Unleash Your Creativity: Explore OCAF Courses Today!
COURSES
We believe art is for everyone. Whether you're picking up a brush for the first time or refining your techniques, there's a class waiting for you! With seasonal workshops, weekly classes, and special intensives, our courses are designed to spark creativity and build skills in a welcoming and supportive environment. Classes are led by experienced instructors and working artists, ensuring high-quality instruction tailored to a variety of learning styles.
Art for all ages. Art for all levels. Art for YOU.
Interested in teaching at OCAF? Submit your course proposals via the link below for Fall 2025 classes (Sep-Nov) by June 22nd
June 2025
Watercolor Exploration: Beginner and Intermediate with Lauren Adams
Date: Tuesdays, June 3rd-July 1st | Time: 10am-12pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Fee: $195 Members | $250 Non-members
This class is for absolute beginner or intermediate painters who are interested in the foundational methods of watercolor including wet-into wet, and layering transparent washes. Paint, brushes and paper will be discussed. Instruction will be individually adapted to the direction and level of each student in a relaxed and supportive environment. Bring supplies to the first class. 5 weeks.
Acrylic Painting Mini Session with Lauren Adams
Date: Thursdays, June 12th-26th | Time: 9:30am-12pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Fee: $175 Members | $215 Non-members
Discover the versatility of acrylic paints. Explore the foundations of value, color, and composition in a fun and low-key setting with demos, presentations and individual instruction. Students with no previous experience are welcome. Returning and Intermediate students will further develop their personal style, improve color and design skills. Please bring several options of photo reference, sketches, or ideas and your supplies to first class. 3 weeks.
Basics of Acrylic Painting with Laura Floyd
Date: Wednesdays, June 11th-July 9th | Time: 2pm-4pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Fee: $175 Members | $215 Non-members
Jump into acrylic painting with this beginner-friendly course. Focused on capturing realism in paint, we’ll explore the essentials of light and shadow, color theory (warm vs. cool), layering, and brushwork. You’ll tackle progressively more challenging projects that will refine your ability to paint what you see. Whether you're completely new to painting or just new to acrylics, this course will help you build the tools and confidence you need to master the medium. 5 weeks.
Intermediate Fashion Design with Maddie Murrow
Date: Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 17th-July 24th (No class July 8th & 10th) | Time: 4pm-6:30pm | Ages: 16+ | Level: Intermediate, Prior Sewing Experience Preferred
Fee: $225 Members | $275 Non-members
In this 5-week college-style course, students will design and execute a fashion look complete with a runway to show off their designs. Students will have the freedom to create their own unique looks under a thematic concept. This course will cover all aspects of the design process, including, but not limited to, mood boards, fashion illustration, patterns, garment construction, and a runway. This course is suited for anyone with experience using a sewing machine who wants to learn more about fashion design. Each student will leave with foundational knowledge on fashion design and a physical prototype (or, if you are ambitious, a finished product!) of their design. Materials fee is included in the course fee.
Hand Building Mania! with Ethan Snow
Date: Fridays, June 20th-August 8th | Time: 6pm-9pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: All levels
Fee: $200 Members | $250 Non-members
8-week community ceramics class designed for all skill levels and focusing on hand-building techniques. Rather than following a traditional step-by-step approach, the class will allow students to develop their creative concepts with tailored instruction and troubleshooting for each project. Whether you're making functional pottery, sculpture, or anything in between, this class offers a supportive environment to refine skills and bring ideas to life.
July 2025
Beginning Pottery on the Wheel: Bowls with Rebecca Seidl
Date: Tuesdays, July 1st-August 5th | Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner
Fee: $210 Members | $250 Non-members
This class will cover the basics of throwing on the potter's wheel. Our focus will be on bowls. We will learn the entire process through to a finished piece, including wedging, trimming, and glazing. You will get messy in this class, so please dress accordingly. 6 weeks.
Ceramics: Beginning Wheel Throwing with Charley Blair
Date: Thursdays, July 10th-August 14th | Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner
Fee: $200 Members | $250 Non-members
This class covers the skills necessary to create vessels on the potters wheel. It will include centering the clay which is necessary to create anything on the wheel. It will progress to a variety of methods for creating cylinders, bowls, plates and bottles, etc., and trimming the finished piece.
Batik - Traditional Wax Resist Dying with Greg Krakow
Date: Saturday July 12th & Sunday July 13th | Time: 1pm-4pm | Ages: 14+ | Level: All
Fee: $100 Members | $120 Non-members
This workshop is an introduction to the craft of batik or wax resist dyeing on fabric in traditional methods. Students will sketch out simple designs and execute them with hot beeswax and paraffin on t-shirts or scarfs. Fabric will be dyed using a permanent, commercial, cold-water dye. During the dying process the wax will crack leaving the typical batik crackle pattern on the fabric. The wax is then removed by boiling. 2 day workshop.
Pet Portrait Seminar for Acrylic or Watercolor with Lauren Adams
Date: Saturday, July 19th | Time: 10am-1pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: All
Fee: $90 Members | $115 Non-members
Learn to paint unique and charming portraits of your pet! Working from photographs, this workshop will cover a range of techniques, putting it all together in a painting full of personality and charm. Work with acrylic paint to mix lovely grays and neutral hues that are ideal for animal features and fur, and practice painting expressive eyes with realistic warmth. Learn to use loose, fluid brushstrokes for developing fur and whiskers and layer colors for a dimensional effect. Bring supplies including image of pet.
Watercolor Exploration: Beginner and Intermediate with Lauren Adams
Date: Tuesdays, July 22nd-August 19th | Time: 10am-12pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Fee: $195 Members | $250 Non-members
This class is for absolute beginner to intermediate painters interested in the foundational methods of watercolor including wet-into wet and layering transparent washes. Paint, brushes and paper will be discussed. Instruction will be individually adapted to the direction and level of each student in a relaxed and supportive environment. Bring supplies to first class.
August 2025
Absolute Beginner Acrylic Seminar with Lauren Adams
Date: Saturday, August 2nd | Time: 10am-1pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: Beginner
Fee: $90 Members | $115 Non-members
This one-day workshop provides comprehensive guidance for beginning painters starting with choosing materials and equipment, to the foundational basics of value, color, and composition. Work in a relaxed and supportive environment with ample one-on-one guidance.
Portrait Painting in Oils with Abner Cope
Date: Friday, August 29th, 6pm-9pm & August 30th-31st, 10am-5pm | Ages: 18+ | Level: All
Fee: $200 Members | $250 Non-members
This class is designed to help artists enhance their skills in painting portraits. All skill levels from beginning to advanced are welcomed. While painting from the live model, artists will employ various techniques for developing accurate proportions, and the placing the portrait properly on the canvas. Participants will receive instructions on starting the portrait with a solid structural drawing done in monochromatic lines and tones on a stained canvas. Color, and how to observe color on the model will be emphasized. We will utilize a limited palette of colors to develop the portrait from the darks in the model, to the middle values, and then to the lights and highlights in the model. Instruction will be based on demonstrations, discussions, and individual critiques. 3 day workshop.