Claudia Rilling | Our Painted History: A figurative workshop working from your personal family photographs

Workshop: Our Painted History: A figurative workshop working from your personal family photographs

Dates: April 9-12, 2026

Days: 4

Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM with midday break

Level: Intermediate or higher

Size: 12

Tuition: $900

Work from archived family photographs to create artwork that feels deeply personal. Through a focus on shape relationships and breaking down complex forms into manageable parts, students will learn to transform to transform their figurative images with clarity and intention. Participants can work from old color photographs or

those with sepia tones. We’ll explore composition, proportion, and how to apply various color palettes to these images. The course will include lectures, demos and plenty of hands-on instruction, ensuring that each students receives personalized guidance throughout the process. (While many students may choose to focus on photographs from old family archives, more recent images will work as well.)

Zoom Meet & Greet

Claudia will hold a Zoom meet and greet before the workshop to explain some important aspects of the class like photo references and materials.

Supplies Substrates (eg canvas, wood panels)

Oil or acrylic paint

Brushes

Photo References

All Questions

Please contact Claudia directly at crilling@hotmail.com

Instructor Bio

Claudia Rilling paints in a semi-abstract style, drawing inspiration from landscapes, urbanscapes, flowers, and vintage family photographs. Her work is infused with a personal interpretation of these forms, where she emphasizes shape, color, and light. Claudia blends both loose and clean mark-making, giving each piece a sense of movement and also structure. Through her personal approach, she invites viewers to experience familiar subjects in a new way.

A Note from Claudia

"My teaching style is supportive, structured, and also allows for individual exploration. While I provide a tailored set of skills that students can apply to each painting, I also encourage them to work with their own sensibility, style, and temperament. I believe in offering plenty of information, as I feel a strong foundation in shape, color, and composition is essential. These principles are crucial to me as a painter, and I strive to share that knowledge in a way that helps each student grow and develop their unique voice."

Website

https://claudiarilling.com/home.html

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/claudiarilling/