Mel Williamson – Loose and Lively: Animals with Gesture and Heart (Online); Tuesdays, September 15-29, 2026

Mediums: Oil or acrylic – Mel will work in oil Level: All levels welcome Class Dates: Tuesdays, September 15-29, 2026 Class Times: • 10:00 am-12:30 pm Pacific Time • 1:00 pm-3:30 pm Eastern Time • 6:00 pm-8:30 pm UK Time “With their parallel lives, animals offer man a companionship which is different from any offered by human exchange.” – John BergerAnimals are such a fun subject to paint! They are full of personality, movement, and unguarded postures. We tend to anthropomorphize them, imbuing them with perceived emotions. In this workshop we’ll lean into that tendency, painting animals that genuinely resonate with viewers. Beginning with gesture and form, we will learn to capture the essential weight and movement of an animal before committing to detail. From there, we’ll explore how selective edges and restrained mark-making can suggest a sense of life more powerfully than a detailed and precise rendering ever could. The goal isn’t to capture a perfect likeness, but to convey an appealing quality of aliveness. Mel will guide you through live demos and exercises, using provided reference images (or you may use your own). She will cover colour mixing and harmony, and her very favourite principle: working from general to specific. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a new toolkit for having more fun and confidence painting creatures of all sorts.