In this workshop, you'll become acquainted with the intuitive painting mindset. In her book Mindset, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck proposes that human qualities are not fixed—they can be cultivated. People can grow and improve in any area, including sports, art, music, business, parenting, or relationships. This growth also applies to intellectual skills.

With this in mind, you'll begin to shift from a fixed mindset that separates traditional representational painting from abstraction. It is entirely possible to understand and incorporate both approaches in your work.

Using various mark-making tools, watercolor, and gouache, lessons will begin without reference or preconceived ideas. You’ll create paintings from arbitrary design elements and bring them to completion using principles of design. The goal is to develop a painting that aligns with your personal aesthetic—whether representational or nonobjective. The only criteria: no reference, and a willingness to let the process guide the outcome. www.stankurth.com