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Adult Art Workshops

Calgary Art Workshops for Adults & Seniors. Stay in touch!

Adults & Seniors
Beginners & Advanced
All mediums

Art Palette with a paint brush through the middle.
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Introduction to Gelatin Plate Printing | With Ashley Gaboury

Gelatin Plate Print of  two birds.

Gelatin Plate Printing has taken the art world by storm. Create your own unique prints as Ashley Gaboury (GOLDEN Artist Educator) leads participants through the basic steps of mono-printing using a Gel printing plate and OPEN Acrylics. Discover how to layer and use the Gel plate effectively. Try Iridescent paints to create beautiful effects. Ashley will provide you with tips on how to incorporate layered pieces (Collage) into your own art. Teens & Adults are welcome.

Medium: Geli Plate Printing
Beginners - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, March 1, 2025
10:00 - 2:00 pm

Price: $84

Versatility of Gouache (Zoom Workshop)

Gouache landscape painting of a lake.

Discover gouache! An online workshop with Doug Swinton! Gouache is often called the “chameleon” of art mediums—and for good reason. It’s opaque like oil paint, dries quickly like acrylic, is water-soluble like watercolor, and is compact and easy to travel with, making it a versatile choice for artists of all levels.

Medium: Gouache
Beginners - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Sunday, March 9, 2025
11:00 - 1:00 pm

Price: $20

Zoom Workshop!

Design for Painters | With Lori Lukasewich

Design For Painters writing with a blue background that has a bird sitting on a hand on it.

Composition is the single most important part of any image. In this engaging workshop, we’ll jump into the essentials of composition and design, focusing on how these principles can be used to transform your paintings. You’ll explore fundamental concepts like balance, contrast, and focal points, and learn how to apply them effectively to enhance your use of space, colour, and form.

Medium: Watercolour or Acrylic
Intermediate - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, March 15, 9:30 - 3:30 pm
Sunday, March 16, 9:30 - 3:30 pm

Price: $199

Beyond Watercolour | With Rich Williams

Watercolour painting of a man standing in the woods.

Join Rich Williams and explore the possibilities of watercolour like you have not seen before. Take what you know about watercolour and then take a leap and learn many other unexpected possibilities exist. Approaching colour and using expected pigments as well as greys produce clear and bright watercolour that are not muddy. Learn creative ways to use watercolours properties with brushes and other non conventional tools to expand your work into new and exciting paintings.

Medium: Watercolour
Some experience - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
March 21, 2025, 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Demo Night)
Sat, March 22, 2025, 9:30 - 4:00 pm
Sun, March 23, 2025, 9:30 - 4:00 pm

Price: $349

Friday Night Art Demo! Rich Williams

Watercolour painting of a river.

Enjoy Swinton's Friday night art demo with Rich Williams! See the way he works his watercolours in person. Food & drinks included! Seating around the room for every guest. Come for a great night of fun socializing and inspiring watercolours.

Medium: Watercolour
Friday Night Art Demo!

Event Date:
March 21, 2025, 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Demo Night)

Price: $29.95

Introduction to Bouguereau 

amour+A+L'affut+William-Adolphe Bouguereau's painting of a Fairy child.

Dive into the elegant world of Bouguereau oil painting. This workshop is designed for art enthusiasts and budding painters alike who are eager to learn the techniques that define William-Adolphe Bouguereau's ethereal and lifelike paintings. Master the art of delicate layering that Bouguereau famously used to achieve his smooth, almost invisible brushstrokes.

Medium: Oil Painting
Beginners - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, March 15, 1:00-5:00 pm
Saturday, March 22, 1:00-5:00 pm
Saturday, April 5, 1:00-5:00 pm

Price: $300

Paint The Figure - From Your Own Photo Reference!

Figure painting of a woman picking berries.

Would you like to experience the “joy” of putting brush marks on canvas... without labouring overdrawing and measuring? In this 2-Day Workshop, all levels of artists who desire to bring ‘freshness & life” to their figurative paintings will learn to simplify a complex figurative photo (or scee) using Bobb approach to ‘starting’ a painting that... you will learn to “push ideas”, using your own photo references, look for “possibilities” in your work, and using our studies, bring our studio painting to life.

Medium: Oil or Acrylic
Some experience - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, March 29, 9:30 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 30, 9:30 - 4:00 pm

Price: $199

A Layman’s Approach To Painting

Untitled design (2).jpg

Create a strategy before jumping into your final masterpiece! Have you ever wanted to paint a certain subject but were unsure how to begin? Small studies are an important part of creating a strategy before jumping into your final masterpiece. In this workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to bring in your photo and create a game plan. We’ll touch on editing/composition and completing a Notan (black & white) study, then bring your image to life in colour. 

Medium: Gouache, Oil or Acrylic
Beginner - Intermediate Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, April 5, 9:30 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, April 6, 9:30 - 4:00 pm

Price: $179

Friday Night Painting Demonstration!

Paint The Portrait In Oil.jpg

Portrait Painting Demonstration – With Snacks! 🎨🧀🍷 Ever wondered how artists magically capture a person’s soul on canvas? Come to Swinton's for a live portrait painting demonstration, where you’ll witness Emma work her magic in real-time—brushstroke by brushstroke, bringing personality and expression to life. But wait, there’s more! Not only do you get to sit comfortably and soak in the creativity, but we’re also providing cheese, crackers, meats, snacks, and drinks—because watching art happen is even better when your mouth is full.

Medium: Oil Painting
Friday Night Art Demo!

Event Date:
Friday, April 11, 6-8 pm (Demo Night)

Price: $29.95

With a live model!

Paint The Portrait In Oil - April 2025

Portrait painting of a man sitting down and writting a note on a table.

Join me to learn about oil painting the portrait from life! In this workshop, we will be focusing on developing a block, working in mass, discovering what value means, the basics of colour and how to paint skin tones. This workshop offers an immersive opportunity for artists to explore the art of traditional portrait painting. It caters to artists of all skill levels, whether you’re a novice looking to acquire fundamental techniques or an experienced painter seeking to try something new or enhance your portrait skills.

Medium: Oil Painting
Beginner - Intermediate Welcome

Event Date:
Friday, April 11, 6-8 pm (Demo Night)
Saturday, April 12, 9:00 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, April 13, 9:00 - 4:00 pm

Price: $287

With a live model!

Plein Air with Acrylics! Lecture Workshop

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky plein air painting near a river.

Join Alberta Artist in Residence, Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, for an inspiring and informative session on plein air painting. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, this event offers valuable insights into the art of painting outdoors. Samantha will share her personal approach to plein air painting, including her set-up process, essential supplies, and techniques for capturing the essence of the landscape.

Medium: Acrylic
Beginner - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Thursday, April 17, 2025, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Price: FREE

Lecture based Workshop

Soapstone Workshop 2025

Soapstone carvings of various animals.

A fun and light approach to working with soapstone stone. You will carve your own piece of stone while Vance guides you through the process of shaping, carving and polishing, helping solve the challenges you encounter at each phase.  Each student will come away from this workshop with a finished piece and with a better sense of how to see and execute in the 3D. No skills are required other than to be willing to have fun!

Medium: Soapstone
Beginner - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 9:30 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, April 27
, 2025, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Price: $309

Land Sea & Sky Workshop

Collage of three paintings. Sea scape, Landscape and a mountain scene.

The focus of this workshop is on landscape composition and colour. You will create paintings of prairies, foothills, and seascapes distinguished by a harmonious play of light and colour in a bold and realistic style. Distinguished by force and beauty, Reflecting the artist’s powerful vision and a philosophical, spiritual approach to his art. “Skies, the prairies, and the ocean all provide unlimited scope for communicating what I feel…In these subjects, the power of nature rules.”

Medium: Oil or Acrylic
Some expirence - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 10:00 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, April 27
, 2025, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Price: $249

Heather Pant Lake Louise Acrylics Workshop

Acrylic paiting of flowers by a lake.

Join Artist Heather Pant and create with her the Iconic Lake Louise using Acrylics on Canvas. Learn Heather's techniques and unique style in composition, lighting and colour. All skill levels are welcome, class limited to 12 participants. Register Today to secure your Easel.

Medium: Acrylic
Beginner - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, April 26, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Price: $200

Exploring Modern Acrylics

Exploring Modern Acrylics.jpg

Join GOLDEN Artist Educator Ashley Gaboury and dive into intuitive artmaking. This workshop will help you gain a better understanding of the versatility of acrylics, colour harmonies and layering techniques. Ashley Gaboury will encourage you to be bold while developing layered abstract grounds that can be used as backgrounds for paintings or continue to grow into more dynamic abstracts. Discover how to use texture, lifting techniques, washes, glazes, and stencilling to add depth and create dimension in your paintings.

Medium: Acrylic
Beginner - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, May 10, 10:00 - 3:00 pm

Price: $89

Watercolour & Gouache Together!

Watercolour and gouache painting.

Ever wondered how to mix the delicate transparency of watercolour with the bold opacity of gouache? Gouache offers the versatility and vibrancy of watercolour with a touch of opacity, making it easy to create unique effects. Transform your artistic approach in this hands-on workshop by combining watercolour and gouache! You'll learn to select the right gouache colors, and master blending techniques. Some watercolour experience required. Experiment with the rich textures of gouache, enjoy expert guidance, and leave inspired to create more!

Medium: Gouache & Watercolour
Intermediate - Advanced Welcome

Event Date:
Saturday, May 3, 9:30-3:30
Sunday, May 4, 9:30-3:30

Price: $199

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