Painting Class: Color Theory 1

For painters eager to begin—or to deepen an existing practice—this course breaks foundational concepts into focused, color-based assignments that address core painterly concerns: composition, pigment mixing, color harmony, translating observation into working color relationships, paint application, and surface preparation. Instruction also includes an overview of methods and materials used in oil painting.

Students will work in oils; however, the instructor recommends waiting until the first class session to review the materials list before purchasing supplies.

Each course runs for six weeks and incorporates demonstrations, handouts, discussion, and critique to translate theory into practice.

Prerequisite: Students must complete Color Theory I before enrolling in Color Theory II.
A materials list will be provided upon registration.
Please bring a brown-bag lunch. 

About the instructor, Kris Engman "I’m drawn to various subjects and materials as a painter of the land and life in Maine; my palette imitates the seasonally shifting behaviors of the terrain in and around Waldo County. The paintings are an expression of color in some sort of balance that feels connected to daily routines and observations. The role of the ‘story’ is minimized; attention is directed past what is going on in the painting toward how things relate visually to each other. The body of work is about color behavior and the arrangement of information; images are manipulated until a certain light condition is struck and a sense of territory is explained."

Kris received her MFA from the University of Pennsylvania and my BFA from the Maine College of Art. Since 2003, she has taught in the University of Maine Art Department, JanPlans at Colby College, and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Colby for the 2022-23 academic year. As well as showing locally, Kris has exhibited at the Arden Gallery in Boston, the Schmidtberger Fine Arts Gallery in Pennsylvania, The Geras Tousignant Gallery In SanFrancisco CA, and at the Harbor Square Gallery in Rockland.