Will Day | Beyond the Threshold: The Courage to Create

Workshop: Beyond the Threshold: The Courage to Create

Instructor: Will Day

Dates: August 19-22, 2027

Days: 4

Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Level: Advanced

Tuition: $1750

Included: Complimentary lunch provided in studio daily

Supplies: Not Included

Every artist reaches a moment when technique alone is no longer enough. The next breakthrough comes from discovering the courage to trust your instincts and create work that is unmistakably your own.

In Beyond the Threshold we’ll move past exercise and into transformation. Through fearless experiments, intentional layering, unconventional tools, and bold decision-making, you’ll learn to edit with confidence, embrace risk, and develop paintings that carry both energy and meaning.

Drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, this workshop explores the moment after crossing the threshold—when uncertainty becomes possibility and intuition becomes your greatest guide. We’ll challenge habits, welcome happy accidents, and uncover the visual language that only you can create.

Over four immersive days, you’ll push scale, texture, composition, and emotion to new evels while refining your personal style and creative process.

Together, we’ll explore:

• Creating paintings with greater clarity, depth, and impact.

• Building confidence through decisive mark-making.

• Transforming mistakes into opportunities.

• Using composition, rhythm, and contrast to create visual tension.

• Refining your unique artistic voice.

• Finishing work that feels both intentional and alive.

This workshop is designed for advanced artists ready to move beyond technique and create with conviction, authenticity,

and lasting purpose.

REVIEWS

Amazing! He's able to meet everyone where they are and challenge them so each person can make relevant gains in their work. It's a busy workshop and physically demanding, and that's great. The things I learned will have a huge impact on my art work and on my art practice/business going forward. -Michael R

His energy and optimism are contagious. He demonstrated many techniques and was very hands on. -Jane B

I enjoyed every aspect of this workshop. I found Will to be inspiring, engaging and encouraging. He is a terrific storyteller and fun. -Nancy A

Will was kind, very talkative and a great painter! -Christina H

I can’t say enough about the incredible workshop I recently attended at Woodward Contemporary. If you’re contemplating going — DO! The Workshop on its own was eye opening and immersive with Will Day. Not only is he talented, he’s also very personable and full of the knowledge which you can only get from a successful working artist, in a small, intimate setting (there were only about 8 of us artists so we all received a lot of individual attention and feedback). Luckily for us he also had an opening at the adjoining gallery one of the evenings during the workshop and we were able to see a behind the scenes look at the work that goes into an artist’s opening. The staff and the owner at Woodward are beyond — helpful, friendly, encouraging and just all around wonderful humans. I’m looking forward to returning for more workshops soon! - Sandy O

 WEBSITE

https://www.willdayart.com

INSTAGRAM

instagram.com/willdayart

SUPPLY LIST

CANVAS

You’ll have one large wall that will hold up to a 60”x72” canvas. You will be doing at least 6 and possibly up to 8 paintings on canvas, depending on how quickly you paint. I recommend bringing 4 medium sized (36”x36”, 40 x50”, 40”x40”, 36”x48”, 48”x48”) as well as 4 larger-sized canvases (40”x60” or larger). It all depends on what you’re accustomed to. It’s fine if you prefer smaller sizes. Preparing the raw canvas in advance by measuring and cutting the sizes will save time. Most artists bring a roll of unstretched canvas or have one shipped directly from an art supply store to the gallery. Whatever is easiest. If you want to bring pre-stretched canvas, you can. So you understand my process, I usually paint on the raw canvas then stretch the paintings later.

PAINTS

Liquitex Basics, Amsterdam, Golden or Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics are all good choices. Fluids or tube paint - whatever you prefer. House paint is also a good for exploring color relationships. Less is more – no need to bring every color you own. We can always get some other color paints at the local art store.

I typically use Liquitex Basics Acrylic paint and the Amsterdam All Acrylic Standard Series

____White – titanium white

____Black – your choice

____Red – one warm, one cool

____Yellow – one warm, one cool

____Blue – one warm, one cool

____Any other colors you like to work with.

BRUSHES

I love working with 2” and 4” foam brushes you can get at Home Depot 4” or 5” large thick Flat Bristle Brushes from the paint store are fun, too. Bring your smaller brushes as well. Whatever you are comfortable with using.

DRAWING

Bring a variety of drawing mediums of your choice (whatever you like to use) such as wood pencils, graphite crayons, watercolor crayons, oil sticks, solid markers.

TOOLS

Squeegee – 10” or 12”. (I love these tools. You can find them at Home Depot.

Stainless Steel Palette Knife. I use a small and large one.

Silicon Shaper Palette Knife - any size .

2 inch blue tape

Bring at least TWO new tools to experiment with such as a kitchen spatula, broom, large sponges, trowel, toilet paper roll, etc. The goal is to encourage you to find anything that would make an unusual type of marks on canvas. Its all about exploring.

BOOKS (for inspiration and ideas)

“Creative Visualization- Use the Power of your Imagination to create what you want out of life” by Shakti Gawain

“The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers” by Joseph Campbell

“The Alchemist” by Paul Coehlo