Classes

Long-Pose Studio Painting Class with Tom Root

Six-week term beginning June 5th

THREE POSES: LONG or SHORT

Our Thursday and Friday morning live model classes will both feature the same model in the same pose, allowing students the opportunity to double the usual sittings to make more ambitious works, if they take both mornings. We will have three different sitters, so students have the option of taking the Thursday Class, the Friday Class (3 sittings per painting) or both days ( 6 sittings per painting). Classes begin June 5th and 6th and finish up July 18th, skipping the July 4th weekend as our annual festival "Jonesborough Days" will be happening in Jonesborough.

PAINTING IN PLEIN AIR Six-week term beginning June 7th

This summer, we will offer a landscape painting class on Saturday mornings. We will meet at Root Studio School at 8:30 a.m. for coffee/tea and a short discussion of the location and lesson for the day, then we will head out to a location in or around Jonesborough to begin our three-hour session on location. Weather permitting, we will return to the same site for a minimum of two weeks. In case of rain and inclement weather, class will be held inside the studio.

Saturday Morning Landscape Class with Peggy Root

Figure: Drawing, Painting, & Anatomy Tom Root, Instructor

Fall Term - Thursday Mornings, 9 till noon

In this ten-week class, participants will work from the nude and clothed live model. We will explore figure drawing, both short and long poses, and later in the term, advance to extended poses for painting or rendered drawing. Each class will begin with a discussion of some aspect of human anatomy and there will be several slideshows during the term featuring figure paintings and sculpture, ancient and modern.

10-week session, starts September 25th, ends December 4th, 2025. Cost: $475 (includes model fee)

Suggested Drawing Materials: Newsprint or brown craft paper for quick drawing and charcoal paper, sheet or pad, for longer studies. Papers should be large for working at a standing easel (18x24" or 19x25"); vine charcoal, pastel white or chalk, kneaded rubber eraser, sandpaper block, etc., backing board.

Suggested Painting Materials: Canvases: Several medium to medium-large canvases of different height/width ratios, so as to best respond whatever the pose, which are (optional) toned in advance and dry with a middle value blue-gray or other neutral. Paints, palette and Tools are the same as for portrait.

Tom Root, Instructor Fall Term - Friday Mornings, 9 till noon Students will paint and draw the portrait from the live model. The instructor will demonstrate and discuss aspects of the portrait, including achieving a likeness, posing, lighting, design-- all in the context of understanding the portrait's history and future potential as fine art. Basic drawing and painting skills will also be taught. In addition to making short demonstrations to illustrate various points, the instructor will paint alongside students as an ongoing demonstration of how to develop and complete paintings.

10-week session, starts September 26th, ends December 5th, 2025. Cost: $450 (includes model fee)

Suggested Materials: Canvases: medium sized canvas panels or stretched primed canvas (16"x20," 18"x24" or so). Palette: wood, Masonite or thick glass; palette cup; palette knife; cotton rags or paper towels. Brushes: various sizes of natural bristle oil brushes (filberts, flats).Medium: odorless mineral spirits; oil painting medium (commercially prepared or stand oil or refined linseed oil or walnut oil, etc.).Oil colors: titanium white; yellow ochre; raw umber; cadmium red light; English red light (a.k.a. light red); alizarin crimson or permanent rose; burnt sienna; ultramarine blue: viridian or Prussian green.

Friday Morning Portrait

Saturday Still-Life & Studio Painting

Tom Root, Instructor Fall Term - Saturday Mornings, 9 till noon

Students will draw and paint from still-life set ups, starting with initial lessons in learning to "see" and represent forms in space and progressing on to making artful paintings. The instructor will demonstrate and discuss the techniques, materials and history of oil painting. This is an ongoing class where new students mix with more experienced painters. Students may also choose to work on their own projects and receive individual critiques.

10-week session, starts September 27th, ends December 6th, 2025. $350.

Suggested Materials:(If you are purchasing art supplies for the first time, your instructor will be happy to make recommendations.) Drawing students: vine charcoal; sandpaper block; kneaded rubber eraser; chamois; backing board; charcoal paper. Painting students: Canvases: medium sized canvas panels or stretched primed canvas (16"x20," 18"x24" or so). Palette: wood, hardboard or thick glass; palette cup; palette knife; cotton rags or paper towels. Brushes: various sizes of natural bristle oil brushes (filberts, flats) such as Robert Simmons Signet brand. Medium: odorless mineral spirits; oil painting medium such as linseed, stand or walnut oil. Some suggested oil colors: titanium white; yellow ochre; cadmium lemon, raw umber; cadmium red light; quinacridone rose; burnt sienna; ultramarine blue; Prussian green or viridian.

Fall Term Studio Classes 2025

Thursday Morning Figure

Workshops

We schedule workshops around our personal work schedules, so the offering varies each year. This spring, Tom will be heading up to D.C. to the Portrait Society of America as he is a finalist in the annual International Portrait Competition and Peggy is involved in two upcoming exhibitions at Blue Spiral I in Asheville. She is still hoping to schedule a Fall 2025 Painting Camp. We will keep the website updated, but write us if you might be interested. Thank you!