Have you ever sat down to make a painting and it just looked terrible?   Ugh, you ruined your brushes in the process and paint is everywhere.  You did not feel relaxed or inspired the way you thought you would.  You decided then and there that painting wasn’t for you but you’re still a little curious.  Reels on Instagram make painting  look fun and light-hearted but it was so rough doing it on your own.  

I remember the first time I ever painted.  My high school sweetheart gave me an oil painting set for Christmas and I attempted to paint a sunflower on canvas on my bedroom floor.  After layering petals around a flat brown mass of sticky paint, my brushes were a gloppy mess, I’d used all the paint, my sunflower was muddled and ugly.  

After days it never dried and the worst part was I felt ashamed.  I hid the painting in my closet until I could no longer stand the smell of the oil paint and then finally, when no one was around, I threw it in the trash outside.  

I didn’t paint again for a long time.  It wasn’t until a color theory painting class was a prerequisite for my college degree that I ever picked up a brush again.  The guidance from my teacher made it so that I never wanted to stop painting.  I kept coming back to painting as a way to find clarity, calm and joy in my life.  

Sure, painting is fun and creativity is play but without guidance, learning the materials can be a struggle.  Learning from a knowledgeable instructor will help you overcome hurdles and unlock your creative potential in magnitudes compared to going it alone.

At Adele Gilani Art Gallery, our painting classes are designed to teach you the materials and fundamental skills that will help you paint on your own.  While the workshops have a fun, celebratory vibe, you are learning real painting skills that will help you create work from deep within yourself.  

Classes are small, 4-8 people so that you receive personal attention and have the opportunity to ask any questions about the materials and techniques that come up.  

Our hope is that you continue to paint and share your  art with the world.  We believe that the world can solve big problems when we connect with our art.  We can explore the joy, peace and understanding with art that makes humanity such a pleasure.