Painting Workshops

2026 Joyful Flowers April 8 + 9
Apr
8
to Apr 9

2026 Joyful Flowers April 8 + 9

Do you want your flower paintings to feel joyful, alive, and full of energy?
Are you ready to let go of drab color and stiff marks—and actually enjoy the process of painting?

In Joyful April Flowers, Amy Brnger will guide students through a lively, color-forward approach to floral painting that emphasizes light, vibrant color relationships, and expressive brushwork. This two-day workshop is designed to help you create paintings that feel fresh, dynamic, and full of movement.

Throughout the workshop, we’ll focus on mixing saturated yet nuanced color, understanding how colors interact when placed next to one another, and using intentional brushstrokes to suggest blooms rather than over-describe them. The result: paintings that feel energetic, confident, and visually exciting.

On Day One, we’ll begin by finding the major shapes and structure in our still life setups. Students will work from flowers and still life objects, learning how to block in large color regions and establish a strong foundation for the painting. Amy will demonstrate each day, sharing her approach to seeing and simplifying complex floral arrangements.

Day Two builds on this foundation by refining color relationships and creating expressive neutrals that allow bright hues to truly shine. Students will continue developing their paintings, focusing on color interaction, variation, and brushwork that enhances the sense of light and movement in the composition.

  • Use color and brushwork to create energetic, expressive floral paintings

  • Mix vibrant, saturated colors while maintaining subtlety and nuance

  • Relate colors to one another to create harmony and visual excitement

  • Simplify floral subjects into strong shapes and color regions

  • Use a limited palette to create both brilliant color and rich neutrals

  • Suggest form and movement through confident, intentional brushstrokes

This beginner-friendly workshop covers the fundamentals of painting from life and is also well suited for more experienced artists and sketchers who want to loosen their approach and explore new techniques. Demonstrations will be conducted in oil. Participants may paint in oil or acrylic.

Register at https://www.hisawyer.com/slow-river-studio/schedules/activity-set/1796357?source=camps

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2026 Plein Air Landscape Workshop, Essex MA 10/31-11/1
Oct
31
to Nov 1

2026 Plein Air Landscape Workshop, Essex MA 10/31-11/1

Paint for two days with Amy in the beautiful northshore of Massachusetts Oct 31-Nov 1 2026. We will work with open fields and/or marshes and farms. It is a stunning place to paint. Amy will teach how she constructs her landscape paintings, blocks in imaging, organizes her color palette, and incorporates spontaneity and freedom into her strokes. Hosted by Slow River Studio in Topsfield, MA.

Email jess@slowriverstudio.com for registration information.

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Sunflowers!  Two Sessions Online Sept 16 + 23
Sep
16

Sunflowers! Two Sessions Online Sept 16 + 23

Join Amy as she works live, using sunflowers images from her southern Maine garden, exploring the energy of single session paintingusing these magnificent blooms. Each session will hone in on how to describe the sunflower without getting bogged down in every petal. Learn to use saturated, rich color with taming neutrals. She will emphasize stroke energy, patience with building your paintings.

All workshop participants have continued access to all course materials and recordings. You can also take the live workshop but watch the recordings later.

Additionally, you have access to a private forum. Your paintings made during the workshop will be reviewed by Amy. You can also give and receive feedback from other participants. Optional but instructive!

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Garden Blooms and Loose Strokes I-full
Jul
17
to Jul 18

Garden Blooms and Loose Strokes I-full

Let’s paint what’s blooming in season! Amy Brnger will teach an introductory flower painting workshop using flowers from our southern Maine gardens. Participants will bring their own local blooms and favorite vase (if you don’t have a garden, we will also have flowers for you). Amy will also bring her garden flowers and vase and we will arrange blooms together and then get painting!

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Bountiful Peonies Online workshop
Jun
19
to Jun 26

Bountiful Peonies Online workshop

Let's work on the big blooms! Garden peonies come in two general varieties: single and double blooms. We will tackle each form, one per session. Together we will examine how each bloom is formed, then we will make loose drawings and paintings of each shape. Amy demos in oil but all mediums are welcome. Live workshop participants can post their work to a private forum for feedback.

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Plein Air Landscape Paint in Bar Harbor
Jun
12
to Jun 14

Plein Air Landscape Paint in Bar Harbor

Paint with Amy around Acadia National Park in June 2025. It's a great workshop for all, but if you are new to plein air painting, this is a super introduction to it. Three days of plein air painting in this spectacular location. Each day we will explore a new place. Hosted by The Gallery at Somes Sound.

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