<< ALL CLASSES

Exploration in Oils is a monthly recurring class for people who enjoy oil painting and want to develop their skills through guided, personalized study. Every month introduces a new focus or technique such as alla prima, glazing, or brushwork.

No matter the project, each student is able to decide the direction of their oil painting and is free to explore the influences that inspire them most. While this course offers total independence to work on special projects, step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on guidance are always given.

Bring your own references or work from a selection of references and master copies chosen specifically for the focus of the month. Through guided instruction and individualized feedback, you’ll build confidence and broaden your understanding of painting in oils!

2026 Ongoing Oil Painting Class

Upcoming THEMES

Underpainting and Glazing
Traditional techniques of underpainting and glazing have been used for centuries to build depth, luminosity, and richness in oil painting. We'll begin with a tonal or monochromatic underpainting and gradually develop the image through layers of transparent color. This approach reveals how light can travel through paint layers, creating subtle shifts and glowing color effects. We’ll look at painters like Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Van Eyck, and Rembrandt van Rijn. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected for underpainting and glazing.

Alla Prima
Alla prima, or “at first attempt,” focuses on completing a painting in a single session while the paint remains wet, which is why it’s also referred to as “wet-on-wet.” We’ll learn to work decisively, mixing colors accurately and applying confident brushstrokes without relying on many layers. As the aim is to capture the freshness, energy, and immediacy of alla prima, each project will be done in a single sitting. We will have four sessions, each session a new project. We’ll look at painters like Frans Hals and Diego Velasquez. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected for Alla Prima studies.

Light and Shadow
The interplay of light and its absence, “chiaroscuro,” is fundamental when defining form and creating dimension within a painting. We’ll study value relationships, shadows structure, and the dramatic effects of directional lighting. By simplifying complex scenes into clearly defined shapes of light and dark, painters can create stronger and more compelling images. We’ll look at painters like Caravaggio and Jose De Ribera. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected for the study of chiaroscuro.

Color Relationships
Colors interact with one another to create harmony, contrast, and visual balance. We'll discuss temperature shifts, complementary colors, and subtle variations that bring a painting to life. The goal is to develop sensitivity to how color choices influence every other element within a composition. We’ll look at painters like Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Claude Monet. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected for the focus of color.

Texture and Brushwork
Texture and brushwork are essential elements of expressive oil painting. We’ll experiment with a variety of mark-making approaches, from smooth blending to bold, visible strokes and impasto. This focus encourages artists to think about the surface of a painting as an active, living part of the image. We’ll look at painters like Vincent Van Gogh, John Singer Sargent, and Edouard Manet. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected to explore brushwork.

Composition and Design
Strong composition forms the foundation of a successful painting. This month focuses on organizing shapes, values, and visual movement to guide the viewer’s eye. Students will explore balance, rhythm, focal points, and the underlying structure that gives a painting clarity and impact. We’ll look at painters like Peter Paul Reubens, James McNeil Whistler, and Pablo Picasso. Work with your own references or choose from ones selected with an emphasis on design!

About the Instructor

Spencer Brady is a classically trained painter with a lifelong passion for the arts. After visiting Florence during a painting and drawing study abroad program, he fell in love with the city of Florence, and decided he simply had to live and study there. In 2018, he began his studies at Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, where he was rigorously trained in the sight-size method, emphasizing precision, proportion, and the study of light and form. Spencer has exhibited internationally, including in “Cuatro Miradas” in Villa de Leyva, Colombia—a group exhibition showcasing four contemporary artists from around the world. As an instructor, Spencer is committed to helping students build strong foundational skills while cultivating self-confidence in a supportive and focused environment. Spencer loves walking his dog, cooking good food, and driving with the windows down!