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. Class descriptions below.

WINTER/SPRING 2025

WINTER 2025
(FULL) February-March 2025: Mentoring and Critique Groups. Limited to 12 painters per section. Details below.

SPRING 2025

APRIL
FOUNDATIONS OF FLORAL PAINTING
Two weekends, 5 Sessions
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION. Details below.

MAY
THE SINGLE OBJECT STILL-LIFE; MASTERING PLANES AND FORM
Tuesdays May 6, 13, 20 & 27
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION. Details below.

TWO SPRING MINI CLASSES COMING SOON: "Mastering the Notan: Shape and Composition" & "Painting a Garden Iris in Plein Air"

SPACES ARE LIMITED, SIGN UP TO RESERVE A SPACE

WINTER 2025

7-Week Intensive Critique and Mentoring Group for Painters
(FULL: Email to be added to the waiting list)

February - March 2024

Level: Intermediate-Advanced

This online mentoring group is designed for committed painters looking to elevate their practice. Drawing on a decade of experience in teaching college thesis development courses, this intimate class welcomes up to 12 artists ready to deepen their commitment to painting and strengthen their work.

What to Expect: Each week students will receive supportive feedback in both group critiques and in our private online classroom. In this course, you will focus on:

Strengthening Your Art: Through critique and discussion, learn how to make your paintings sharper and stronger.
Cohesion: Bring greater cohesion and depth to your body of work.
Cultivating Self-Critique: Develop a discerning eye for evaluating your own paintings.
Building a Sustainable Practice: Establish a disciplined and dedicated painting routine.
Navigating the Art World: Gain practical professional insights on topics such as juried shows, galleries, websites, artist statements, and more. Social media will also be a part of this conversation.
In addition to live critiques, students will submit work in our private online classroom for ongoing feedback.

Class Structure:

Each week we will look at each participant’s work through a live slide show. Paintings may be marked up with digital tools to ensure critiques are clear and helpful,
During our weekly meeting we will also touch on other art-related topics such as professional practices and studio practices.

Who Should Enroll? This class is tailored for intermediate to advanced painters working in semi-abstract to realist styles who are looking to grow artistically, refine their craft, and acquire professional knowledge.

Choose Your Section: (Eastern Time: Philadelphia/ NYC Time zone)

SECTION 1: (Full: email to be added to the waiting list)
Thursday February 13 - March 27
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

SECTION 2: (Full: email to be added to the waiting list)
Sunday February 16 – March 30
10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Tuition: $500
EMAIL: crilling@hotmail.com for registration information

*Classes are recorded for review, available for two months after each class

*One week prior to the class start, each artist will post a brief intro and a few examples of their work to our online classroom

WINTER/SPRING 2025

APRIL 2025


Foundations of Floral Painting:
4 days over two weekends + one additional session:
April 5th + 6th: 12:30-2:00 pm Eastern Time each day
April 12th + 13th: 12:30-2:00 pm Eastern Time each day
(+ *April 13th: office hours from 3-4 pm)
Monday, April 14th from 5pm-6pm: Recap and Review

(Philadelphia/NYC Time Zone, classes are recorded, live attendance not required)

This foundations course, geared to the painter new to painting flowers, will help the student understand complex floral forms and paint them with clarity and confidence.
This two-weekend course will be broken down into five sessions, with clear and concise exercises provided after each class.
The first weekend students will be working in a more realistic style; this will provide the framework for the class and aid in understanding floral shapes. The second weekend a looser approach will be demonstrated. Students are encouraged to discover their own unique style and technique through practice and experimentation which will lay the groundwork for more advanced classes.

Course Objectives: simplifying and understanding complex floral forms, employing effective lighting, mixing clean and accurate color, and varying marks and edges.

Weekend 1
Day 1: Drawing; seeing shapes not details; simplifying complex information
Day 2: Mixing clean color; painting simple floral forms
Weekend 2
Day 3: Varying flowers: Different Species and Forms. Working with edges.
Day 4: Vases and ellipses. Edges and marks continued.
Day 5: Review and final discussion

Class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demonstration. Classes are recorded if students cannot attend live. Students will receive individual weekly audio or written critique through our private online classroom. Participants will have an additional week after the last class to complete exercises.

Photo references will be provided for students. Paintings can be done from life or references.

Supplies: A supply list will be sent after registration.
Online classroom: Private online classroom for enrolled students
Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for enrolled students, available for one month following the last class.

Tuition: $295
Email: crilling@hotmail.com to register

MAY 2025

“The Single Object Still Life; Mastering Planes and Form”
Tuesdays May 6, 13, 20 & 27
12:00PM-1:45PM EST (Phila. And NYC Time Zone)

This 4-week still life class will equip students with the skills needed to understand the planes of both organic and man-made forms. Through the mastery of planes, forms become much easier to translate into mass. Following the tradition of constructive drawing and painting, students will learn to avoid over-polishing their work, resulting in clear strong painterly statements.
We will begin with man-made objects, then move to organic shapes. Each week a new painting will be completed of a single object still life.
Each class will consist of discussion, lecture, and demos. Demos (both live and pre-recorded) will be shared to demonstrate parts of the painting process.
A new assignment will be given each week. Students have the option to share work for critique in our private online classroom.

All time zones accommodated, students are not required to attend live.

Supplies: A supply list will be sent after registration
Online classroom: Private online classroom for enrolled students
Zoom: Classes conducted via Zoom and are recorded for enrolled students, available for one month following the last class

Tuition:$260
Email: crilling@hotmail.com to register




Private Mentoring and Coaching

-Critique: Receive in-depth feedback on current work
-Overcome obstacles and artistic blocks
-Set artistic and professional goals
-Develop clarity and confidence in one's work and process

In this one-on-one meeting I can help you strengthen your work, align you with your goals, help you to overcome blocks, or organize your work flow and practice.

$110 USD/60 minutes
Meetings are conducted through Zoom

EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS COURSES: The Single Object Still-Life: Mastering Planes and Form; Foundations of Floral Painting: Unlocking Vibrant Color; Landscape Painting Foundations; After the Masters: Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic; After the Modern Masters: Transcriptions in Gouache and Acrylic; Alla Prima: A Direct Approach to Florals; Cityscape Painting: Capturing the Light and Atmosphere of the Urbanscape; Atmosphere and Edges: Building Depth into the Landscape; Oil Painting Foundations; Foundations of Still Life Painting; Color, Shape, and Design; Studio and Plein Air Practices; Buildings in the Landscape;

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.


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.

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

Mentoring and Coaching:
$110 USD/1 HOUR
-Critique: Receive feedback on current work
-Overcome obstacles and artistic blocks
-Set artistic and professional goals
-Develop clarity and confidence in one's work and process
Mentoring lessons are conducted through Zoom

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