Mini-Workshops

In addition to the ongoing classes and typical weekend workshops, the Mainstreet staff instructors also offer  a variety of short mini-workshops on specialty subjects. Upcoming offerings are listed below:

Tom Henrichsen

Beginning Plein Air:
Know your Equipment

Sunday
June 8, 2025
9:00 am - 12:30 pm

$65.00

Tom will show you many different options for the equipment needed for plein air painting. He will cover everything you need from various easels, umbrellas, panels, wet painting carriers, viewfinders, etc. If you are starting plein air painting for the first time, or looking to organize or streamline your choices in equipment, this is a great opportunity to see what might work best for you. If there is time after the equipment review, Tom will set-up outdoors and do a small painting demo. He will explain his thought process of how to start a painting and how to see and simplify the landscape. This is a great way to have fun outdoors this summer!

Maria Galvan-Herrera

Getting Comfortable with Gouache

GOUACHE

Sundays
July 6, 13 & 20, 2025
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

$200.00

SUPPLY LIST

Do you love the aesthetic of gouache, but struggle to get the effects you want while painting? Don't give up on this versatile and amazing medium!

These 3 one-day weekly workshops will address the finicky nature of gouache and how to get over the hurdles it presents when we first learn to use it. Getting “brush mileage" is the key to mastering the use of gouache. We will learn about the properties of gouache, its consistencies, water control, achieving textured and seamless blends, and applying layers in the most effective way. Each day will build off the learning from the previous. We will focus on opportunities to practice and apply new learning using this medium through various exercises. We will also apply each technique to an on-going project that will be completed the last day of the workshop. Explore various approaches to gouache and learn how to use it to its full potential.

Cheryl Cook

Just Drawing

Any drawing medium

Saturdays
October 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2025
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
$150.00

Drawing is the building block of painting and a crucial part of setting yourself on the path to a successful painting. This class will emphasize representation from direct observation. You will learn new ways to capture images in their simplest forms, refine the placement and scale of objects, and create stronger compositions. Understand your materials and the fundamentals of drawing, line quality, composition and interpretation.

Susan Ploughe

Art and Your iPad:
Intro to Procreate^® App

iPad and Stylus

Thursday & Friday
October 16 & 17, 2025
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
$110.00

The iPad is an incredibly useful tool for artists! In six hours, you will learn what Susan has spent many years discovering, including how to: