Current Class Schedule
No refunds within two weeks of the date the class is scheduled.
Plein Air Painting Workshop - Oct 16, 17, 18
Instructor: Julie Riker
Friday, October 16: 6pm-8 pm
Saturday, October 17: 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm
Sunday, October 18: 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm
Location: CCA at 6309 Church St, Chincoteague and various outdoor venues
Price: $250
Class Size Limit: 13
Student Age: 16 and up
The plein air workshop is open to painters of all mediums who would like to try painting outside - and also to artists who have experience painting outside but would like to improve their skills. I am an oil painter and will be demonstrating in oils but acrylic and watercolor painters will benefit from painting outdoors. You should use a medium that you are comfortable with. I will not be teaching you how to paint, but give you tools and tips to become a better painter.
What to expect:
We will begin with a Friday evening gathering at CCA where we will introduce ourselves and I will do a quick demonstration. You do not need to bring painting supplies on Friday night, but you might want to bring a sketch or notebook.
Saturday and Sunday will be painting days. You will be creating one or two small paintings each day.
I will be meeting with each artist in intervals as you work, which allows for individual attention. The lesson plan is flexible and I will tailor the teaching to each artist as they need it. We may do a group exercise if I think it is appropriate.
I plan to talk about important elements of painting outdoors - composition, values, and focusing on a subject. I may talk about my specific technique, but my goal is not to teach you to paint like me, rather to help you to improve your own painting voice.
We will take an hour lunch break each day. The class fee does not include lunch. You can bring a packed lunch or we will also be putting together a group order from a local restaurant. I may decide to give a discussion or demonstration while you are eating.
The locations will be determined later based on class size, weather, and your suggestions and will all be on Chincoteague Island. The class fee does not cover entrance to the park on Assateague, so we can decide if that is a place we want to paint.
We will have fun painting and learning together!
What to bring! Read the Supply List.
Teacher Bio
Pennsylvania artist Julie Riker calls herself an observational painter, preferring to paint from life, whether outside or in a studio setting. She has participated in many national painting competitions including the Chincoteague Plein Air Event in which she has been a painter for the last 11 years, and in 2021 she was awarded the purchase prize for her painting of the Island Creamery. Her work is frequently featured in Plein Air and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazines. She was the focus of an article in the February 2018 issue of Plein Air Magazine, and Southwest Art Magazine recognized her as an “Artist to Watch” in their October 2018 issue. Work can be viewed on her website www.julieriker.com.
Register for the workshop by clicking the BUTTON below. Confirmation will be sent to the email address you provide (please make sure it is correct). Print or save the confirmation email for your records. No refunds within two weeks of class date. Questions? Send us an email.
Weaving & Wine 2 - 10/28/2026
Instructor: Gary Smith
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Location: 6309 Church St, Chincoteague
Price: $30
Class Size Limit: 8
Student Age: 21 and over
All supplies included in price
Back by popular demand! Our first Weaving and Wine class went very well indeed! The participants enjoyed a nice evening out as they learned weaving skills and completed their first hand woven mug rugs. Several said they would like to do it again. And so we shall - Welcome to Weaving & Wine Rev 2.0! As before, folks new to weaving will focus on learning the fundamentals of weaving on a cardboard loom. Experienced weavers will continue practicing the skills they’ve learned while exploring new techniques that use two colors of yarn simultaneously. Once again, everyone will go home with a small Mug Rug (aprox 5”x5”) showing off their new weaving skills and a smile. No experience is required. Encourage your family, friends and fiber buddies to join you - make it a party.
There will be a cash bar at the class offering beer and wine. Bring a light snack to share if desired.
About the Instructor: Gary learned to weave in early retirement nearly 20 years ago. He restored and maintained two vintage looms at the Aiken County Historical Museum in South Carolina enabling him to give weaving demonstrations and facilitate production of scores of gift shop rag rugs and place mats at the Museum. He provided dozens of pre-teen boys and girls a chance to weave on small table looms during Summer Art Camps at the Aiken Center for the Arts. More recently, he has been hosting “Weaving on the Porch” next to Ms Paula’s Kids Art table at The Farmers Market. His mission is simple - Pay It Forward, with gratitude for all those that helped him on his weaving journey.
Register for this class using the BUTTON below. Confirmation will be sent to the email address you provide (please make sure it is correct). Print or save the confirmation email for your records. No refunds within two weeks of class date. Questions? Send us an email.
Painting the Chincoteague Pony and Other Wildlife in the Landscape - 02/27/27 & 02/28/27
Instructor: Teresa Oaxaca
Date and Time: Saturday and Sunday, February 27-28, 2027. 10:00-5:00 PM
Location: 6309 Church St, Chincoteague
Price: $250
Class Size Limit:16
Student Age: 14 and up
This two-day workshop will explore how to paint animals as part of a larger landscape, with particular attention to the Chincoteague ponies, birds, and wildlife of the Eastern Shore. Rather than having everyone copy a single photograph, students will learn how to develop an individual composition from reference, make their own choices about color and value, and use atmosphere, edges, and narrative to create a more personal painting.
Each morning will begin with a live oil-painting demonstration in which Teresa Oaxaca narrates her process and explains the decisions she makes from beginning to end.
On the first morning, Teresa will demonstrate a landscape in which Chincoteague ponies appear as a smaller element within the larger scene rather than as a traditional horse portrait. The demonstration will focus on composing the landscape, establishing the drawing, simplifying values and shapes, selecting a color harmony, controlling edges and atmosphere, and using the placement of the animals to create a sense of movement and narrative. Teresa will work from photographs she has taken during her many visits to Chincoteague in different seasons.
On the second morning, Teresa will demonstrate a bird in the landscape, working from a painting already underway in order to concentrate on later stages of the painting process. Topics will include over-painting, glazing, impasto, refinement of edges and details, and determining when and how to bring a painting toward completion.
Teresa will also bring a selection of finished paintings to the workshop and use them as teaching examples throughout the weekend. She will discuss how each painting was built in layers, how particular surface effects were achieved, and the decisions she made regarding composition, value, color, edges, atmosphere, glazing, impasto, and revision. Students will be able to see not only the live process of beginning and developing a painting, but also how those same principles appear in completed works.
Students may work on one painting throughout the entire weekend or begin additional studies as time allows. Teresa will provide individual instruction and critiques throughout both days. A selection of reference photographs will be available, although students are encouraged to bring their own wildlife or landscape references and to develop their own compositions rather than reproduce the instructor’s demonstration.
Teresa will demonstrate in oil paint, but students are welcome to work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, or pastel. Those working in other media can apply the same principles of drawing, composition, value, color, edges, atmosphere, and narrative to their own materials.
All levels are welcome, ages 14 and up. Beginners will receive guidance in establishing a painting and organizing the basic elements of a landscape, while more experienced painters can concentrate on composition, color, atmosphere, surface, and finishing techniques.
Students must provide their own art supplies.
CLICK HERE FOR SUGGESTED SUPPLY LIST.
Short Teacher Bio (optional)
Teresa Oaxaca is a Virginia-based painter and instructor known for richly layered oil paintings of figures, animals, flowers, and imaginative subjects. She trained in the classical realist tradition in Florence and has exhibited and taught nationally and internationally for many years. Her teaching emphasizes drawing, composition, color, atmosphere, and the layered development of a painting, while encouraging students to make individual artistic choices rather than simply copy a demonstration. She has painted and photographed extensively on Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore, and often incorporates ponies, birds, and other wildlife into her work.
Register for this class using the BUTTON below. Confirmation will be sent to the email address you provide (please make sure it is correct). Print or save the confirmation email for your records. No refunds within two weeks of class date. Questions? Send us an email.
Paint a Cardinal on Slate - 11/15/2026
Instructor: Cheryl Taylor
Date and Time: Sunday, November 15, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: 6309 Church St, Chincoteague
Price: $50
Class Size Limit: 10
Student Age: 16 and up
Learn to paint a beautiful cardinal on a piece of slate, which will be ready to hang by the time you leave class. No prior painting skills are required as your instructor will guide you through step-by-step. Class size is limited so personal attention will be given to each student. Your finished painting will make a wonderful holiday gift or just something nice to keep for yourself. All supplies will be provided. Please wear comfortable clothing that is okay to get paint splatters and bring an apron if you have one.
About the Teacher
Cheryl Taylor is a self-taught artist that began painting as a source of stress relief from the daily grind of the business world. Besides painting, she enjoys taking photographs, working with alcohol ink, acrylics, watercolors, fused and stained glass and creating original art pieces from utilizing driftwood, shells, beach glass and other found objects all inspired by the beauty of Chincoteague Island. Visit her Facebook page.
Register for this class using the BUTTON below. Confirmation will be sent to the email address you provide (please make sure it is correct). Print or save the confirmation email for your records. No refunds within two weeks of class date.
Note: your class payment will appear under "Square/Weebly" on your credit card statement.
Questions? Send us an email.
