Still Life Reimagined: When the Painted Still Life Encounters Collage, Improvisation & Play

January 29-31, 2027

Friday - Sunday, 9am-4pm each day

Still life has offered artists a rich field of exploration throughout art history—as a quiet narrative about the objects around us, as metaphor, and as a starting point for organizing color, form and shape. In this three-day workshop, the still life becomes something more: a stage for experimentation, improvisation and discovery.

The Objects
Bring a few objects that intrigue you. They might be humble and functional, decorative and ornate, or charged with memory and association. You may find freedom in working with the most ordinary things at hand, or be drawn to objects rich in color, pattern, shape and story. The choice is yours.

Note: We will have some traditional still life inspirations available, including flowers, fruit and vegetables, and crockery.

Paint
Over three days, you will create a series of paintings in oils, acrylics, or mixed media. Emily will demonstrate ways of building rich, descriptive marks, textures and layers, helping you develop a visual language through which to explore—and re-imagine—your subject.

Collage
Painted papers will be torn, cut, rearranged and incorporated into the work, disrupting what is already there and triggering new possibilities. Collage brings immediacy, freedom and playfulness to the process. We will use it both to loosen up and to encourage the kinds of risks that can lead a painting somewhere unexpected.

Improvisation
Improvisation is an essential skill for artists. Through prompts, exercises and demonstrations, Emily will encourage you to work with focus and purpose while remaining courageous, curious and playful. Rather than knowing where a painting is going from the outset, you will learn to respond to what emerges—to trust your instincts, make choices, and embrace the creative possibilities of not knowing.

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” — Pablo Picasso

This workshop offers you three concentrated days to play, experiment and rediscover your curiosity. Emily will use slide presentations and group discussions to introduce you to artists and ideas that offer fresh ways of looking at both still life and the work developing in the studio.

The processes explored during the workshop extend far beyond still life. They can be applied to any subject and can become valuable tools for moving through creative blocks and bringing greater freedom to your studio practice.

As a painting unfolds, you will select, edit, disrupt, respond -- searching for an image that resonates. The goal is not simply an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of colors and shapes, but a painting capable of revealing something—perhaps something you did not know before, or something that brings to the surface what matters most.

The workshop includes:

• Structured exercises

• Demonstrations to help unpack the creative process

• Strategies to foster an integrated approach to viewing sources of inspiration and responding to them in paint and collage

• Fun interactions with other participants

• One-on-one support to help you develop work that is personal to you

• Lots of opportunities for questions and feedback in a collaborative, supportive group environment

Mediums And Skill Levels

This course is suitable for:

• Oils, Acrylics, or Mixed-Media artists

• Advanced Beginners and Beyond (you must have familiarity with the basics of working with paints, mediums, and brushes/tools.)

Pricing

• Early Bird price (through November 16, 2026): $725

• Regular prices (after November 16, 2026): $850

Your fee includes group and individual instruction from Emily Ball, facility usage (including easel, wall space and table for your materials and supplies), and hospitality (still and sparkling water, coffee and tea, and morning and afternoon snacks). You may either bring your own lunch or order from nearby restaurants and delivery services.

Your fee also includes access to photos and videos from the class via Google docs (available soon after the class completes) and an invitation to a complimentary Salon with Emily at McRae Art Studios on Tuesday, February 2nd from 7-9pm.

We will also be organizing an optional self-pay group outing for food and friendship on Saturday night, January 30th.

Please read Policies about Payment, Cancellations, and Refunds carefully before registering.