Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Explore the dramatic light, shapes and colors of Zion using watercolor as your medium. Cindy will share her approach for capturing the majestic stone cathedrals with her Utah palette of colors. You’ll discover how to draw Zion scenery with flowing organic lines or you can trace from Cindy’s prepared drawing. Then we’ll immerse our brushes into watercolor and mingle stunning colors right on the paper.

Wednesday, August 4, 2021
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET

Discover how to quickly capture a variety of subjects with loose lines and painterly colors using instructor Cindy Briggs’ quick sketch watercolors method. This “go with the flow” technique is perfect for studies, travel journals, and finished fine art.

August 5 & 12, 2021
6:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time

If you venture outside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, you discover a walkway filled with marble statues of Renaissance masters including Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Ravello. Bring a bit of Italy to your artwork as you learn to capture the likeness of a sunlit sculpture in watercolors. In the first class, paint the likeness of the master sculptor Michelangelo and explore how dramatic sunlight and layered shadows can give a watercolor painting a sense of dimension. In the second, paint Leonardo da Vinci’s statue along with the instructor, or work from your own photo of a sculpture. This new way of seeing can be your stepping-stone to the world of watercolor portraiture.

September 30 - October 1, 2021

The enduring, grand landscapes of Zion await you. You'll explore in this workshop how to capture the stone monuments in watercolors from Cindy's Utah palette of color mixes.

October 22 – 27, 2021

With breathtaking coastal mountains to the east and sublime beaches to the west, Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful places in California. With its perfect Mediterranean climate, Santa Barbara is a little gem with lush gardens and distinctive white-washed, terracotta-tiled Spanish architecture. No doubt that it deserves its name of “American Riviera”.

November 1 & 2, 2021
10am to 1pm PDT

Join Cindy for a 2 day workshop as we virtually visit a spa town in sunny Tuscany.  This small hilltop village, Bagno Vignoni, is a treasure that many travelers miss.

November 3,10,17, 2021
6:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. ET

The creative possibilities of watercolor are limitless -- and can also be a bit intimidating for beginning students.

November 11 & 12, 2021

Discover how to design and capture the fall colors in the Colorado Mountains. From colorful aspen and evergreen trees to golden and lavender sagebrush, we'll explore painting the colors of fall using a myriad of brushwork techniques. Cindy's original Plein air painting is direct from a ranch near Steamboat, Colorado. You can work on one or two paintings.

November 13 &20, 2021
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Discover how to easily draw with free flowing lines, and confidently mix and mingle flowing, translucent watercolors.

November 16, 2021
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET

Use flowing watercolors to create a poinsettia that blooms all year. Learn how to quickly draw a poinsettia or trace one using the flower images provided for the class

November 18, 2021
06:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m.

Draw and paint a colorful holiday poinsettia with flowing luminous watercolors. You will improve your color mixing technique and learn how to add a stylized background with stencils in order to draw more organically. All levels of experience are welcome.

Nov 30 & Dec 7, 2021
6:00 PM -8:30 PM MST

Discover how to mix skin tones and mingle, blend, and layer colors to create a simplified watercolor portrait. You will start with a tracing provided by the instructor so we can all get right into putting watercolor to paper. This approach will help you discover how you can paint almost any portrait. We'll focus on creating dimensional features of the face through values and blending for softness. Students are responsible for their own materials; find a list online.

December 1 & 8, 2021
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET

Quickly capture a scene using flowing lines and spontaneous watercolor techniques. Instructor Cindy Briggs provides step-by-step directions in creating landscape paintings and vignettes inspired from virtual travel from Europe to California. This “go with the flow” technique is perfect for studies, travel journals, and finished fine art.

Complete one or more paintings as you use techniques in composition, drawing, and painting. Lessons explore managing watercolor consistency while applying mingling colors with wet-in-wet, wet-on-dry, and layering techniques. For experienced beginner and intermediate students. The artist provides images from her travels or you can use your own.

December 2 & 3, 2021
10am to 1pm Pacific Time

Enjoy two days of painting holiday themed watercolors with Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs. We’ll mix it up with a variety of paintings as you try new subjects and explore fun techniques. Wear your holiday colors and celebrate the season with creative brushwork, stylized drawing, mingling colors, stenciling and more.

Your joy filled paintings will be wonderful for holiday gifts and cards

January 20, 2022 and January 27, 2022 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm ET

Take the fear out of painting figures as you discover how to mix skin tones in watercolor and use layered brushwork to suggest drapes and folds in fabric. Progress from using tracings to drawing a figure without using a guide. Learn to see the important relationships between shape and color that help to make painting figures a breeze. All levels are welcome.

TBA.

Enjoy a 6-month mentoring program in this watercolor immersion course. Monthly video modules are also added to the library of lesson modules. You'll make connections in our encouraging private Facebook community with over 100 artists. Beginner basics lessons and more advanced lessons provided, plus bonuses. Date to be announced soon.

Jan 31 & Feb 1 from 9am-noon Pacific Time

Enjoy two days of painting Valentine themed watercolors with Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs. We’ll mix it up with a variety of paintings as you try new subjects and explore fun techniques. We will teach you creative brushwork, stylized drawing, mingling colors, stenciling and more.

Your colorful paintings will be wonderful Valentine cards.

April 12 & 13 from 10am-1pm Pacific Time

Day One: Floral Landscape: Theresa will teach you to loosen up with dancing brush strokes and dramatic color. Learn how contrast can brighten your paintings and how the use of creative color can add interest to your shadows. You will paint from a stunning reference photo of a terrace scene in sunny, Temecula, CA.

Day Two: Floral Portrait: Cindy will take you through painting an intimate view of a hydrangea with mingled colors, capturing sunlight, shadows, and the delicate petals. You’ll discover a variety of blues and greens as we mix colors and try techniques that add depth to the flower.

June 6 & 7, 2023 from 10am-1pm Pacific Time

Join Cindy Briggs & Theresa Goesling in a 'Glowing Flowers' Watercolor Sketching Painting Workshop. Cindy will take you through painting an intimate view of an Iris with layered mingled colors. You’ll create the effect of captivating sunlight, colorful shadows, and the delicate rhythm of the petals. You’ll discover how to create a variety of blues and violets as we mix flowing colors and try techniques that add depth and dimension to your floral portrait. Tracing provided along with bonus reference photos.

September 17-24, 2022

Hosted by: French Escapade

Join us on the Costa Brava of Spain and experience daily demonstrations, personalized instruction, and, encouraging support with Theresa and Cindy. “We show you how to design and simplify your subject, draw confidently, jazz up your colors, paint with serendipity and experiment with new techniques. Enjoy creating colorful paintings with an emphasis on your own unique point of view.

Saturday, October 22, 2022 - 10:00 a.m. to Saturday, October 29, 2022 - 2:30 p.m. ET

Hosted by: Smithsonian Associates

Capture your virtual travels to Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece using the quick-sketch watercolors method. From hilltop villages to the sea, draw and paint a variety of scenes using loose lines and painterly colors that express your impressions and your own colorful story. All levels welcome.

Thursday, October 27, 2022 - 6:30 p.m.to Thursday, November 17, 2022 - 9:00 p.m. ET

Hosted by: Smithsonian Associates

Learn to paint a watercolor portrait with a 3/4 view while discovering how to mix skin tones, and use layered values and blending to capture the forms and curves of the face. Recommended for experienced beginners to advanced artists.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 - 6:30 p.m. to Wednesday, November 30, 2022 - 9:30 p.m. ET

Hosted by: Smithsonian Associates

Upon visiting Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, one is immediately struck by the beauty of the landscape immortalized by painter Georgia O'Keeffe. Inspired by instructor-provided photographs that highlight the area’s red rocks, high desert botanicals, and expansive clear blue skies, students start with a small practice study. Then, they progress to a full-size drawing using a palette of earthen hues to capture the colors and shapes of this magical place.

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 6:30 p.m. to Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - 9:30 p.m. ET

Hosted by: Smithsonian Associates

The sky’s ever-changing moods have long challenged painters in watercolor. Discover techniques to capture the sky, whether filled with wispy cirrus clouds or dramatic cumulus clouds. Learn to mingle colors and take advantage of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques to create colorful, captivating skies. Learn how to infuse clouds with subtle colors using natural organic shapes and experiment with lost-and-found edges.