• Online Workshops: Fall 2023/Winter 2024

    FALL 2023 ONLINE CLASSES

    Q&A: How do I sign up for a class? Simply email: crilling@hotmail.com and a reply will be sent to you with payment options.


    WINTER ONLINE CLASSES 2023-2024

    NEW: December 15th "Working from Studies and Scaling Up"
    REGISTRATION OPEN. DESCRIPTION BELOW.

    After the Modern Masters: Studying Composition, Color, and Shape. Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic a 4-week online class
    January 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
    (Description below- open for registration)

    "Buildings in the Landscape" 3-Week Online Course
    February 6th, 13th, 20th
    (Description below- open for registration)

    "Foundations of Floral Painting" 4-Day Online Course
    March, 2024
    (Description coming soon)

    SPACES ARE LIMITED, SIGN UP TO RESERVE A SPACE

    August 2023: Pemaquid Maine, Outdoor Landscape Painting 7-Day Workshop. Onsite. (Class is full, email to be added to waiting list)

    August 2024: Pemaquid Maine, Intermediate to Advanced Landscape Painting. Onsite. Dates announced winter 2024.

    PRE-RECORDED CLASS: "On Painting Trees" A skill-building class. 2 hours.
    This lesson covers approaches to painting full foliage trees with more clarity and confidence. Through simplifying complex forms and looking for the clear value pattern in trees, these complex forms become more approachable. We will look at work by other painters, break down complex images, and look at process images of a painting that will aid in building a stronger painting with more control and intention. Following the first part of the lesson a one-hour demo will be shown of a full foliage tree in oil paint. Registered students will receive: the recording link available until 12/31/2024, a PDF with detailed exercises, and images to use for practice.
    Tuition: $65
    Level: beginner to intermediate
    Email: crilling@hotmail.com to register

    FALL 2023 ONLINE CLASSES | SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER

    "On Color: Painting with Intention"
    FULL- email to be added to waitlist
    A 3-week lecture and demo course for independent study
    11/16, 11/30 & 12/7, 2023
    Thursdays from 12-2pm Eastern Time (Philadelphia Time Zone)

    This 3-week color course is for anyone who wishes to paint with more intentional color to make bolder and informed color decisions without the use of convoluted color theory and laborious color charts. We will learn ways to approach color choices more effectively and paint with increased color intention and awareness.
    We will look to color mixing and the color wheel to find solutions as well as consider our emotive response to a subject.
    We will begin by examining a series of paintings by notable painters- both historical and contemporary- and decipher why particular color relationships are so successful. We will look at work of all genres- figure, landscape, still-life, and complete quick informed color studies to strengthen our color perception.

    Each class is two hours long and will consist of lecture, discussion, demo.
    Students are encouraged to work with their medium of choice (+ one fast drying medium for studies) and their current colors. Much of color balance is dependent on mixing, awareness, intention. No need for excessive tube colors.

    Main topics covered:
    - Creating vibrancy through informed color choices
    - Creating color harmony
    - Interpreting photo references to achieve stronger color
    - Revising our own work to create stronger color relationships/ becoming skilled in self-critique
    Other topics: color value, complimentary colors, color mixing.

    Demos will be done in gouache or acrylic and oil.

    This 3-week class is for independent study only; please note there is no critique. However, there is a private online classroom to share work and view class information/exercises. Students are encouraged to post work to share with other students.
    Email crilling@hotmail.com for payment information and supply list
    Tuition: $195
    Class recordings are available to enrolled students for 60 days following each class. Live attendance is not required.
    Level: All levels welcome, but prior painting experience recommended



    "Working from Studies and Scaling Up":
    FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15th from 12:00PM EST-1:15PM EST
    (Philadelphia Time Zone)
    A 75 minute lesson (plus added time for discussion) on the artistic process, working from smaller studies, and moving to larger scale paintings. Process images will be shared to demonstrate the principles of translating studies to larger panels.

    Tuition: $65
    Recordings available to registered students for one full year, live attendance not required.
    This lesson and lecture is for independent study.
    Email crilling@hotmail.com for payment information

    JANUARY 2024

    After the Modern Masters: Studying Composition, Color, and Shape. Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic a 4-week online class

    Tuesdays from 12:00pm-2:00pm Eastern Time (Phila and NYC time zone)
    January 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th

    Through the use of a fast drying medium, we will explore the exciting underpinnings of modern masterworks from the 19th and 20th C. By engaging in a deep examination of shape, tone, and color, our pictorial skills become markedly stronger. We will look at master work that is based on the figure, still-life, landscape, and the interior.
    From the shapes in a Euan Uglow still-life, the tones in a Gwen John figure composition, or the colors in a Fairfield Porter landscape, these works can guide our personal work and compel us to think more intentionally about our own compositions and colors.

    The class will be broken down into weekly exercises. By using gouache or acrylic the transcriptions (copies) can be done quite quickly and kept at a small scale. Students can work from images posted to our online classroom or from their own research.

    Class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demos. Classes are recorded if students cannot attend live.

    Supplies: A basic supply list will be sent after registration.
    Online classroom: Private online classroom for enrolled students
    Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for review (online attendance not required)

    Tuition: $265
    Email: crilling@hotmail.com to register


    FEBRUARY 2024

    Buildings in the Landscape 3 Weeks Online Course
    Tuesdays on February 6th, 13th, and 20th from 12pm-2pm Eastern Time (Phila/NYC Time Zone)

    Architecture can appear overwhelming, but by training our eye to see past detail, we can convey buildings in paint very powerfully and merge them with the organic landscape forms. In this class students will learn to see edge and shape more confidently and clearly. The focus of this 3-week class will be on simplifying, conveying details, varying edges, and merging the man-made with the organic.
    We will work on small scale studies, creating a new painting each week. Students can work outdoors or from photographs. Demos will be done indoors from references.
    Other topics will be covered such as color mixing, value structure, and light.

    Class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demo. Classes are recorded if students cannot attend live. Students will receive individual weekly audio or written critique through our private online classroom.

    Supplies: A basic supply list will be sent after registration.
    Online classroom: Private online classroom for enrolled students
    Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for review

    *Previous landscape painting experience required

    Tuition: $225
    Email: crilling@hotmail.com to register


    MARCH 2024

    Foundations of Floral Painting: Description Coming Soon

    PREVIOUS CLASSES

    JUNE-AUGUST ONLINE CLASSES SUMMER 2023


    Foundations of Landscape Painting (FULL, email to be added to waitlist)
    6 Weeks. June 14th-July 26 (no class on July 5th)
    Wednesdays from 12pm-2pm EDT (Philadelphia Time Zone)

    This in-depth landscape painting class will cover the essential aspects of studio landscape painting, with additional lessons on plein air painting in weeks five and six. The course will include lessons and demos on technique as well as art historical lessons to enhance our understanding of the genre and scope as painters. Each class will be broken into lecture, discussion, and demo. All critiques will be conducted online, in Padlet, reserving class time for specific weekly lessons.
    The main topics covered, in order: selecting and working with photos, selecting the “motif”, simplifying the landscape and seeing shapes, mixing and controlling greens and blues, painting foliage, handling skies and clouds, and working in plein air. The last two weeks will focus on approaches to plein air painting. The course is taught online, in studio, but students have the option to work outdoors in the final weeks even if it’s just in one’s backyard or neighborhood.
    Each week a new assignment will be given, with clear written instructions. Students are encouraged to source landscape images they feel connected to, though several “back-up” images will be provided as well.
    Class is taught in oil, acrylic would also be suitable. All levels welcome.

    Classes recorded and available for two weeks after each class. Live attendance not required.
    Platform: Zoom, Padlet
    Email crilling@hotmail.com for payment information
    A supply list will be sent after registration.
    Tuition: $390

    AUGUST ONLINE CLASSES


    ALLA PRIMA: A DIRECT APPROACH TO FLORALS 3-Day Painting Intensive
    July 31st, August 1st, August 2nd
    Monday 12pm-2pm EDT
    Tuesday 12pm-2pm EDT
    Wednesday 12pm-2pm EDT
    (Class times are based on Eastern Time/Philadelphia area)

    *FULL- email to be added to waitlist


    This is a fast-paced and exciting workshop; students will work quickly and directly, responding to these evocative natural forms. Each morning will consist of lecture, slides, discussion, and an hour-long demo. Students are encouraged to begin the lesson during the afternoon, and work from life. Instructor will be available on the Zoom call from 3:30pm-5:30 pm each day to answer questions or provide feedback.

    Monday: Simplifying & Mixing Clean Color. On this first day we will focus on learning how to simplify the abundance of detail we see in flower forms. We will work from more simple "closed form" flowers. Through understanding the underlying form of flowers, these complex shapes become much easier to translate and to paint. We will mix with intention to produce luminous color.

    Tuesday and Wednesday: On these two days we will shift our focus to letting go of the literal nature of the florals, how to work with more direct mark-making, and learning how to vary the thickness of the painted surface. We will work with any variety of floral species.

    * "Alla Prima” translates to “at once”. This simply means paintings are completed in a single session, directly. This yields a fresh and looser result.

    Classes recordings are available for one month. Live attendance not required. Work will be reviewed for two weeks following the workshop.
    Platform: Zoom, Padlet
    Email crilling@hotmail.com for payment information
    A supply list will be sent after registration.
    Tuition: $265






    PREVIOUS COURSES:


    Foundations of Oil Painting 5 Weeks (WINTER 2023)
    -January 17th-February 14th, 2023
    -Tuesdays from 12pm-2pm EST (Philadelphia Time Zone)

    This class is for the beginner oil painter who is seeking a strong foundation in painting still-life and a deeper understanding of oil painting practices. This in-depth class will equip students will the tools to paint on their own, take more advanced classes, or explore different genres. Art historical images and lectures will support each lesson.
    Each week will address a different topic relating to oil painting and still-life painting. The two hours will consist of Q&A, lecture, and then demo. Students are encouraged to participate and ask questions during class. If one wishes to, painting while I demo is fine. Critiques will be given outside of class time throughout the week.

    Week 1: Oil paints and what they are, mediums, solvents, brushes and palette knives, canvases and boards, cleaning of brushes. Demo: mixing, creating a grayscale, sphere and elements of form.
    Week 2: Form and light. Setting up and lighting a still-life. Mixing tints and shades. Begin single-object still-life.
    Week 3: Color and Value. Underpaintings and how to utilize them. Move to 2-object still-life.
    Week 4: Rendering man-made objects: symmetry, ellipses, form. Continue 2-object still-life.
    Week 5: Looking at different genres, how paintings can be made with different approaches.

    FEBRUARY 2023 ONLINE CLASSES

    ALLA PRIMA: A DIRECT APPROACH TO FLORALS 3-Day Painting Intensive
    February 17th, 18th, and 19th
    (This class is full- email to be added to waiting list. A second session offered 3/24-3/26)

    Friday 12pm-2pm EST
    Saturday 12pm-2pm EST
    Sunday 12pm-2pm EST
    (Class times are based on Eastern Time/Philadelphia area)

    This is a fast-paced and exciting workshop; students will work quickly and directly, responding to these evocative natural forms. Each morning will consist of lecture, slides, discussion, and an hour-long demo. Students are encouraged to complete or begin the lesson during the afternoon, and work from life. Instructor will be available on the Zoom call from 3pm-6pm each day to give feedback.

    Friday: Simplifying & Mixing Clean Color. On this first day we will focus on learning how to simplify the abundance of detail we see in flower forms. We will work from simple "closed form" flowers. Through understanding the underlying form of flowers, these complex shapes become much easier to translate and to paint. We will mix with intention to produce luminous color.

    Saturday and Sunday: On these two days we will shift our focus to letting go of the literal nature of the florals, how to work with more direct mark-making, and learning how to vary the thickness of the painted surface.

    * "Alla Prima” translates to “at once”. This simply means paintings are completed in a single session, directly. This yields a fresh and looser result.

    MARCH 2023 ONLINE CLASSES

    ALLA PRIMA: A DIRECT APPROACH TO FLORALS 3-Day Painting Intensive
    3/24, 3/25, and 3/26

    Friday 12pm-2pm EST
    Saturday 12pm-2pm EST
    Sunday 12pm-2pm EST
    (Class times are based on Eastern Time/Philadelphia area)

    This is a fast-paced and exciting workshop; students will work quickly and directly, responding to these evocative natural forms. Each morning will consist of lecture, slides, discussion, and an hour-long demo. Students are encouraged to complete or begin the lesson during the afternoon, and work from life. Instructor will be available on the Zoom call from 3pm-5:30 pm each day to answer questions or provide feedback.

    Friday: Simplifying & Mixing Clean Color. On this first day we will focus on learning how to simplify the abundance of detail we see in flower forms. We will work from simple "closed form" flowers. Through understanding the underlying form of flowers, these complex shapes become much easier to translate and to paint. We will mix with intention to produce luminous color.

    Saturday and Sunday: On these two days we will shift our focus to letting go of the literal nature of the florals, how to work with more direct mark-making, and learning how to vary the thickness of the painted surface.

    * "Alla Prima” translates to “at once”. This simply means paintings are completed in a single session, directly. This yields a fresh and looser result.

    After the Masters: Studying Composition and Shape. Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic.
    March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 31st
    Fridays 12pm-2pm EST
    Class times are based on Eastern Time/Philadelphia.

    Through use of fast drying medium, we will explore the exciting underpinnings of masterworks from the 13th to 19th C. By engaging in a deep examination of shape, rhythm, tone, and color, our pictorial skills become markedly stronger. We will look at master work that is based on the figure, portrait, still-life, and landscape.
    From the shapes in a Piero della Francesca painting, to Giotto, and Degas, and the rhythmic lines in a Cassatt, these works can guide our personal work, and compel us to think more intentionally about our own compositions. We will examine non-secular and secular paintings.

    The class will be broken down into weekly exercises. By using gouache or acrylic the transcriptions (copies) can be done quite quickly, abstractly, and kept at a small scale. Students can work from images posted to our online classroom or from their own research.

    Class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demos. Classes are recorded if students cannot attend live.

    Supplies: A basic supply list will be sent after registration.
    Online classroom: Private online classroom for enrolled students
    Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for review.




    REFUND POLICY: There are no refunds or transfers for online classes. If one cannot attend live, recordings are available. In the unlikely event that a class is cancelled, students will receive a full refund.

    Maine Outdoor Landscape Painting. 7-Day Workshop. August 2023: FULL

    PREVIOUS CLASSES 2022:

    "Atmosphere and Edges: Building Depth Into The Landscape"
    (this class is full, email to be added to waitlist)
    3-Day Intensive, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 14th-16th
    October 14th: 12pm-2pm EST
    October 15th: 12pm-2pm EST
    October 16th: 12pm-2pm EST
    (Class times listed are based on Philadelphia time zone)


    This weekend intensive class is for the painter with a foundation in landscape painting looking to build more depth, richness, and atmosphere into their work. On day one class details will be discussed, after which the lesson and demo will focus on color mixing and creating exciting yet subtle color and value shifts to indicate depth. The work will be done in studio. On day two the focus will shift more towards shapes and edges - how these elements can also help to build depth into a landscape. The exercises will be fun and exploratory, challenging our perception, and heightening our visual acuity. The last day we will bring our focus to both atmospheric and linear perspective- how this can be applied to our painting when incorporating buildings and man-made elements.

    Each session will consist of slides & discussion, and an hour long demo. Students are encouraged to begin the lesson during the afternoon. I will be available on the Zoom call from 3pm-6pm each day to give feedback and answer questions.

    -All sessions are recorded via Zoom and available for 30 days for review. Work will be critiqued for two weeks following the end of the course.
    -Private Padlet group for posting work for critique
    -Supply list will be sent upon registration.
    -Oil or Acrylic work best for this class, demos will be done in oil


    NOVEMBER 2022:
    (Full, email to be added to waitlist)
    After the Masters: Studying Composition and Shape. Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic
    4-Week Course. Tuesdays 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29
    12-2pm Eastern Time (Philadelphia Time Zone)

    Through use of a fast drying medium, we will explore the exciting underpinnings of masterworks from the 13th to 19th C. By engaging in a deep examination of shape, rhythm, tone, and color, our pictorial skills become markedly stronger. We will look at master work that is based on the figure, still-life, landscape, and the interior.
    From the shapes in a Piero della Francesca painting, to Giotto, and Degas, and the rhythmic lines in a Cassatt, these works can guide our personal work and compel us to think more intentionally about our own compositions.

    The class will be broken down into weekly exercises. By using gouache or acrylic the transcriptions (copies) can be done quite quickly and kept at a small scale. Students can work from images posted to our online classroom or from their own research.

    Class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demos. Classes are recorded if students cannot attend live.

    Supplies: A basic supply list will be sent after registration.
    Online classroom: Private online classroom via "Padlet" for enrolled students
    Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for review


    Email crilling@hotmail.com for payment and registration

    General Supply List (oil):

    Materials List for Claudia Rilling

    • Paper Towels / rags
    • Portable easel if working outside (landscape classes)
    • Canvas Panels, stretched canvas, or gesso primed paper (any size you feel comfortable working in, but starting smaller is a good idea) 8x8, 10x10, 8x12, etc. Size is based on personal preference.
    • Paint Brushes- It’s good to have a variety of brushes that range in both type and size. Rounds, Flats, and Filberts are all good
    • Paper Palette (or whatever you prefer) - at least 12x16. Or, if using a portable easel, it may come with a nice palette.
    • Metal palette knife. A pointed end is best, not larger than 3 inches long.
    • Some Paints: (or use what you have)
    Burnt Umber—Yellow Ochre or transparent earth yellow— Ivory Black — Cadmium Red— Cadmium Yellow Light or Medium— Ultramarine Blue— Titanium White (large tube is best)- Alizarin crimson- Sap green
    • Any other colors that you like
    • Feel free to experiment with other tube greens and blues like Permanent Green, Cadmium Green, Pthalo Blue (VERY strong), Phtalo Green (VERY strong), Prussian Blue, Cerulean Blue, etc.
    • The brand I prefer: Gamblin or Windsor Newton oil paint
    • The best student grade paint is Gamblin 1980 (avoid other student grade paints)
    • Liquin Original or linseed oil– Not needed if working in acrylic
    • Odorless Turpenoid or Gamsol– Not needed if working in acrylic
    • Jars or cups for medium and thinner. Make sure the lid seals tightly.
    • Optional: view finder (you can make a homemade version with pieces of cardboard taped together)
    • Small sketchbook and pencil/markers. "Tombow" value markers are great for value studies.
    • Gesso (optional to prime surfaces) : Professional Grade White Acrylic Gesso. “Golden” brand is good.





  • Jerusalem Studio School in Italy: Painting Workshop, July 2019

    "Painting a Dynamic Landscape"
    Jerusalem Studio School: Painting Workshop, July 1-15, 2019
    Affiliate Workshop hosted by The JSS in Civita Castellana, Italy

  • Workshops and Teaching

    MAINE: SUMMER 2023
    7-Day Landscape Painting Intensive
    August, 2023.
    FULL

    Mentoring: One-on-one critiques and guidance
    -$95 USD/60 minutes. Inquire for availability



  • RECENT NEWS

    Portrait drawing published in "Lessons in Classical Drawing" by Juliette Aristides