About this Event
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Join us at the West Portal Gallery in San Francisco for a dynamic, hands-on painting workshop designed to spark creativity, strengthen compositional instincts, and expand your visual language. This immersive five-hour session blends lecture, demonstration, guided painting time, and a supportive group critique – all in a small group setting limited to 12 participants.
▶ Art-Making Workshop: Clarifying Artistic Direction: Thinking Beyond a Single Painting
▶ Sunday, May 17, 2026 | 10 AM–3 PM
▶ Instructor: Michael Azgour, MFA | ▶ 12 Participants Maximum
▶ In-Person and Remote Participation
Building a Cohesive Body of Work and a Clear Creative Path
A 5-hour immersive workshop designed for artists looking to deepen their practice and create cohesive bodies of work.
In this workshop, you’ll explore how to move beyond individual paintings and develop a clear artistic direction across a series of works. Through guided exercises, discussion, and hands-on experimentation, you’ll learn to:
- Identify themes, motifs, and concepts that drive your work
- Reflect on your current practice and clarify your long-term artistic goals
- Expand a single idea into a series with depth and cohesion
- Make deliberate choices about composition, color, and narrative
This is a focused, intensive session that combines practical studio time with strategic reflection. Participants will leave with concrete insights, a clearer sense of direction, and the beginnings of a series that builds on their strengths and vision.
Instructor Michael Azgour will use his own paintings to demonstrate key techniques—primarily in acrylic or oil—and guide each participant individually throughout the session. Artists are free to use any medium of their choice.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Instructor lecture and painting demonstration
- Structured painting exercises with room for interpretation
- Individualized guidance during studio work
- Group critique and discussion
- Insights into the instructor’s current projects as added educational context
- A casual, energetic environment that encourages experimentation and growth
MATERIALS TO BRING
- Painting materials: oils, acrylics, watercolor, or preferred media
- 1-2 painting surfaces toned with warm grounds (any size)
- Drawing paper and drawing tools
- Reference materials: multiple photographs or drawings to use as inspiration
Tables and chairs are provided. Participants may bring their own easels (tabletop or freestanding) or work directly on the table. The studio offers a restroom, paint-washing sink, paper towels, water, tea, and backup art supplies if you forget something. A café is conveniently located across the street, though bringing lunch is recommended to maximize working time.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
- Arrival: Participants are welcome to arrive up to 20 minutes early to settle in.
- Parking: Free parking is available around Wawona & 14th Street. There is a 2-hour limit on weekdays and no time limit for weekends (see map below). Directly in front of the studio you will find meter parking, which is ideal for loading and unloading. There’s a good cafe right across the street and several lunch spots in the area in case you need to refuel.
- Questions: please get in touch via email: [email protected]
WEST PORTAL GALLERY
320 West Portal Gallery | San Francisco, CA 94127
415 212 9092 | [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
WEST PORTAL GALLERY, 320 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, United States
USD 245.00
