- 2025
- OCT
- 22 & 29
- 9am-noon
Demystifying Oil Painting
Paul Olson
Two Wednesdays. This two-part workshop is designed to make the rich tradition of oil painting more approachable. In the first session we’ll cover core fundamentals of the medium, beginning with a painting demonstration. Participants will then start a still life painting from direct observation, learning how to build form, value, and color directly on the canvas.
In the second session held the following week, we’ll focus on the classic oil painting technique of glazing—the process of applying thin, transparent layers of paint over a dried surface to enrich color and create luminous depth. After a short demonstration, participants will return to their still life paintings, continuing to develop them on the now-dry surface using this layered approach.
By the end of the workshop, students will gain a stronger understanding of how oils can be used both directly and in transparent layers, helping to demystify the process and expand their own painting practice.
Supply List:
- *Gamsol Solvent (*will be provided)
- *Painting Medium: mixture of Gamsol, Dammar, Stand Oil (*will be provided)
- *Oil Paints: (*will be provided for the workshop, or students may use their own colors). Gamblin Paints: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Red Medium, Quinacridone Magenta, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian
- *11×14 canvas (*will be provided)
- Brushes:
- 3 flat brushes #8 thru #12 or so
- 1/2″– 3/4″ bristle brush (stiff for thick paint)
- 1 round pointy brush, #8 or larger, nylon (soft for more liquid paint)
- Palette: flat mixing palette of some kind
- Container for solvent
- Small container for painting medium
- Painting rags
- Gloves
Recommended skill level: Advanced Beginners to Intermediate
- LOCATION: Portsmouth Arts Guild
- MEMBER COST: $130
- NON-MEMBER COST: $150
Paul Olson
Paul Olson is a Rhode Island-based plein-air painter inspired by the natural splendor of our beautiful Narragansett Bay. Olson’s artwork reflects his deep connection with nature and his love for the flora and fauna of the coastal landscape around him. He can often be found at his easel on his small boat, documenting the effects of wind and weather, sky and water. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Northeast, and in some less traditional spaces like the Providence Place Mall and the Local 57 Ironworkers Union Hall.
Paul is also a lover of trees, having had two exhibitions of tree paintings at Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and currently a one person show at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens. A man of many talents, Paul is also a ceramics artist making containers for Bonsai and specialty plants, and cultivating his own collection of miniature trees.
Olson has been a passionate teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) with a career spanning over 25 years. Semi-retired but still teaching Oil Painting as a Senior Critic in the Illustration Department at RISD, Paul now spends more time out painting, enjoying being part of the landscape in the open air.
Visit Paul’s website at olsonpaintings.com and find him on Instagram at @olsonpaintings and Facebook.
Registration
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Please register using the online form. At checkout you may choose to pay online with a credit card or pay by check. Please do not mail a check without first submitting your registration through this form. Questions? Contact workshops@portsmoutharts.org.