In this class, we will explore the painter’s palette as a site where decisions, experimentation, and meaning emerge. A palette is more than a surface for mixing—it reflects the artist’s choices, habits, and evolving understanding of color. Through hands-on exploration with acrylic paints, we will investigate how color theory, mixing, and application interact to shape a painting.

This course will introduce students to the physical and emotional impact of color, considering how temperature, value, saturation, and brushwork influence color composition. We will question why certain colors appear again and again in different artists’ palettes and how choices—deliberate or intuitive—affect the final work. Looking at historical palettes, students will engage in exercises that allow them to understand and experiment with their own personal palettes.

Through a balance of structured challenges and open-ended exploration, this course is designed to build technical skills, creative confidence, and awareness of how color functions within a painting. Whether you are just beginning or have some experience, this class will give you new ways to see, mix, and apply color with intention.