OCA Academy of Visual Arts
Fall Classes start October 2nd
Drawing and Painting Classes for All Adults
OCA is offering ongoing art classes on Friday mornings. Making art together is a great way to keep learning and to create community in these challenging times.
Cost for Fall Semester: $150 OCA members, $175 nonmembers.
Fall Semester (Oct 2 - Dec 18) includes:
Drawing in Perspective with Linda Kammer and Patrick Fanning (First Fridays),
Watercolor Cityscapes with Patrick Fanning (Second Fridays),
Drawing the Head with John James (Third Fridays), and
Further Acrylic Explorations with Lesley Pickford (Fourth Fridays).
Pick a class series as your primary registration. You can switch after your first class if it is not meeting your needs. Space permitting, you may attend all twelve classes in the semester without additional charge.
Cost per semester is $150 for OCA members, $175 for non-members.
OCA members can register here.
Non-members click here to register.
Learn more about OCA membership.
About Our Instructors:
Patrick Fanning has been teaching drawing and watercolor at OCA and elsewhere for years.
Linda Kammer is also an experienced teacher of watercolor with great patience and understanding. From time to time they will bring in guest teachers to cover topics like portraits, acrylics, figure drawing, or abstract painting.
John James has extensive experience in Figure Drawing, handmade book stitching, and other forms of art. He also organizes our OCA Figure Drawing Group that meets on Tuesday mornings and Thursday Evenings.
Lesley Pickford is an experienced painter and teacher in acrylic and oil. Her favorite subjects are figurative and include animals, particularly horses.
Questions? Email Patrick or Tina
Past Classes
June/July/August 2026
Classes on Fridays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
in the OCA auditorium
First Fridays - Drawing Basics with Linda Kammer and Patrick Fanning
Looking versus seeing Contour drawing Cropping & composition * Sighting and measuring
5 kinds of perspective Value patterns Materials Shading Drawing figures
Second Fridays - Watercolor Landscapes with Patrick Fanning and Linda Kammer
Sketching on location Working from photos Design Composition Value studies * Perspective
3-layer watercolor technique Adding figures to your paintings Making a painting plan
Third Fridays - Introduction to Abstraction with Beth Anderson
Using collage to get started Materials from charcoal to oils Making your marks * Titling
Color, texture, and emotion Working in a series How do you know when you’re finished?
Fourth Fridays - Introduction to Acrylics with Lesley Pickford
Starter set of materials provided Why acrylics? Color mixing Building layers Drying times Techniques from wet-in-wet to thin layers Mediums and thinners * Planning a painting
Spring Semester - February/March/April 2026
Classes on Fridays from 9:30am to 12:30pm in the OCA auditorium
First Fridays - Laying Down the Basics with Linda Kammer. Beginners welcome
February 6, March 6 and April 3, 2026
Drawing from still life *Lighting and perspective * Finding a focal point * Composition * Watercolor materials * Watercolor fundamentals * Color mixing formulas * Painting wet-in-wet & wet-on-dry
Second Fridays - Painting the Landscape with Patrick Fanning
February 13, March 13 and April 10, 2026
Sketching on location * Working from photos * Design * Composition * Value studies * Perspective * 3-layer watercolor technique * Adding figures to your paintings * Making a painting plan
Third Fridays - Master Class with Patrick Fanning
February 20, March 20 and April 17, 2026
Working large * Working in series * Finding your own style * Setting personal goals/challenges * Advanced perspective * Complex subjects * Getting a likeness in a portrait * Abstraction
Fourth Fridays - Beginning Figure Drawing with John James
February 27, March 27 and April 24, 2026
Traditional charcoal-on-newsprint medium * Other line and shape approaches * Gesture & contour drawing * Size sighting * Composition * Shading * From projected photos of nude professional models