-
This 8-week intermediate painting course invites artists to loosen up, paint boldly, and explore expressive brushwork inspired by the energetic brushwork of Vincent van Gogh. Working in acrylics or oils, students will paint a different subject each week—ranging from dynamic landscapes to vibrant florals—using colour, rhythm, and intentional mark-making to bring their paintings to life. Each class will include instructor demonstrations focused on expressive techniques, colour mixing, and building movement through brushstrokes. Students will have ample studio time to paint, experiment, and develop their own voice, with ongoing individual feedback and guidance throughout each session. This course is ideal for painters who are comfortable with basic materials and techniques and are ready to push beyond realism, embrace texture, and paint with confidence and emotion. Click HERE for HdH Acrylics 2026 Supply List
-
Join this 8-week course to learn techniques and principles behind the art of wet-on-wet painting. We will explore various concepts that are essential ingredients for successful portrait painting: getting the right proportions, mixing colours to create skin tones, strategically placing facial features, and understanding planes and shapes of the form. We will have different focuses for the first 4 weeks and the second 4 weeks: First 4 weeks: Proportions, value, colour mixing, brush techniques, demonstrations. Second 4 weeks: One Alla Prima painting each week. Click HERE for Alla Prima Portrait Painting Materials List
-
If you are new to art, begin your journey here! Relax and enjoy as you discover the freedom inherent in watercolour. In this course, Diane will lead you to learn and control the fascinating interaction between water, paint, and paper. Focus on handling edges, backgrounds, negative painting; learn how to add washes, layers, and texture. From florals to landscapes, you will have fun learning the techniques needed to create a successful watercolour painting while you develop your own style. You will love Diane’s demonstrations and enjoy lots of individual attention. No pressure, just fun! Beginner Paint Materials List
-
Anime is a hit at OAS! There's so much fun in learning the fundamentals of drawing in an anime style. From basic elements like hair, eyes, hands, heads, and poses, to personalized style, facial expressions and more, learn the skills you need to help get started on your journey of drawing the characters you love and making your own! Multiple different anime styles and genres such as Shōnen (eg. Naruto), Fantasy (eg. Jujutsu Kaisen), Chibi (eg. Pokémon) and stylized realism (eg. Studio Ghibli) will be covered. Participants will need to bring plain paper, an eraser, sharpener, and coloured pens or pencils and / or a digital drawing device. No prior drawing experience required! Here is the complete Materials List Anime Class Series Maia Lee-Thomas
-
Every Friday, OAS members gather in both of our studios to paint, connect, trade ideas, and encourage / admire each other's work. The cost is free of charge for all our members, and the experience is priceless. Studios open at 9 am and people linger until mid afternoon.
-
Every Friday, OAS members gather in both of our studios to paint, connect, trade ideas, and encourage / admire each other's work. The cost is free of charge for all our members, and the experience is priceless. Studios open at 9 am and some people linger until mid afternoon.
-
An understanding of values (light and shadow) is fundamental to the successful creation of representational art. The focus of this four week course is to develop the understanding and application of the principles of light and shadow, or ‘chiaroscuro’, in order to achieve a sense of volume and realism in depicting three-dimensional objects. Each session will consist of an intensive step by step delivery, with students working closely with the instructor towards the goal of achieving impressive results. This will be demonstrated with a final realistic charcoal still-life rendering.
-
In this workshop. discover how colour, especially in spring, works in developing a vibrant composition. You and Bonnie will paint a spring themed piece that is inspired by the beauty of Niagara -On-the-Lake , based on a characteristic street scene. We will explore the amazing light and colour dynamics; transparent watercolour, and the incorporation of mixed medium will enhance our theme. Our subject will exemplify full colour, and “how” to incorporate the beautiful characteristics of Niagara-on-Lake. Gouache and pen and ink as mixed medium options will be incorporated into the watercolour pigments. Bonnie will show you many techniques so that your composition provides a purposeful and unique painting experience. If colour excites you, and you are looking to master some new techniques while further exploring the tried and true, then this workshop is for you! Atmospheric perspective through colour will also be explored where spring painting becomes passion. Bonnie’s hands-on approach is sure to please! COLOURS AND MATERIALS FOR EXPLORING A SPRING WATERCOLOUR PAINTING WITH PANACHE IN COLOUR AND DESIGN!
-
In this workshop you will learn to appreciate the power of creative play to reinvigorate your art practice with energy and playfulness, the benefits of which will spill over into other aspects of your creative life. In the process you will gain ideas for integrating gelli printing into your studio practice, even if you are not going to pursue gelli printing as a focus. Classes will be a combination of systematic step by step learning and ‘play time’ focusing on risk-taking and problem solving as part of the creative process. This workshop is ideal for artists looking to expand their practice by integrating something new, and to introduce an element of abstraction and playfulness to their work. Materials List for Feb Weekend Gelli Printing Workshop at OAS
-
Is it time for you to have your very own website? It's EASY now, and Julie will walk you through every step. Learn how to design and publish a simple, professional website using Canva — no coding or previous web design experience required. This hands-on course guides you step by step through Canva’s website builder, from planning your site to publishing and sharing it with confidence. Ideal for artists, small business owners, creatives, and anyone wanting a clean online presence. Have a look at Julie’s website to get an idea of how great yours can look too!
-
Capture the raw energy of the changing seasons in this immersive, five-hour workshop focused on the “Spring Thaw”—that fleeting moment where icy whites and cool shadows meet the first glimpses of earthy warmth. This session is designed for artists ready to trade their brushes for the bold, sculptural textures of the palette knife, offering a tactile way to "carve" light and shadow into the landscape. This workshop is suitable for all levels, provided students have some foundational painting experience in any medium. Throughout the day, you will be guided through clear, step-by-step demonstrations that break down the landscape into manageable shapes and layers. These easy-to-follow instructions ensure that you stay confident from the first scrape of paint to the final highlight. By the end of the session, you will have mastered a complete, start-to-finish process for creating a work of art entirely with a palette knife. You will leave the studio not only with a fully completed painting but also with a new, expressive toolkit to bring more energy and texture to your future artistic projects. Click HERE for Palette Knife with Maria Iva list of supplies for OAS workshop
-
Fluid art is a fun and expressive way to get creative! In this more advanced, part 3 course, you will mix paints suitable for the use of a blow dryer to produce beautiful classic Dutch pours. You will transform 3 canvases into beautiful displayable artwork, suitable for displaying indoors or outdoors. Although this workshop will build on skills from previous sessions, adventurous beginners are also welcome. Click HERE for Materials List Fluid Art Classic Dutch Pour with Instructor AJ Webb
