The Stuff of Dreams: Tapping into Personal Energy (Advanced Painting)
Class | Registration opens 3/2/2026 12:00 AM EST
Our desire to paint is largely driven by need to communicate in our own unique voice. This class will explore how to get in touch with what you want to communicate and how to say it. Lessons are designed to help you mine your interior world to discover what you find transcendent and worthy of your attention. Rather than telling you what to paint this is an invitation for you to figure it out. Do you draw inspiration from dreams, daydreams, conversations, concerns, music, something you saw on a walk? Does it fill you with joy, does it fill you with dread? We will spend time discovering what sources resonate strongly for you and drive you to deeper exploration without words. We will examine how to use the visual language of art to articulate ideas.
We will start with exercises to increase your awareness of what draws you. We will examine approaches of other artists, contemporary and throughout history, that you may borrow in some way. Students will work individually, at their own pace, with frequent input from the instructor and class critiques.
Artwork by Carol Rubin
Your instructor has provided a list of materials required to participate fully in this class.
If you have any questions about specifics or what is needed week-to-week, please reach out to your instructor via the email in your confirmation letter.
The following are basic colors recommended to bring for the class. You may bring additional colors you are used to using to augment this list but try to keep it simple. It is a good idea to have a large tube of white, if not all large tubes, depending on how you use paint. If you are using small amounts of paint you may want to use larger quantities for this class.
Basic Palette:
Titanium White 150ml
Alizarin Crimson 37ml
Cadmium Red Medium 37ml
Yellow Ochre 37ml
Cadmium Yellow Medium 37ml
Naples Yellow 37ml
Lemon Yellow OR Cadmium Yellow Light 37ml
Cerulean Blue 37ml
Cobalt Blue 37ml
French Ultramarine 37ml
Sap Green 37ml
Viridian 37ml
Burnt Sienna 37ml
Burnt Umber 37ml
Raw Umber 37ml
Optional Paint colors:
Quinacridone Violet
Cadmium Orange 37ml
Indian Yellow 37ml
Cobalt/Thalo/Radiant Turquoise
Transparent Orange
Zinc White OR Transparent White 37ml (Optional/highly recommended)
Suggested (though not required):
R&F pigment oil stick R&F Pigment Sticks - Half Sticks, Set of 3, 19 ml sticks | BLICK Art Materials (dickblick.com)
Brushes:
Bring your usual brushes, rounds and flats. This should include some larger sizes up to one inch.
Cheap hog hair (or acrylic for acrylic paint) brushes from hardware store, 2 inch, 3 inch
Other mark-making implements:
You need to have a variety of mark-making implements such as these --
- cheap rubber or silicon squeegees, large 1-3 inch, old credit card. Look for implements at the hardware store, and check out these tools:
Mediums:
- Gamsol
- Safflower Oil (from market), walnut oil or linseed oil
- White gesso
Surfaces:
Cotton Duck Canvas, stretched and primed. Plaza Art generally has a sale on decent canvases.
From time to time you will need some drawing paper and a canvas pad for exercises and quick projects. It is hard to say when or how often we will use them but good to have on hand for your art practice:
Misc.:
- PALETTE: 18X24 (or larger) piece of glass mounted on foam core and taped with duct tape on the edges.
- Artist Tape/Blue Tape or Frog Tape
- Glass Jars with lids (minimum 3)
Carol Rubin
Learn about your instructor & more on our faculty page!