Workshops & Continuing Education
Cincinnati Art Club Sponsored Workshops & Continuing Education
Member Discounted, Open to the Public–
The Cincinnati Art Club hosts short 2–3-day Workshops with nationally known instructors concentrating on specific techniques. The Club also hosts longer ongoing weekly Continuing Education classes with instructors specializing in traditional art practices.
The classes and workshops are in a range of disciplines in various media and are offered for a fee to Club members and the public. See the class listing to the right for what the Club is offering, its time, date and supplies needed. We add new instructional opportunities throughout the year. Check back often.
Workshops
Advanced Fundamentals, ‘Creating Competence Beyond’
Painting classes with David Mueller
Six Consecutive Tuesdays–
August 11, 18, 25, September 1, 8, 15
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
David Mueller, artist and instructor, will help you build skills beyond your current level. The sessions cover four key concepts to help artists improve their painting abilities. We will concentrate on pushing the compositional elements, looking at unique perspectives, inspecting the range of edge possibilities, and overall balance and unity.
‘Creating Competence Beyond’ is more than the nuts and bolts of sound principles of design. The course takes a student from where they are to improve their technical skill and confidence in their creative capability. There is significant worth in design, rendering form, balance, and hard and soft edges. These are but a few tools that are offered in David Mueller’s ‘Creating Competence Beyond’ in this session of classes.
Each student must watch the video Introducing Fundamentals found at davidmuellerfineart.com (on the Sophisticated Fundamentals E-Lessons page) if they have not previously taken a class with David.
For more information and registration, click HERE!
Bas Relief with Water-Based Clay
…with Sculptor, Teacher, John Leon
August 28-29, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
You’ll learn how to create bas relief sculptures in clay (“bas” pronounced “bah”) in this 2-day workshop. This form of sculpture is only slightly raised above the background clay surface allowing for detailed and intricate designs. You will be introduced to high, middle, and low relief as well and the class also serves as an excellent introduction to working with clay more broadly.
Everyone will start by making a 6×6-inch plaque to get comfortable with the basics. After that, you’ll have the chance to create additional or larger pieces, such as 8×10, 12×12, or 10×15 inches, with 15 inches as the maximum size.
We will work with water-based clay. But John will also discuss working with oil-based clay and making molds for reproduction purposes.
All materials will be provided—clay, tools, easels, boards to work on, etc. However, if you have any clay tools, feel free to bring them. A paring knife is also very useful. John will have a few, but if you want exclusive use of one, bring your own.
The instrudtor, John Leon, will fire your clay reliefs in his kiln after they have dried sufficiently a week or two after the class. The cost for firing will be from $2 for the 6×6 inch plaques to $10-$15 for the larger plaques.
For more information and registration, click HERE!
Adventures in Encaustic: The Basics
…with Tracy Casagrande Clancy
September 26, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Join us for a hands-on, one-day encaustic painting workshop designed for beginners and creatives eager to explore this ancient art form using molten beeswax and pigments. In this class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of working with encaustic materials, including proper tools, safety techniques, fusing methods, and layering. Guided by a certified encaustic instructor, you’ll create your own encaustic pieces using basic techniques such as incising, embedding, and texture-building. No prior experience is necessary, just a willingness to experiment and have fun!
All materials and equipment are provided, and you’ll leave with at least one finished piece and the knowledge to continue working independently.
For more information and registration click HERE.
Painting in Acrylics with Joseph Orr
October 3, 2026
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Light, shadow and the spark of mood never looked so good.
Joseph Orr will be in Cincinnati to serve as the awards juror for the ViewPoint 58 opening on October 2nd. He has graciously agreed to lead a workshop during his visit. Joseph works primarily from sketches made on location. He transfers those reactions into finished paintings that capture the essence of a setting.
“Unlike the idea of abstraction or other sorts of ‘modern’ art, for me, the idea is that painting should follow some form of illustration and truth telling. Basically, the premise of my painting philosophy is to build layers of narrative into my paintings. A location scene is never defined satisfactorily without its relationship to color and composition. It is important to balance fact with imagination.”
In this workshop students will paint a small work (9×12 or 12×16) using 4 colors plus white & mars black. Joseph will demonstrate how to prioritize your center of interest. Photos will be provided for participants to choose from.
For more information and registration click HERE.