Downtown Painting

New York classes in drawing and painting for both beginners and advanced students, held in a beautiful downtown studio near Astor Place.

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Creating art is about seeing in new ways, developing an individual approach, and translating that onto canvas—in a unique way for each artist, as you can see from this portfolio of my students’ styles and techniques. The philosophy of Downtown Painting is that the point of art classes is to give students the skills to translate what’s in their mind’s eye onto the canvas. In the best art classes, technique and vision go hand in hand.

Coming soon this fall: a new site designed specifically for students to discuss and display their work as they progress.
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Spring-Summer Schedule

Classes starting in May: Beginning and Intermediate / Advanced Oil Painting, plus (new!) Drawing at the Met. Click for full details.

A beginner curious about oil painting? Or an experienced artist looking for the right class to hone your skills? Either way, you’ll appreciate the depth and immediacy of classes at Downtown Painting.

Oil paint is one of the oldest arts. It is alchemy: ground pigment, dug from earth or produced by pressing leaves and petals of plants, floating in pools of oil. The effects one can achieve with oils are as limitless as the techniques: translucent glazing, thickly textured impasto, wet on wet, collaging, and dry brush scumbling to name just a few.

A Beginning Oil Painting class covers composition, drawing with paint, values, and mixing colors.  The Intermediate/Advanced class is for those who have taken an intro class, or have some (or even a lot) of experience with oils. In it we experiment with more mediums: creating a multitude of textures and transparencies with paint. The goal is to develop an individual signature style that feels right for each student.

Image: Untitled, by Audrey 
Sep dp
A beginner curious about oil painting? Or an experienced artist looking for the right class to hone your skills? Either way, you’ll appreciate the depth and immediacy of classes at Downtown Painting. Oil paint is one of the oldest arts. It is alchemy: ground pigment, dug from earth or produced by pressing leaves and petals of plants, floating in pools of oil. The effects one can achieve with oils are as limitless as the techniques: translucent glazing, thickly textured impasto, wet on wet, collaging, and dry brush scumbling to name just a few. A Beginning Oil Painting class covers composition, drawing with paint, values, and mixing colors.  The Intermediate/Advanced class is for those who have taken an intro class, or have some (or even a lot) of experience with oils. In it we experiment with more mediums: creating a multitude of textures and transparencies with paint. The goal is to develop an individual signature style that feels right for each student. Image: Untitled, by Audrey 

Want to know more about classes, times, or anything else? You can send me an email or call 917-543-3422. I’m at charlottawestergren@gmail.com and I’m happy to talk about anything that’s not on the site. And tell me if you’re interested in classes or times I’m not offering yet: I’ll be adding more in the future.
Sep dp
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Questions?

Private lessons: Individual work with experienced amateurs, young artists creating art school portfolios, or pros looking to hone a technique or material. I get a specific understanding of your goals, then we design a plan just for you. Lessons can take place at 440 Lafayette, or at your own home or studio.

  • Prices:
  • 1 hour: $200
  • 3 hours: $500
  • 10 hours: $1200

If you want to take private lessons or are considering it and have further questions, please email me and I’ll be happy to set it up or answer any questions.

Image: Leopard, by Douglas Parris 
Sep dp
Private lessons: Individual work with experienced amateurs, young artists creating art school portfolios, or pros looking to hone a technique or material. I get a specific understanding of your goals, then we design a plan just for you. Lessons can take place at 440 Lafayette, or at your own home or studio. Prices: 1 hour: $200 3 hours: $500 10 hours: $1200 If you want to take private lessons or are considering it and have further questions, please email me and I’ll be happy to set it up or answer any questions. Image: Leopard, by Douglas Parris 

Classes take place in a studio in Manhattan just off East 8th Street, at 440 Lafayette. It’s convenient to the F, N, R, Q, and 4/5/6 trains—an easy walk from Union Square.
Sep dp
Classes take place in a studio in Manhattan just off East 8th Street, at 440 Lafayette. It’s convenient to the F, N, R, Q, and 4/5/6 trains—an easy walk from Union Square.

I’m Charlotta Westergren, I’m a working artist as well as a dedicated teacher. Both of those matter immensely to me, and that should matter to you. Students come to me looking not just for help in mastering techniques, but for another set of eyes to develop their own vision.

My solo shows have been reviewed in the New York Times and the Huffington Post, and my work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, the New Yorker, and the Paris Review. While I’m mainly a painter, I’ve worked in all sorts of media, including installation and video. I started out as an architect, with a degree from Columbia, and then studied art at the Museum School in Boston. 

I’ve taught at the New School, the School of Visual Arts, Tufts’ Museum School, and other programs. As a teacher, I always try to highlight my students’ work. But in case you’re interested, here are some examples of my own, and if you want to know more about my work and background, you’re welcome to check it out at CharlottaWestergren.com.
Sep dp

New: for this spring, I’m planning a series of drawing classes  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s true: it’s neither painting nor downtown. But the Met class is a great way to develop both your skills as an artist and your eye for art without a major time commitment.

(Image by wallyg via Flickr)
Sep dp
New: for this spring, I’m planning a series of drawing classes  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s true: it’s neither painting nor downtown. But the Met class is a great way to develop both your skills as an artist and your eye for art without a major time commitment. (Image by wallyg via Flickr)

A great art class demands a very close interaction between students and instructor, so I make sure that classes at Downtown Painting are limited to 8 students.  I started thses classes because I wanted to be able to work with students in a forum in which they could be sure of getting the attention they need to develop their own style. That means keeping the classes small enough to adapt to the interests of each group, and listening closely to what my students say. I try to get an understanding of what you want to learn from me—and take the time to learn just as much from you.
Sep dp
Sep dp

Small Classes, Personal Rapport

My latest show, SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, is now up at Patrick Painter in LA. You can see some of the works from the show at the gallery’s site here. All of them will also be up on my own website soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, the exhibition continues until May 5.

Above, The Condemned, Oil on Linen, 60” x 72”, 2012.
Sep dp
My latest show, SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, is now up at Patrick Painter in LA. You can see some of the works from the show at the gallery’s site here. All of them will also be up on my own website soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, the exhibition continues until May 5.Above, The Condemned, Oil on Linen, 60” x 72”, 2012.

If you go to the first two sessions of a class and it isn’t working out for you, you get 100% of your money back. Period. No fine print.

The 100% guarantee applies if you go to the first two classes. If you just change you mind before a class starts, there’s generally a $150 deposit that’s non-refundable. But if you paid for an entire class in advance, you do get back anything over that $150. (And if there’s really something outside you’re control, I err on the side of fairness.)
Sep dp
Sep dp

The Guarantee

Video: I started the Downtown Art Studio to take people through the whole process of developing their own vision and style.
Sep dp
Sonali
Sep dp
“Charlotta inspired me to reconnect with my creative side in more ways than just oil paints. Painting is teaching me new ways of looking at the same things.”

Downtown Painting

Posted on Monday September 5th 2011 at 01:30pm.

Creating art is about seeing in new ways, developing an individual approach, and translating that onto canvas—in a unique way for each artist, as you can see from this portfolio of my students’ styles and techniques. The philosophy of Downtown Painting is that the point of art classes is to give students the skills to translate what’s in their mind’s eye onto the canvas. In the best art classes, technique and vision go hand in hand.

Coming soon this fall: a new site designed specifically for students to discuss and display their work as they progress.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Monday September 5th 2011 at 12:30pm.

Spring-Summer Schedule

This spring I’m offering both Beginning Oil Painting and Intermediate / Advanced Oil Painting classes on Sunday. There’s a second Intermediate / Advanced classes Thursday night. Also there is a new, shorter Drawing at the Metropolitan Museum class.

Beginning Oil Painting
Sundays 3:00-5:30 / 10 classes / May 6 to July 22 (except May 27 and July 8)
$674 ($75 off for returning students $25 off for MoMA or Met Museum members.)
  
Oil paints are lustrous and sumptuous, the gold standard of mediums throughout the history of art. They can also be intimidating, with their many pigments, oils, varnishes, turpentine and brushes. This beginner’s class breaks down the fundamentals of oil painting into manageable blocks. This is an exciting class for me to teach; there is a tremendous learning curve. We will cover: composition, paint mixing, drawing with paint, values (light/dark), and color theory. No previous art classes are required. Receive individual attention at every step along the way. Working from still lifes and landscapes, students will create accomplished and beautiful canvases to treasure for years ahead. Materials are not included; a materials list will be provided. The class is limited to 8 students.

Intermediate/Advanced Oil Painting
Sundays 5:45-8:30 / 10 classes / May 6 to July 22 (except May 27 and July 8)
$699 ($75 off for returning students $25 off for MoMA or Met Museum members.)
Thursdays 7:30-10:00pm / 10 classes / May 3 to July 12 (except July 5)
$674 ($75 off for returning students $25 off for MoMA or Met Museum members.)

Oil painting is a practice that one can continue to hone and develop throughout one’s life. There are always more techniques to learn and develop. It is a friend for life. Think of the resplendent transparent glazed portraits of Rembrandt to the thick wildly colored vibrant paintings of Van Gogh, to the tranquil moody pared down work of Hopper. This class is open to anyone with oil painting experience: the intermediate to advanced. Students may be looking to develop their signature style or make a shift in their work and try something new. Many techniques and alternative mediums are explored, including impasto, scumbling, glazing, wet on wet, collaging, and more. The direction of the class reflects students’ ideas and goals. Materials are not included; a materials list will be provided. The class is limited to 8 students.

Drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Session 1: Friday 10:30-12:30 / 5 classes /  May 11 to June 8
$219 ($20 off for returning students) 
Session 2: Wednesday 10:30-12:30 / 5 classes / June 13 to July 18
(except July 4) $219 ($20 off for returning students)

This drawing class works well for students of all levels. A five week session, it is a great way to get into drawing without a big time or financial commitment.  Perfect for a beginner, the fundamentals of drawing and introduced and developed: mark making, line, gesture, value, chiaroscuro, and composition. But artists at the intermediate and advanced levels benefit greatly. Drawing is a “practice” that develops and grows and changes over time along with us. There is no more inspiring place to draw than this city landmark that holds some of the great art treasures of the world. Materials are not included; a materials list will be provided. The class is limited to 8 students.

Sign up now (for oil painting classes, you can pay the fee in advance, or a $150 deposit to reserve your place).

Downtown Painting

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 11:00pm.

A beginner curious about oil painting? Or an experienced artist looking for the right class to hone your skills? Either way, you’ll appreciate the depth and immediacy of classes at Downtown Painting. Oil paint is one of the oldest arts. It is alchemy: ground pigment, dug from earth or produced by pressing leaves and petals of plants, floating in pools of oil. The effects one can achieve with oils are as limitless as the techniques: translucent glazing, thickly textured impasto, wet on wet, collaging, and dry brush scumbling to name just a few. A Beginning Oil Painting class covers composition, drawing with paint, values, and mixing colors.  The Intermediate/Advanced class is for those who have taken an intro class, or have some (or even a lot) of experience with oils. In it we experiment with more mediums: creating a multitude of textures and transparencies with paint. The goal is to develop an individual signature style that feels right for each student. Image: Untitled, by Audrey 

A beginner curious about oil painting? Or an experienced artist looking for the right class to hone your skills? Either way, you’ll appreciate the depth and immediacy of classes at Downtown Painting.

Oil paint is one of the oldest arts. It is alchemy: ground pigment, dug from earth or produced by pressing leaves and petals of plants, floating in pools of oil. The effects one can achieve with oils are as limitless as the techniques: translucent glazing, thickly textured impasto, wet on wet, collaging, and dry brush scumbling to name just a few.

A Beginning Oil Painting class covers composition, drawing with paint, values, and mixing colors.  The Intermediate/Advanced class is for those who have taken an intro class, or have some (or even a lot) of experience with oils. In it we experiment with more mediums: creating a multitude of textures and transparencies with paint. The goal is to develop an individual signature style that feels right for each student.

Image: Untitled, by Audrey 

Questions?

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 08:00pm.

Questions?

Want to know more about classes, times, or anything else? You can send me an email or call 917-543-3422. I’m at charlottawestergren@gmail.com and I’m happy to talk about anything that’s not on the site. And tell me if you’re interested in classes or times I’m not offering yet: I’ll be adding more in the future.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 04:00pm.

Private lessons: Individual work with experienced amateurs, young artists creating art school portfolios, or pros looking to hone a technique or material. I get a specific understanding of your goals, then we design a plan just for you. Lessons can take place at 440 Lafayette, or at your own home or studio. Prices: 1 hour: $200 3 hours: $500 10 hours: $1200 If you want to take private lessons or are considering it and have further questions, please email me and I’ll be happy to set it up or answer any questions. Image: Leopard, by Douglas Parris 
Private lessons: Individual work with experienced amateurs, young artists creating art school portfolios, or pros looking to hone a technique or material. I get a specific understanding of your goals, then we design a plan just for you. Lessons can take place at 440 Lafayette, or at your own home or studio. Prices: 1 hour: $200 3 hours: $500 10 hours: $1200 If you want to take private lessons or are considering it and have further questions, please email me and I’ll be happy to set it up or answer any questions. Image: Leopard, by Douglas Parris 

Private lessons: Individual work with experienced amateurs, young artists creating art school portfolios, or pros looking to hone a technique or material. I get a specific understanding of your goals, then we design a plan just for you. Lessons can take place at 440 Lafayette, or at your own home or studio.

  • Prices:
  • 1 hour: $200
  • 3 hours: $500
  • 10 hours: $1200

If you want to take private lessons or are considering it and have further questions, please email me and I’ll be happy to set it up or answer any questions.

Image: Leopard, by Douglas Parris 

Downtown Painting

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 02:00pm.

Classes take place in a studio in Manhattan just off East 8th Street, at 440 Lafayette. It’s convenient to the F, N, R, Q, and 4/5/6 trains—an easy walk from Union Square.

Classes take place in a studio in Manhattan just off East 8th Street, at 440 Lafayette. It’s convenient to the F, N, R, Q, and 4/5/6 trains—an easy walk from Union Square.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 11:00am.

I’m Charlotta Westergren, I’m a working artist as well as a dedicated teacher. Both of those matter immensely to me, and that should matter to you. Students come to me looking not just for help in mastering techniques, but for another set of eyes to develop their own vision.

My solo shows have been reviewed in the New York Times and the Huffington Post, and my work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, the New Yorker, and the Paris Review. While I’m mainly a painter, I’ve worked in all sorts of media, including installation and video. I started out as an architect, with a degree from Columbia, and then studied art at the Museum School in Boston. 

I’ve taught at the New School, the School of Visual Arts, Tufts’ Museum School, and other programs. As a teacher, I always try to highlight my students’ work. But in case you’re interested, here are some examples of my own, and if you want to know more about my work and background, you’re welcome to check it out at CharlottaWestergren.com.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Sunday September 4th 2011 at 09:15am.

New: for this spring, I’m planning a series of drawing classes  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s true: it’s neither painting nor downtown. But the Met class is a great way to develop both your skills as an artist and your eye for art without a major time commitment. (Image by wallyg via Flickr)

New: for this spring, I’m planning a series of drawing classes  at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s true: it’s neither painting nor downtown. But the Met class is a great way to develop both your skills as an artist and your eye for art without a major time commitment.

(Image by wallyg via Flickr)

Small Classes, Personal Rapport

Posted on Saturday September 3rd 2011 at 11:00pm.

Small Classes, Personal Rapport

A great art class demands a very close interaction between students and instructor, so I make sure that classes at Downtown Painting are limited to 8 students.  I started thses classes because I wanted to be able to work with students in a forum in which they could be sure of getting the attention they need to develop their own style. That means keeping the classes small enough to adapt to the interests of each group, and listening closely to what my students say. I try to get an understanding of what you want to learn from me—and take the time to learn just as much from you.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Saturday September 3rd 2011 at 09:30pm.

My latest show, SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, is now up at Patrick Painter in LA. You can see some of the works from the show at the gallery’s site here. All of them will also be up on my own website soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, the exhibition continues until May 5.Above, The Condemned, Oil on Linen, 60” x 72”, 2012.
My latest show, SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, is now up at Patrick Painter in LA. You can see some of the works from the show at the gallery’s site here. All of them will also be up on my own website soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, the exhibition continues until May 5.Above, The Condemned, Oil on Linen, 60” x 72”, 2012.

My latest show, SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, is now up at Patrick Painter in LA. You can see some of the works from the show at the gallery’s site here. All of them will also be up on my own website soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, the exhibition continues until May 5.

Above, The Condemned, Oil on Linen, 60” x 72”, 2012.

The Guarantee

Posted on Saturday September 3rd 2011 at 07:00pm.

The Guarantee

If you go to the first two sessions of a class and it isn’t working out for you, you get 100% of your money back. Period. No fine print.

The 100% guarantee applies if you go to the first two classes. If you just change you mind before a class starts, there’s generally a $150 deposit that’s non-refundable. But if you paid for an entire class in advance, you do get back anything over that $150. (And if there’s really something outside you’re control, I err on the side of fairness.)

Downtown Painting

Posted on Saturday September 3rd 2011 at 09:45am.

Video: I started the Downtown Art Studio to take people through the whole process of developing their own vision and style.

Downtown Painting

Posted on Friday September 2nd 2011 at 10:00am.

“Charlotta inspired me to reconnect with my creative side in more ways than just oil paints. Painting is teaching me new ways of looking at the same things.”
Sonali
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