importantly, it is not safe for anyone to paint outdoors in those conditions. Many residents choose to leave the city during these events and you might be in this group. We will meet remotely via Zoom, and I will teach an alternate lesson on the use of photo references to complete a landscape. Please bring any unfinished work along with photo references. If you have no unfinished work, bring a photo of a landscape you want to turn into a painting. If the smoke continues, we will add an additional session after the end of June.

ALTERNATE LOCATION
You will receive an email from me if any unplanned circumstance prevents us from meeting at our scheduled location. The email will contain instructions and a map to get to an alternate location.

Social Distance

Please note that all participants need to be masked and follow social distance, vaccinated or not. During this workshop and for the comfort and safety of classmates, PSH residents and workers, we will all need to stay six feet away each other.

Safety Best Practices

Always check the weather before leaving and prep accordingly. Eat and drink before you leave. You will feel better! Tell someone at home where we will be painting that day. Leave the syllabus, an exact address or a landmark where they can come and find you. Stay within earshot of your classmates, preferably where one of us can see you.

Our class takes place in exciting, distracting environments. Avoid falls! Wear sturdy shoes, look ahead as you walk, watch for traffic, and go slow on uneven terrain. Assume that dogs eat everything.

Always tell me if you have a medical condition that might affect your ability to walk, stand for a longer period of time, or be in the sun. This will be kept confidential.

Please let me know if you will be leaving early. We do a head count before leaving our painting location. Try not to stay by yourself in deserted parking lots, and always be aware of your surroundings as you pack up to leave.