York Art Association upcoming events

NARRATIVE COLLAGE & ASSEMBLAGE with Linda Popp (Monday, August 10, 2026)

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

AUGUST 10TH | 930-330pm | ALL LEVELS | $150M $175NM

Registration Closes 8/3

This workshops is open to ages 10+

Elaborate the narrative of a personal photograph using collage/assemblage techniques.

In this workshop participants will create a collage or assemblage using found materials/objects to tell more of the sotry of a personal, meaningful phtograph. The photograph can be ofa person, place, animal, event, ect. Materials can include paper, fabrics, and small objects. Linda will share concepts, techniques and tips from her own studio practice. There will also be a power point presentation. and exapmples of narrative collages and assemblages.

Supply list:

Participants will need to supply thier pwn photographs, collage materials and assemblage objects.

Linda will supply background paper, adhesives (mod podge, glue sticks, hot glue, E6000, brushes scissors, exacto knives ect.

Suggestions of what to bring:

Meaningful personal photographs - can be a copy

materials such as paper, news papers, maps, letters, stamps, music, recipes, scoresheets, tickets, dried flowers, other small objects.

WATERCOLOR PORTRAITS with Chris Bohn (Tuesday, August 18, 2026)

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

8/18, 8/19 | 930-4pm | INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED | $150M $175NM

Registration Closes 8/11

Come and learn the art of watercolor portraiture! Watercolor painting and capturing the human form are often seen as intimidating and overwhelming to students. In truth, there are proven approaches that can remove much of the guesswork from portrait painting in watercolor. In this 2-day workshop, we will learn an easy and clear method for depicting portraits and figures, using effective watercolor technique. This class is ideal for students who have some experience in drawing or painting portraits, but no prior watercolor experience is required.

Topics will include:

- Simple methods for capturing a likeness and proper proportions

- Working with a limited palette to create natural and vibrant skin tones

- Working with watercolor and different levels of paper dampness

- How to keep your painting fresh and lively

Material List

Tube watercolor (student or professional grade) - Raw Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Rose, Raw Umber

3 full sheets of 100% cotton rag cold press watercolor paper (140 or 300 lb)

#10 Round Watercolor Brush

1/2" Flat Watercolor Brush

2" Flat Watercolor Brush

Watercolor palette

WATERCOLOR PORTRAITS with Chris Bohn (Wednesday, August 19, 2026)

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

8/18, 8/19 | 930-4pm | INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED | $150M $175NM

Registration Closes 8/11

Topics will include:

- Simple methods for capturing a likeness and proper proportions

- Working with a limited palette to create natural and vibrant skin tones

- Working with watercolor and different levels of paper dampness

- How to keep your painting fresh and lively

Material List

Tube watercolor (student or professional grade) - Raw Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Rose, Raw Umber

3 full sheets of 100% cotton rag cold press watercolor paper (140 or 300 lb)

#10 Round Watercolor Brush

1/2" Flat Watercolor Brush

2" Flat Watercolor Brush

Watercolor palette

COLOR EXPLORATIONS with Susan Nicholas Gephart (Saturday, August 22, 2026)

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

August 22nd | 9:30-4pm | All Levels | $200M $225NM

Registration closes 8/15

In this relaxed, upbeat workshop you will learn how to see the depth of color and create a unique and personally expressive painting in the subject of your choice. The use of the color wheel will help support and guide your color mixing. Susan Nicholas Gephart will begin with a short inspirational demo designed to kick-start you into the creative spirit and aid in color expression.

Susan Nicholas is a lifelong plein air and studio painter, who will support you in the steps of learning how to create a unique and personally expressive painting. Susan Nicholas’s teaching philosophy is to “Connect, Inspire, Support.” After Susan graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she began teaching pastels at the Art Alliance in 1983. She is highly skilled and experienced in teaching all mediums and levels.

Important: Susan encourages each artist to contact her by email after they register, and share their personal goals for this workshop. This is important to her so she can connect with each artist to prepare demonstrations based on student needs.

Recommended supplies: Visit Susan Nicholas’ Website’s Supplies & Products page: https://www.snicholasart.com/supplies-products. Contact instructor with supply questions.

Instructor Contact: Susan Nicholas Gephart, 814-360-216 or Email SNicholasArt@gmail.com

Instructor Website: www.SNicholasArt.com

Biography: Susan Nicholas Gephart is an internationally recognized instructor and award-winning pastel and oil painter who has been creating colorful, impressionistic landscapes for over five decades. Susan Nicholas developed a deep appreciation of the earth and its relationship to art when she was a young child. Her passion to explore the landscape is expressed through a unique use of color, texture, and atmosphere, capturing the emotion of a moment with spontaneity and directness.

Susan is a demonstrator for Sennelier watercolors and Jack Richeson & Co. art supplies and has three Signature sets of Richeson Hand-Rolled Soft Pastels.

Her colorful, impressionistic studio and plein air paintings make her a sought-after instructor whose teaching philosophy is to “Connect, Inspire, Support.” Susan has been PACE faculty four times, including the Pre-Convention for PACE18 Beginners Track Pastel. In 2021, she was international faculty for PleinAir magazine’s virtual event, Pastel Live. Susan was faculty for the September Pastel Live 2025.

Susan has been organizing the May Hameau Artist Retreats for 28 years, is a founding member of the Farmland Preservation Artists, an associate member of the Pastel Society of America, and a signature member and president of the Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society.

View her work online: www.SNicholasArt.com

DESIGN SECRETS FOR AN ARTIST with Kim Morrow (Wednesday, August 26, 2026)

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

AUGUST 20TH| 9:30AM-4PM | All Levels | $140M $160NM

Using Graphic Design Principles to Create Stronger Fine Art

Workshop Description

Most artists learn techniques for applying paint, drawing accurately, or working in their chosen medium, but many receive little formal training in how to organize visual elements for maximum impact. In this workshop, participants will learn how graphic designers use visual hierarchy, contrast, balance, movement, and focal points to guide a viewer's eye and strengthen communication.

Through demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and the creation of original artwork, students will discover practical tools for improving composition regardless of medium. Suitable for painters, collage artists, mixed-media artists, printmakers, and drawing enthusiasts.

Materials List

Please bring:

Sketchbook or drawing pad
Pencil and eraser
Black fine-tip marker
Ruler or straightedge (optional)
Scissors and glue stick (for collage option)
8.5" × 11" Bristol paper or mixed-media paper
Your choice of art supplies for creating artwork:
- Drawing materials (pencils, charcoal, ink, etc.)
- Watercolors
- Acrylic paints
- Collage papers, magazines, and other ephemera
- Mixed-media supplies

Note: Please bring any materials you already enjoy working with. The focus of the workshop is design and composition, so participants are welcome to work in their preferred medium.

DESIGN SECRETS FOR AN ARTIST with Kim Morrow (Thursday, August 27, 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

AUGUST 20TH| 9:30AM-4PM | All Levels | $140M $160NM

Using Graphic Design Principles to Create Stronger Fine Art

Workshop Description

Materials List

Please bring:

Sketchbook or drawing pad
Pencil and eraser
Black fine-tip marker
Ruler or straightedge (optional)
Scissors and glue stick (for collage option)
8.5" × 11" Bristol paper or mixed-media paper
Your choice of art supplies for creating artwork:
- Drawing materials (pencils, charcoal, ink, etc.)
- Watercolors
- Acrylic paints
- Collage papers, magazines, and other ephemera
- Mixed-media supplies

Note: Please bring any materials you already enjoy working with. The focus of the workshop is design and composition, so participants are welcome to work in their preferred medium.

DRAWING WITH AN ARCHITECT'S EYE With Blake Gifford (Saturday, August 29, 2026)

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

AUGUST 29TH| 9:30AM-3PM | All Levels | $140M $160NM

Registration Closes 8/22

This workshop is about more than just drawing buildings - it’s about learning to see the world differently.

Architects are trained to notice patterns, proportions, and underlying geometry in everyday life. In this workshop, we’ll slow down and practice that kind of seeing - learning how to break complex scenes into simple shapes, lines, and relationships that make them easier to understand and draw. We’ll explore how the built environment is full of visual clues: how objects relate to one another in scale, how lines lead the eye, and how perspective gives depth to what we see. You’ll learn to read these cues and use them to build more confident, structured sketches - whether you're drawing a street corner, a chair, or just a shadow across a wall.

Topics will include:

How to simplify what you see into basic forms
Using perspective and proportion to create depth and accuracy
Drawing as a tool for understanding space, not just copying it

This isn’t about perfection - it’s about observation, interpretation, and clarity. You'll come away with a new way of seeing the world and the tools to start translating that vision onto paper like an architect does: with purpose, structure, and curiosity.

SUPPLY LIST

9”x12” sketch paper - unlined, medium-weight (easy for quick sketches and handling perspective lines)
Pencils – HB, 2B, and 4B for a range of light sketching to darker emphasis.
Eraser – kneaded eraser (good for soft corrections and lightening) and/or white vinyl eraser (for crisp clean-ups).
Straightedge – a 6–12” ruler or architect’s scale (useful for perspective exercises and proportional studies).
Tracing paper – for layering over initial sketches to refine proportions and experiment with corrections.
Optional - Colored pencils – a small set of earth tones/greys (helpful for shading, emphasis, or highlighting geometry).

Blake Gifford

is a licensed architect with more than a decade of experience as a designer and project manager in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. He currently manages historic preservation and state museum projects across the Commonwealth with the Department of General Services in Harrisburg. While he always loved drawing, he found it largely absent from day-to-day architectural practice. In 2021, he launched York Architecture Illustrated - a website and social media platform dedicated to hand-drawn studies of York’s historic buildings - bringing together his professional expertise and passion for visually interpreting the city’s architectural heritage

Website: yorkarchillustrated.com
Facebook: York Architecture Illustrated
Instagram: @york_arch_illustrated