An opportunity to step outside the day-to-day
Take part in some experiential learning founded in art and nature. Our workshops are meant to captivate the imagination and inspire awe within ourselves and that which surrounds us. Through immersion in drawing, painting, or prolonged observation we aim to plunge further into the mysteries of the visible world. Our vessel of exploration will be that of our activated sensations. We hope for you to come away from the experience with a heightened desire to continue to look deeper into the beauty of the nature and our place in it.
Upcoming Fall 2025 Programs
Charlotte, NC Workshops
“Painting the Angelic” - Charlotte, NC
In this oil painting workshop we will look for a particular quality which is manifest in the work of celebrated European artists such as Rembrandt, El Greco and Delacroix. The particular quality which we will study is that of luminosity.
Instructor: John Springer
Venue: Art Studio of MPUMC Center of Hope
Dates/Duration: 2 Full Days, November 10th-11th
Cost - $325
All Materials Provided, Open to All Skill Levels
12 Person Limit
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“Charlotte Landscape Oil Painting Workshop”
Motifs can be found anywhere. Whether in a patch of flowers in your garden, along a path shaded by trees in a local park, the setting sun behind the houses in your neighborhood, there is a bit of nature everywhere if you take the time to look. During this workshop we will begin to tap into the endless variety of motifs that exist in Charlotte’s backyard.
Instructor: John Springer
Venue: Art Studio of MPUMC Center of Hope, Local Outdoor Motif TBD
Dates/Duration: 2 Full Days, November 13th-14th
Cost - $325
All Materials Provided, Open to All Skill Levels
12 Person Limit
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Columbus, GA Workshops
“Columbus Landscape Oil Painting Workshop”
Motifs can be found anywhere. Whether in a patch of flowers in your garden, along a path shaded by trees in a local park, the setting sun behind the houses in your neighborhood, there is a bit of nature everywhere if you take the time to look. During this workshop we will begin to tap into the endless variety of motifs that exist in Columbus’s backyard.
Instructor: John Springer
Venue: Mill District Studios (Day 1)
Local Outdoor Motifs TBD
Dates/Duration: 3 Days, November 18th-20th
Cost - $350
All Materials Provided, Open to All Skill Levels
12 Person Limit
Sign Up Below
“Painting the Angelic” - Columbus, GA
In this oil painting workshop we will look for a particular quality which is manifest in the work of celebrated European artists such as Rembrandt, El Greco and Delacroix. That particular quality which we will study is that of luminosity.
Instructor: John Springer
Venue: Mill District Studios
Dates/Duration: 2 Full Days, December 2nd-3rd
Cost - $325
All Materials Provided, Open to All Skill Levels
12 Person Limit
Sign Up Below
Atlanta, GA Workshops
“A Day in the High Museum”
In this workshop we will look to the form of the individual paintings, discuss what we see and discover common threads represented in the differing artistic personalities. We will examine in each particular motif the brushstrokes, color harmonies, portrayal of light, the inclusions and sacrifices. By looking long we will see how a painting can create movement, and how this movement can render meaning.
This experience is for anyone interested in learning from art and nature, whether you are an artist, art lover or are entirely new to the world of art. This practice of observation will enhance your ability to interact with artwork and provide inspiration for your own searching into the mysteries of nature.
Instructor: John Springer
Venue: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Dates/Duration: 1 Day, December 6th 10AM-5PM
Cost - $110
Drawing Materials and Stools Provided
12 Person Limit
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Other Programs
Previous Programs
Art in Action: a guided course in drawing nature under threat with artist John Springer & MountainTrue in Pisgah Forest, NC
August 23rd, 2025
Join MountainTrue and artist John Springer for a guided outing and drawing course in Pisgah Forest, NC. Reconnect with nature in a place currently under threat from the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Management Plan.
Atlanta Art History Workshop
March 29th, 2025
$110 per person (price includes admission)
Join artist John Springer at the High Museum of Art on Saturday, March 29th, for a day of exploration into French Impressionism. This experience is for anyone interested in learning from art and nature, whether you are an artist, art lover or are entirely new to the world of art.
Columbus, GA Landscape Painting Workshop
April 1st-3rd, 2025
$350 per person (all materials provided)
Motifs can be found anywhere. Whether in a patch of flowers in your garden, along a path shaded by trees in a local park, the setting sun behind the houses in your neighborhood or on the bank of a gentle river, there is a bit of nature everywhere if you take the time to look. In Columbus, we have the pleasure to have vastly grand motifs along the riverfront as well as intimate motifs in parks and gardens. During this workshop we will begin to tap into the endless variety of motifs that exist in our own backyard in this southern river town.
Columbus, GA Still Life Workshop
October 23rd-24th, 2024
$325 per person (all materials provided)
How does one create movement in a painting? What does it mean for a painting to move, and why would it be necessary to have movement? In this workshop we will begin to explore the concept of movement and its significance by looking into nature in search of what is essential. Our motif will be still life, and the essential component of painting that we will study is the principle of color harmony. In this workshop we will discuss color theory, draw from past artwork, create a palette from our observations of nature and paint from a chosen motif. The goal is to leave the workshop with a basic understanding of color harmony and why it is an essential foundation to creating cohesive paintings that have movement.
Columbus State University 3-Day Workshop
Drawing, Nature, and the Idea of the Whole
October 2024
This will be a three session workshop with an emphasis in developing the skills to draw and eventually paint out of doors. First, we will work in the classroom and engage in a drawing exercise meant to increase the ability of the students to free themselves up and be able create drawings that are complete in a short amount of time. For the second day we will spend the whole session outdoors along the river. The students will have the chance to draw from several different aspects and attempt to find a motif that they connect with. For the last session we will be back in doors and engage in a discussion on what it means to create a work of art that is whole. We will look at specific artwork which we will have already drawn from and discuss the common qualities that they have. Upon completion of the workshop, the students will have the skills to continue the practice of drawing or painting outside as well as using this experience to approach their future artwork with a new perspective.
Lessons in Painting and Drawing from Masterworks - Columbus, GA
May 14th-15th, 2024
$300 per person (all materials provided)
There is much to be learned as an artist or art admirer by studying the work of artists of the past. Learning comes from looking deeply into each painting so as to begin to find common traits in the multitude of artists’ forms from across time. The most effective way to begin to see deeper is to actually paint from paintings. In this workshop we will discuss color theory, draw from past drawings, and paint from past paintings. This workshop will give you the tools to continue the time honored practice of copying from the great masters on your own and will enhance your development on the artistic journey. Art reveals the individual artist’s imagination through their visually rendered form. Studying the form of others will assist you in developing a keener eye and strengthen perception so that you may bring to your work an authentic expression of your imagination.