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I am often asked whether I teach classes in techniques using oils or acrylics. I do. But my first response to such questions is usually to recommend taking a Threshold Workshop. These workshops are the opposite of technique classes; they are about process rather than product. They are about unleashing the imagination however that shows up. If you are relatively new to art-making, then the most important and first thing you need to do is to discover yourself as an artist. Craft or technique can be taught; art has to be experienced. Art is in you; it was there from the beginning. If you are not aware of yourself as an artist, then you need to wake up that part of you. I or any art teacher can assist you in learning to paint a tree that looks like a tree; but without a strong relationship to imagination, the end product will more than likely be about as empty as a toy balloon--pretty to look at but without much substance. Besides, unless you're already experienced, the best teacher for learning technique is copying. Buy a painting or take a photograph and copy it until you're satisfied with the result. That's the disclaimer.
Having said that, if what you're interested in is a different kind of experience in art using various techniques in either oil or acrylic painting, give me a call. Typically, the sessions are four hours in length. We get together, talk about what you want to achieve, and set up a "problem" to solve. That "problem" can be a plein-air painting of an outdoor scene, such as the Sausalito waterfront, a still life set on the studio table, or an abstract concept. Once we define the "problem," we work together--you on your canvas, me on mine; and during this time we discuss the process, the various techniques--such as color mixing, composition, or glazing--and the overall experience. I charge $100 per session if you bring your own materials, a little more if I supply the materials. If you're interested, contact me. These sessions are always interesting.