Expressive Florals: Color, Mark-Making & Personal Expression Paint florals with confidence, color, and your own voice. (Acrylic or Oil)

Let go of perfection and explore flowers in a more expressive, colorful, and personal way.

In this workshop, we’ll use florals and botanicals as a springboard for abstraction, playful mark-making, and confident color. Rather than trying to paint flowers realistically, we’ll focus on capturing their essence—movement, energy, and emotional presence—through fresh shapes, layered marks, strong values, and thoughtful color relationships.

Working from reference photos and/or real still life floral bouquets, you’ll learn how to simplify, exaggerate, and interpret what you see in a way that feels authentic to you. Alongside mark-making and abstraction, we’ll explore color as both a practical tool and an intuitive language—helping you build palettes that feel harmonious, expressive, and emotionally resonant.

In this class, you’ll:

-Abstract florals into dynamic, expressive shapes

-Use mark-making to create movement and visual interest

-Develop greater confidence with color choices

-Build palettes that support mood, energy, and personal style

-Loosen up and trust your own artistic instincts

There will be plenty of hands-on painting time, demonstrations, and guided discussion designed to inspire without overwhelming.

This class is open to all levels and is suitable for both acrylic and oil painters. Whether you’re new to painting or looking to refresh your approach, florals offer an accessible and joyful entry point for exploring color, mark-making, and personal expression.

Student Level

Any

Supplies Students BrinG       

Class Materials List:

Photo References of assorted flowers and leaves, and/or books of flowers and botanicals to work from. Bring several.

Paints (Acrylic or Oil). Bring the colors you already have that includes: White, Black, Red, Blue and Yellow. A suggested limited palette is: Titanium White (Bring larger tube of white), Cadmium Yellow Light (or Lemon Yellow), Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Orange, Quinacridone Magenta (or Alizarin Crimson), Dioxazine Purple, Phthalo Green, Phthalo Blue, Ivory Black.

3 Small Painting Surfaces (smaller sizes such as 8 x 10, 11 x 14 for our studies). You can use Multi-Media Board, Canvas Sheets, Panels or Boards, etc. Make sure they are pre-gessoed. We will need several of these for studies and exploration.

1 Large Canvas Panel or Board (Larger size such as 16 x 20 or 20 x 24).

Brushes of various sizes. Bring what you have. I use filberts such as #2, #4 #6, #10.

Palette knives (various sizes and edges)

Paint Scrapers (various sizes. You can also use old credit cards or old gift cards)

A Palette

Medium (For Acrylics: Gloss Medium or Matte Medium) (For Oils: Galkyd and Liquin or Cold Wax ~ whatever you’re most comfortable with)

Paper Towels

Apron & Plastic Gloves

Water Container for Acrylics Only (such as old plastic cups or large yogurt containers).

Odorless Mineral Spirits & Container for Oils Only (such as Gamsol. Please NO TURPENTINE)

Optional Items

• An Easel (Optional~tabletop or standing) or you can use the flat tables provided in the room

Sketchbook (Optional)

• Mark-Making Tools (Optional) such as markers, pencils, water soluble crayons, oil

pastels, or oil sticks (R &F), etc, depending on your medium. Bring whatever you have

to make marks with. Be creative. (Some additional tools I use for abstract work are:

Stabilo Woodys, Lyra graphite sticks water-soluble, Marabu Mixed Media Art Crayons,

Derwent Inktense Blocks, Caran d’Ache Classic Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels, Art

Graf Water Soluble graphite blocks, Posca Maker Pens, R & F Oil Sticks, Brayers etc.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are required to bring a container for acrylic and/or oil paint waste and will need to take it home to dispose of properly. It CANNOT be poured down the drains at our new location. Students are also encouraged to wipe brushes clean.

CLASS CAPACITY

Any

Questions

Email or call instructor. jeanniepatyfineart@gmail.com or 303.885.9843

About the Instructor

Jeannie Paty is a contemporary acrylic, oil & mixed media painter and teacher. Her passion for sparking joy comes to life as she paints. For her, this means interpreting flowers, botanicals and places she has traveled in a lively, contemporary fashion through expressive brushwork, abstraction and sun-drenched color. Her work has been exhibited in numerous fine art galleries, juried art shows, outdoor art festivals.

Jeannie has taught adult art classes and workshops in the Denver Metro area at the Park Hill Art Club, the PACE Center in Parker, Evergreen Art Gallery in Evergreen and in Niwot. Jeannie hopes to share her extensive knowledge of painting and color with students who are eager to deepen their creative painting practices.

Over the years, she has discovered a lovely synergy and connection that comes through helping others to paint works that seek to uplift the human spirit and tap into their individual creativity.

website  l  www.jeanniepaty.com
email  l  jeanniepatyfineart@gmail.com

cell  l  303.885.9843
artist video  l  www.youtube/jeanniepaty
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instagram  l  jeanniepatyfineart

* NOTE: Doors open at 12:00 and close at 3:30 to give the instructor and students time to set up before class begins and to clean up at the end of each class.