FREE Sample Online Classes

Elizabeth (Liz) Amacher: Since moving to Colorado in 2016, Liz has fully embraced her passion for art, reconnecting with her creativity and exhibiting her work in a variety of regional and international juried shows. As a lifelong learner, Liz continuously seeks out new techniques and learning opportunities to expand both her artistic practice and her leadership skills.

Currently, Liz teaches weekend workshops at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for art with others. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Mike, and their energetic Border Collie, Ruby. Liz remains committed to blending her love of art with her work in education, always seeking new ways to inspire creativity and personal growth in both students and colleagues alike. https://www.lizamacher.com/

Sheila Bender: The founder of Writing It Real, an online community and resource center for those who write from personal experience. Her most recent books are the poetry collection, Since Then: Poems and Short Prose (nominated for the Washington State Book award), Behind Us The Way Grows Wider: Collected Poems 1980 - 2013, the prose memoir, A New Theology Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief, and Writing Personal Essays: Shaping and Sharing Your Personal Experience, among others.

Sheila received a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and, since then, has committed much of her career to facilitating others in writing to the essence in many genres, including flash fiction/nonfiction, poetry, memoir, and personal essay. You can learn more about her classes at WritingItReal.com and sheilabender.substack.com.

Genine Carvalheira: Originally from the U.S., she has lived in Canada and Colombia. A former President of Urban Sketchers, Genine has been a guest artist and instructor at international festivals, including Sketcher Fest in the U.S. and Bodø2024: European Capital of Culture in Norway. She has taught workshops in Mexico, South Korea, Colombia, France, Canada, the Philippines, Norway, and the U.S., inspiring others to see the world through sketching.

Since 2007, she has filled almost 100 sketchbooks, documenting her life and travels across more than 30 countries. Her sketchbooks serve as a visual journal, capturing the quiet beauty of everyday moments alongside the dynamic energy of new places, always ready to record life as it unfolds. Her work has been exhibited at Main Street Gallery in Clifton Springs, NY, and featured in publications such as the Artist Magazine UK, The Urban Sketching Handbook series, and KulTur langs Magasin Nordlandsruta 2024, where she documented Norway’s Nordlandsruta trek as a reportage artist. geninecarvalheira.com

Pat Fiorello: An award-winning fine artist, instructor, and author of the book Bella Italia, Italy Through the Eyes of an Artist. She has been painting for 30 years and works in both oil and watercolor. Her work has been featured in 20 one-woman shows and has been included in over 100 juried exhibitions, including the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, and NOAPS. She is a Signature Member and Past President of the Georgia Watercolor Society. Pat’s painting was selected as Best Floral (April 2023) and Best Oil Painting in the 13th Annual( 2024) PleinAir Salon competition sponsored by PleinAir® Magazine. 

Pat teaches workshops both in person and online, and has led over 20 international workshops in Italy, Spain, New Zealand, and France, including private workshops at Monet’s Gardens in Giverny. Pat was on the faculty of the 2023 Realism Live painting conference, reaching participants in all 50 states and 19 countries worldwide. See more at patfiorello.com, @patfiorello on Instagram, PatFiorelloArtist on Facebook, and Pat’s online gallery

Kathy Rennell Forbes: Her impressionistic paintings are in private and corporate collections around the world, including the French Olympic Committee in Paris, the Hotel Intercontinental in Buckhead-Atlanta, Telstra in Melbourne, Australia, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Atlanta, Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta, and Universal Studios in Los Angeles. The artist is a 2017 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational "Master Artist." She is an invited artist to the Olmsted, Georgia, Color plein air competition from 2019 - 2025. Kathy is a Signature Member and past President of the Georgia Watercolor Society.

She has participated in many solo art shows and has won awards in local, regional, and national exhibits. Forbes earned her BFA in Art and Art Education at the University of Georgia in Athens. Kathy has exhibited and conducted watercolor demonstrations at the High Museum of Art, Booth Western Art Museum, and Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. She conducts watercolor workshops around the U.S. and internationally (Cuba, France, Italy, Spain) and teaches art classes in the Atlanta area. Forbes creates, instructs, and shows her artwork at ‘Studio Z’ in Atlanta’s Westside Arts District. https://www.rennellforbes.com/

Jaime Glasser: An artist, veterinarian, pet hospice consultant, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher who writes. Mesa, Arizona, is home to her family of cats and dogs. She has been working on a memoir for too long, and it has become too lengthy. It traces her conversion to animal hospice care as an alternative to euthanasia with tales of her patients.

Jaime is excited to help creatives with mindfulness techniques that you can use in the moment to get back to your creative joy and get back in the flow. https://jmedvm.substack.com

Jan Guarino: Jan has taught FEARLESS WATERCOLORS at the Art League of Long Island and The Artists Studio at Chelsea Mansion. Since March 2020, however, she has taught exclusively online and now reaches students from all over the US and internationally. Every year, Jan does a 4-day workshop at the Landgrove Inn in Vermont and an Artists' Trip to Europe. Starting Fall 2021, she will be resuming in-person classes at the Firefly Artists' second floor in Northport, NY, where she also exhibits and sells her paintings.

As a teacher, Jan loves to share this passion for watercolor techniques, theories, and joy with all of her students, hoping that they find enjoyment in interpreting their world with paint, splatters, drips, and color by embracing the unexpected and unplanned. Jan has exhibited at the Heckscher Museum, the William Reis Gallery, the Huntington Arts Council, the Long Island Museum, the Art League of Long Island, the Art Guild, and is a permanent artist at The Firefly Gallery in Northport, NY. Jan graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and has been a graphic artist designing marketing materials for businesses for 45 years. https://www.janguarinofineart.com/

Karen Hewitt Hagan: Whether painting on location outside or inside with a model, Karen Hewitt Hagan’s paintings depict a strong feeling of light and include rich, dramatic brushstrokes. Residing in Charleston, SC, Karen exhibits at Hagan Fine Art Gallery in Charleston, The Gallery at Sweetgrass at Isle of Palms, SC, and st City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC. She is a frequent juror for The Plein Air Magazine Art Salons and has studied and trained with many contemporary masters.

She credits working outdoors, en plein air, as one of the most important parts of that training. “Nature is truly the best teacher”. Hagan was presented with the Award of Excellence at the COPA Plein Air Painting Event in Charleston, SC, and was a signature member of The Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. Her book, Karen Hewitt Hagan: An American Impressionist (published by Morton Arts Media), has a section dedicated to the Contessa's Farm in Italy, where she taught for Il Chiostro many years ago.

Andy Holtzman: Andy Holtzman is a former film historian and curator who founded an independent film program at the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theater. He will be joined at each workshop by a different Italian co-moderator to best balance the historical and cultural discussion around our films. Several of our co-moderators will be Zooming in live from Italy to offer an authentic examination of Italian cinematic impact within their country and across the globe.

Marc Josloff: Marc Josloff is a well-rounded lifetime artist who was included in Artist Magazine's short list of “11 artists to watch.” He has been published in Splash 19’s International Best in Watercolor, Canada’s PhotoLife magazine. Marc is an international award winner with many Best in Show paintings as well as photographs. He is president of the Long Island Center of Photography and has been teaching watercolor classes and workshops since 2004.
See his full bio at josloffgalleries.com.

Marc Josloff's Artist's Statement: As an artist, I am strongly influenced by those art modalities that have moved me: impressionism, post-impressionism, expressionism, fauvism, the art of the nabis, Japanese woodcuts, and you can add in constructivism and even classicism. I guess I'm a bit of an artistic anachronism. (lots of 'isms')..And yet I am also a creature of today's world, so I can't help but reflect on both the past and present in my work. Yet the objective for me is not to emulate past art or contemporary, but to imbue my work with pathos, whether my subject be a street dweller or a head of cabbage, because that is what connects us...as vulnerable human beings.

Lisa Kennedy: Lisa Daria Kennedy has been making one small painting every single day for the last 5,800 days. After sixteen years, she has no intention of stopping. Having cancer as a young adult, she discovered that living is not just surviving. Young and faced with an existential crisis, she was acutely aware of all the time she'd wasted and the things she put off, like painting. In a moment of clarity, she pared the creative process down to this one idea: show up for the job. She started showing up for her new job in 2009 and, without excuse, wakes up every day at five and paints.

Alongside her daily painting project, she’s expanded her work, and when her daily painting is complete, she works on larger, narrative paintings in varying styles and content. She’s also an artist, writer, and scholar with a focus on the topic of graphic medicine, the intersection of healthcare and comics. She grew up along the northeast edge of the Hockomock Swamp in Massachusetts and now lives 9 nautical miles from Boston in World’s End in an old fishing camp with her Wheaten Terrier, Olive. She received her BA from Roger Williams University in Graphic Design, a BFA in Illustration, and an MFA in Painting from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, where she’s also an Associate Professor. When she’s not painting, she’s paddling.

Lester Lefkowitz: He has extensive experience as a commercial photographer, writer, educator, and lecturer.  Lester has led photography workshops for over twenty years in Italy, Argentina, Antarctica, New Mexico, New Zealand, and New York, and has photographed in twenty-two countries and all fifty states.  He has written five books and numerous magazine articles, and has unbound enthusiasm for creating fine photographs and working with students at all levels.

Websites: 
https://www.lesterlefkowitz.com/travel-two
https://www.lesterlefkowitz.com

Marie Joabar: Marie has been immersed in photography and photography education for more than 20 years and is passionate about sharing her knowledge about photography, cameras, and digital technology with others. Whether she’s teaching photography, helping one better understand their camera, or “see” better compositions, she works to build one’s confidence and take away the intimidation and sense of overwhelming that often accompanies learning new things. She finds just the right way to take complicated concepts and explain them in a logical, easy-to-understand way.

Marie founded Capital Photography Center in January 2012 to help those with a love of photography grow their skills and reach their goals - be it to capture better snapshots or become a professional photographer. To this end, her company offers a wide variety of photography classes taught by professional photographers and renowned photographic educators, where amateurs, hobbyists, and professionals can learn about the areas of photography suited to their interests and experience level.

Gerard Marini: Gerard lives in Milan, Italy, where he has been a language teacher for about 20 years. He is originally from the USA (Tunkhannock, PA). He graduated in 1990 from Susquehanna University with a BS in Business Administration. He then went on to law school in Washington, DC (‘94 District of Columbia School of Law) before moving permanently to Italy.

Patti Mollica: The artwork of New York painter Patti Mollica is distinguished for its bold brushwork, its unique color, and its very contemporary flair.  Patti splashes paint across her canvas with bravura brushwork and a joy of color that is both inventive and completely fearless. After studying at Syracuse University and winning “Best Portfolio” at Portfolio Center of Atlanta, Mollica developed a career in advertising design and illustration.  Her interest is in capturing the vitality of the scene or object that she’s painting rather than rendering it literally.  To that end, she works in an abstract, painterly style using quick, loose brushstrokes. www.pattimollica.com

Starting, she works from a black and white sketch, painting big shapes and gradually breaking them down into smaller shapes. Her concept is based on the idea that if the underlying abstract shapes work compositionally, the painting on top of it will hold together. With this powerful compositional underpinning, she works with large brushes, overcoming inhibitions by focusing on the big shapes. Patti Mollica is the author of several top-rated books, including How to Paint Fast, Loose and Bold, Modern Acrylics, Color Theory for the Painter, and Getting Started in Acrylics, as well as three instructional DVDs from Creative Catalyst. A Certified Golden Paints Educator, she teaches workshops across the U.S. and internationally, and now offers online courses like Techniques for Loosening Up and Color Choices: From Boring to Brilliant at learn.pattimollica.com.

Linda Mironti: Linda Mironti is a graduate of The Art Institute of New York, formerly The New York Restaurant School. Linda was the chef and co-owner of 2 Divas’ catering company and has been working as a professional chef for various companies and as a private chef for the last 25 years. Linda's real passion and experience, however, first began in her grandma's kitchen when she was a little girl. Then at age 11, she traveled to Italy for the first time - to her parents' birthplace, Morolo, a small mountain town about 1 hour south of Rome. There she was, like an Italian Heidi. She loved the idea of living off the land. She constantly followed her aunt around, watching and helping her make fresh pasta, gnocchi, and polenta. She foraged for chestnuts and mushrooms with her cousins and picked and prepared treasures from her grandfather's garden. The abundance of fruit and nut trees, some of which she had never seen before, gave her an appreciation for what the Italian soil had to offer, not to mention her first love affair - figs! Linda learned that taking the time to make food a loving and special experience can bring joy and warmth to people's lives. "Some of the best times in my life have been in a kitchen or around a table sharing good food with friends." As the Executive Chef at Il Chiostro for the last 25 years, she has had the opportunity to be in Italy and take advantage of the finest fresh seasonal ingredients. This, combined with a creative sense of adventure, has made cooking an art form for her, second only to her love of singing.

Emily Passman: Emily is a painter of oils and acrylics, known for her expressive, loose style. She works from observation, both in the studio and plein air, and describes her work as 'a reaction to’ the subject, as opposed to a ‘rendering’. In addition to teaching oil and acrylic techniques, she encourages and teaches students to sketch. She says daily sketching is a great way to heighten one's ability to see and is important to incorporate into one’s painting process. Her work is in galleries in New England and private collections internationally. After earning both a fine arts degree and a Master’s in Education, she had a successful career as an educator and graphic designer. She teaches privately in her barn-studio and at various museums and educational venues near Boston.

Sharon Pitts: I have been painting in watercolor since 1980. I began painting with acrylic on canvas, and when I started to play with watercolor, I was transfixed by its luminescence. From then on, I focused on watercolor and experimented with its transparency and luminous color combinations. I continue to learn watercolor techniques that come from nature studies and from the fascinating accidents that often occur when working with watercolor. I have learned that working with and accepting these unexpected occurrences with watercolor is what gives my work its vitality and originality.

Over the years, I have exhibited my work in group and solo shows. My work is in many private and corporate collections. Several years ago, I began teaching watercolor workshops, which have ranged from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to Maryland, Florida, and New Mexico. Recently, I have taught three wonderful painting holidays in the south of France. These trips have become a major part of my inner self that I tap into every time I paint, wherever I am. I know that this becomes a special benefit for every person who experiences the personal growth that comes from taking a painting workshop.

Marco Pelle: Marco has been teaching Italian for all levels for 20 years. He grew up in Vicenza, in northern Italy, and now lives between Milano and New York. He teaches at Scuola Italiano and part-time at Bocconi, a technical university in Milan.

In addition to his Italian teaching, Marco is a professional ballet choreographer. He won the 2016 Primi Dieci USA Award, under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as one of the ten most influential Italians in the USA. He’s been one of New York Theatre Ballet’s resident choreographers since 2012. As an Opera choreographer, he has worked extensively in the US and abroad. In 2017, Marco Pelle had his directorial debut with Florida Grand Opera, directing and choreographing Un Ballo in Maschera. In 2018, he became the ballet choreographer of the TV series "Pose".

Susan Porges: With a degree in Printmaking and Illustration from Massachusetts College of Art, Susan has had a long and successful career as an Illustrator and Calligrapher. She longed, however, to return to her first love, drawing and painting, so she decided to shift gears, and for the past 10+ years has worked as a full-time Fine Artist and Instructor.  In June 2012, Susan founded The Art Studio (now known as Susan Porges Studio) in Cleveland, Ohio.  In addition to being her personal studio, she teaches a variety of classes and workshops, including overseas plein air painting workshops.

Susan’s primary medium is Pastels, and she is a Master Pastelist with the International Assoc of Pastel Societies (IAPS).  She is a juried member of the Pastel Society of America and the Oil Painters of America, and her work has been published in The Pastel Journal, Artist’s Magazine: The Best of Drawing, Strokes of Genius, by Northlight Books, and by The Richeson75 International Art Books.  Her focus is mainly on the landscapes in and around N.E. Ohio, where she lives, but she does love to bring her pastels along when she travels. After her years doing very realistic work, Susan’s focus is to transcend conventional realism and be as expressive as she can. https://www.susanporges.com/

Karen Schaaf: Karen Schaaf is a nationally recognized watercolor artist known for figure work and luminous compositions. She holds a signature membership in the National Watercolor Society, Southern Watercolor Society, Georgia Watercolor Society, and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina, where she currently serves as President. Karen’s paintings have been juried into prestigious exhibitions, including the American Watercolor Society and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. She was selected to represent the United States at the Fabriano in Acquarello World Watercolor Conference and the Watercolor International in Thessaloniki, Greece, both in 2024 and again in the upcoming 2026 exhibitions.

She recently achieved the distinction of having two paintings selected for Splash 26: The Best of Watercolor—a significant honor in the watercolor world. Her current series, Gods at Mardi Gras, which explores myth, identity, and theatricality through richly layered portraits, will be featured in the Winter 2025 edition of Watercolor Artist magazine. In addition to her artistic accolades, Karen holds a Master’s degree in Instructional Design (M.Ed.), which informs her intuitive and highly personalized teaching style. As an instructor, Karen brings not only expertise but a generous, humorous, and intuitive presence to every session, making sure each student feels seen, supported, and inspired to create their best work.

Lynn Stender: She is originally from the Northeast, received a Fine Arts Degree in Illustration and Design from Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia. She captures mood and light in her subject matter through her Plein Air approach to painting. Lynn served as Vice President elect of the Palm Beach Watercolour Society, 2000-2003, is an Exhibiting Member of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Professional Artists Guild, member of the Gold Coast Watercolour Society, Women in the Visual Arts, and the High Mountain Watercolour Society, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

As Resident-Artist of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, Lynn has been teaching painting workshops for over 15 years. She has a limited collection of giclee prints, greeting cards, and gift items, which reflect the beautiful architecture and landscape of historic resort properties such as The Boca Raton Resort and Club, the Registry Resort, Ritz Carlton Golf and Beach Resort, Naples, Florida, Don Ce Sar Beach Resort and Spa, St. Petersburg, Florida, The Richmond Hill Inn, Asheville, North Carolina, and The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia. Her works are in private, public, and corporate collections. Lynn was honored by her student, Sally Petrillo, who, in 2003, founded the Lynn Travis Stender Scholarship Fund. This Scholarship Fund accepts donations through the WITVA (Women In The Visual Arts organization) in Delray Beach, Florida. www.LynnTravisStender.com

Amy Wynne: She is an artist currently living and working in a historic lace mill in New England. She holds an MFA in Classical Painting from The New York Academy of Art in New York City and a dual BA in Art History & Cultural Anthropology from Smith College. Amy exhibits in galleries nationally and has work in private and corporate collections, including Brown University, Fidelity Investments, and Meditech Corporation. She has been awarded grants from the Rhode Island Cultural Council and a fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center. Her work is strongly influenced by her deep connection to the natural world, living in Southeast Asia, and Ecofeminist philosophy. She is a long-time yoga practitioner, student of Tibetan Buddhism, and certified meditation and yoga instructor.

She has been passionate about teaching painting and drawing for 30 years, integrating mindfulness and creative practice. Formerly full-time at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, she currently teaches workshops online, across New England, and in Italy. She received the 2015 CE Teacher of Excellence Award from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is the author of many popular online classes with LinkedInLearning.com and CreativeLive.com, which make creativity accessible to all.  www.amywynne.com