Paint the Pear: Introduction to Solvent-Free Oil Painting
A painting doesn’t always have to take weeks or months to complete. With careful observation, good design, and a direct approach, it can come together in a single sitting. This two-session workshop introduces a wet-on-wet approach to oil painting without solvents, making it well suited to painting at home.
Working from a single-object still life, you will learn to see and simplify your subject into its main shapes of light and dark, then translate those observations into paint. Rather than chasing fine detail or a highly finished picture, you will complete two small studies while building your observation and painting skills.
Session 1 (Black-and-White Study): Begin with small pencil studies to design your composition, then paint a black-and-white oil study with an introduction to paint mixing, brush handling, brush loading, and brushstroke application.
Session 2 (Color Study): Explore color mixing with an adaptation of the ancient Greek four-color palette, then paint a new still life in color, building on the skills introduced in the first session.
Instructor: Penelope Vlassopoulou
Dates: Tuesdays, December 8 and 15, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (both sessions)
Location: T.Zinke Art Studio, 204 E Superior Street Sandpoint, ID 83864
Ages: 18 and up (all experience levels welcome)
Class Size: Limited to 6 students
Price: $225 for the two-session class (most materials included)
Bring: An 8 × 10-inch drawing pad and paper towels. An apron is recommended.
Register: Register in the studio and pick up a small supply list.
Meet Penelope Vlassopoulou
Penelope Vlassopoulou is a Greek artist based in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. She studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts and spent a year on scholarship at the Painting Workshop of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles in Belgium. After graduating, she taught art in schools and adult workshops. In her current oil painting practice, she explores the expressive possibilities of light, shadow, color, and composition, with a particular interest in the ancient Greek four-color palette. See more of her work at penelopevlassopoulou.com.
