This class is for beginners with a little or no experience painting with acrylics, as well as for those who are coming back to painting and would like a little help getting started again. We’ll explore the basics of acrylics including materials, different surfaces, brushes and other tools, then a little about color theory, color mixing, paint application, and composition. 

In this fun one-day workshop, teaching artist Beth Herrild takes you through her creative process.  She will demo how she paints trees, and you'll then create a background and paint your own trees or whatever subjects you choose. You'll also have a chance to paint on a couple of different surfaces. She’ll share many pro tips she’s learned over the years from different ways to get an image onto your canvas to how to trouble shoot the messy middle when things aren’t going well. 

The natural world is full of endless inspiration! Beth loves painting trees because they are easy to draw: nature comes in all shapes and sizes and isn't perfect! When you complete the class, you'll have one completed (or almost complete) painting, and you'll be ready to take your paints and brushes home and continue painting and exploring on your own. 

TOTAL COST: $155

Course Fee: $155

Materials Fee: $0

LEVEL: Beginner

AGE GROUP: Adult (ages 18+)

SUPPLY INFORMATION

At minimum, you should bring acrylic paints in the three primary colors: a red, yellow, and blue of your choosing, plus Titanium white, and black. Feel free to bring whatever other colors you like as well. No craft paints. Beth recommends Liquitex or Golden heavy body paints, professional or student grade are both ok.  If you already have some tubes of another brand they should work (as long as they're not liquid craft paints).

For brushes, Beth recommends having at least a couple of flats, around 1/2" wide and around 1" inch wide at minimum and then any other sizes you enjoy.

Bring your own canvas or canvas board at least 11 x 14 but no larger than 16 x 20. Beth enjoys cradled wood panels like these. Northwind Art School usually has some extra surfaces available for students to use but we can’t guarantee what the selection will be so it’s safest to bring your own.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Beth Herrild is a mixed media acrylic painter on Whidbey Island. Her work is rooted in a lifelong conversation with creativity that began in childhood and has since evolved into a dedicated practice of both art and education. Her work is representational but not realistic intentionally so that she can create a space where viewers feel grounded, comfortable, and deeply invited to linger. She has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and a Master's in Whole Systems Design. In addition to teaching at Northwind Art School for the past 3 years, she taught art to children, as an art docent, in public schools for over 12 years, taught at a juvenile detention center, worked with youth & young adults experiencing homelessness, and currently teaches inmates at the Island County jail because she believes in the power of art to transform our brains in positive ways. She has shown her work at a variety of galleries including Cultus Bay Glass Gallery Museo Gallery, Columbia City Gallery, Northwind Art, Jeanette Best Gallery, Fogue Studios, Matzke Gallery, Parkland Gallery and Los Lagunas Gallery. 

Artist Website: Beth Herrild, @bethherrild_art

Curious about oil painting but not sure where to start? The Essentials of Oil Painting is a 6-session class that introduces you to the vibrant, expressive world of painting in oils, and without toxic solvents. No prior experience is required. Whether you're an artist working in another medium, or completely new to painting, or an oil painter looking to explore the dynamic alla prima technique, this class is for you.

Alla prima, meaning “all at once,” is a lively, direct painting method where wet paint is applied over wet layers without waiting for them to dry. It’s favored by plein air landscape and still life artists for its energetic, spontaneous quality that captures your gestures and decisions in real time. 

In this hands-on workshop series, you'll start with guided color-mixing exercises to get comfortable handling oils and brushes, while exploring color theory. From there, you'll apply your new skills to still lifes from observation, and then move on to landscapes, learning to work confidently with shape, value, and color in the alla prima style.

Just show up ready to paint, and Anne Pfeiffer will guide you! To help you continue learning after the class, you’ll receive a PDF handout with notes, recommended artists, and resources to deepen your oil painting practice.

TOTAL COST: $435

Course Fee: $395

Materials Fee: $40

LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced

AGE GROUP: Adults (Ages 18+)

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All materials are provided, including non-toxic paints, mediums, and thinners. All you need is to show up in your painting clothes, perhaps with a sketchbook for notes or quick sketches. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Anne Pfeiffer has a graduate degree in painting and decades of experience as a high school art teacher, community college art instructor, and adult and teen workshop instructor. She currently lives in Port Angeles and paints landscapes and still lifes, often plein air, and participates in regional and national exhibitions and events.

Artist websites: Anne Pfeiffer, @annepfeifferartist and @annepfeiffer

In this new workshop, you'll explore the tactile, expressive, and meditative qualities of shape and line. Teaching artist Meg Kaczyk will guide you through simple visual prompts that inspire symbol-making. Over two hours, you'll develop your own personal visual vocabulary through repetition, creating unique symbols using a variety of dry and wet media — including sumi ink, charcoal, acrylic, and graphite — as well as subtractive techniques like erasure and resist.

Mark-making as a practice encourages relaxation while building a practical understanding of how different media respond to different surfaces, helping you develop line and symbol as elements of your art. You'll leave with a bound booklet of your exploration pages.

TOTAL COST: $90

Course Fee: $60

Materials Fee: $30

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+ 

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All supplies are provided. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Meg Kaczyk guides artists of all levels in classes and workshops based on her own studio process. Her work is fed by daily life, the natural world, poetry, and a long-standing meditation practice. Originally trained as an illustrator and graphic designer, Meg has enjoyed a long creative career including art direction, graphic design, arts administration, and teaching. She exhibits her paintings across the region.

Artist website: Meg Kaczyk, @megkaczyk

Ready to quiet your inner critic, and just play with paint? This expanded 4 ½-hour workshop is all about jumping into the colorful world of cold wax and oil painting — with zero expectations and maximum fun. The extra time gives us room to slow down, experiment, build multiple layers, experience the magic of cold wax and oil, and—most importantly—play without feeling rushed.

We’ll explore the magic of making messes, happy accidents, and discovering what happens when you let go of needing it to be “good.” We’ll dive deep into texture, mark-making, and the delicious satisfaction of layering and scraping paint.

In this relaxed yet dynamic class, you’ll learn:

• The Mix: How to blend cold wax with oil paint (it’s like frosting!).
• The Texture: Using tools to build rich, touchable surfaces.
• The Marks: Using everyday objects to create visually interesting patterns.
• The Reveal: The joy of layering — and then scraping it all back to see what’s underneath.
• The Flow: Working on multiple pieces at once to keep the creativity moving.

Perfect for: Total beginners, "stuck" creatives, or anyone who’s ever said “I’m not an artist.” (Spoiler: You are!)

TOTAL COST: $135

Course Fee: $110

Materials Fee: $25

LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All supplies including paints, surfaces, and wax will be provided. You are welcome to bring old paintings to paint over! To prepare them for class, lightly sand the surface and prime with Gesso. 

Students will have a half-hour lunch break and are encouraged to pack a lunch. 

This is a fragrance-free classroom. Please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or other strongly scented products.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Raised in Washington State by mountaineering and sailing parents, Suz Carroll grew up with nature as her closest companion. Years spent watching clouds shift, water sparkle, and horizons stretch continue to inspire her abstract paintings today.

After a long career in business, art found her. She wasn't looking for it and had never considered herself particularly creative, despite a career filled with creative pursuits.

In early 2023, she began painting daily, discovering a passion for cold wax and oil, a medium that invites exploration, experimentation, and the unexpected.

Her work is inspired by the natural world: its layers, textures, movement, and constant transformation. Through an intuitive process of building, scraping, and revealing, she creates paintings that balance intention with spontaneity.

Suz approaches both painting and teaching with five guiding principles: create without attachment, create with joy, embrace imperfection, know when to step away, and always go with the flow.

Artist website: Horizon and Spice Studio

Ready to take another step into the joys of watercolor? In this five-week class with Suzanne Lamon, you'll build on what you already know and grow more confident with every session. If you've picked up some basic watercolor techniques and want to go deeper, this is exactly where you need to be.

Together, we'll work on advancing your brush skills with both dry and wet applications, at a pace that welcomes questions and experimentation. With Suzanne, you can count on having fun while bringing your skills to the next level. 

Prerequisite: Suzanne's Watercolor Painting Level 1 course, or some previous watercolor experience. 

TOTAL COST: $295

Course Fee: $295

Materials Fee: $0

LEVEL: Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Adults (18+)

SUPPLY INFORMATION

Students should bring their own watercolor palette with basic colors as well as brushes and paper. If needed, Northwind will have supplies available to borrow. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Suzanne Lamon is a Port Townsend artist known for her brilliant narrative watercolor work. She was a graduate student at Washington State University in the 1970s, studying with legendary teacher and artist Gaylen Hansen. She was a founding faculty member of Port Townsend School of the Arts, and has shown her own work extensively in the Pacific Northwest. Suzanne is also the exhibit designer at Northwind’s Jeanette Best Gallery. 

The practice of art journaling can be profoundly and quietly helpful. Designed for those who are interested in journaling as a tool for reflection and response to life, this workshop will spark the possibilities of words and images that are uniquely yours. Through writing prompts and art-making exercises, Meg will guide the creation and completion of your own small journal – an expressive, flexible process that can inspire your future journaling.

TOTAL COST: $130

Course Fee: $120

Materials Fee: $10

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

A high-quality art journal will be provided to all students.

Students should bring:

Notebook or notepad and pen for writing;

Art supplies of your choice – any wet or dry media, collage materials, etc.;

Images you like from your phone, or printed materials;

A snack for break time.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Meg Kaczyk guides artists of all levels in classes and workshops based on her own studio process. Her work is fed by daily life, the natural world, poetry, and a long-standing meditation practice. Originally trained as an illustrator and graphic designer, Meg has enjoyed a long creative career including art direction, graphic design, arts administration, and teaching. She exhibits her paintings across the region.

Artist websites: Meg Kaczyk, @megkaczyk

Take some of the mystery out of creating an exciting abstract painting in this 3-hour class with teaching artist Rebecca Nerison. Using acrylics and the water-soluble paint of your choice, you’ll collage paper and fabric scraps into your paint, guided by basic design principles. Prefer to focus on painting alone? That’s welcome too, and the collage element is entirely optional.

The emphasis is on play, experimentation, and expressing your individuality in an atmosphere of acceptance and joy. No prior experience is needed. Just bring your curiosity.

TOTAL COST: $80

Course Fee: $80

Materials Fee: $0

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

Northwind will have a variety of supplies on hand, so you’re welcome to just show up and experiment. If you’d like to bring your own, we encourage:

Acrylic paints in colors you like (white, black, red, yellow, and blue at minimum). Tube or liquid acrylics are fine, and other water-based paints are okay too.

Canvases: gessoed canvas supports or wood, no smaller than 8x10" and no larger than 12x14." Bring two if possible. Gessoed heavy watercolor paper also works.

Brushes in a few sizes.

Paper or fabric scraps you love, such as ticket stubs, old music, or patterned paper. No need for magazine photos or pictures.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Port Townsend artist Rebecca Nerison is a largely self-taught abstract and multi-media artist who has been painting off and on for 30 years. She says, “I paint because I love color, line, and texture. Making abstract paintings is a way for me to feel deeply into my essence, to discover things I don’t yet know about myself and the world. To become more myself.” She values the freedom of abstract art, with its license to play, experiment, make a mess, cover over and uncover. “There is great joy as I engage in the process of painting without thought to the ultimate outcome.”

Artist website: Rebecca Nerison 

This weekend workshop is completely free of toxic fumes and designed for artists who are new to oil painting as well as experienced artists who’d like to learn how to paint without toxic fumes. No prior experience is needed. Over a day and a half, you’ll learn to control the consistency of your oils and develop proper brushwork, while digging deep into value, color theory, and painting from observation.

You’ll paint still lifes in class, and the skills you build can then be applied to workshops in any other subject. Veteran teaching artist Anne Pfeiffer will guide you through each step, and all materials are provided, so you can simply show up ready to paint.

SCHEDULE

Saturday,1/23, 10am to 4pm

Sunday, 1/24, 10am to 1pm

TOTAL COST: $265

Course Fee: $225

Materials Fee: $40

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All materials are provided. You are encouraged to bring food for your lunch break. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Anne Pfeiffer has a graduate degree in painting and decades of experience as a high school art teacher, community college art instructor, and adult and teen workshop instructor. She currently lives in Port Angeles and paints landscapes and still lifes, often plein air, and participates in regional and national exhibitions and events.

Artist website: Anne Pfeiffer, @annepfeifferartist and @annepfeiffer