Step into the timeless world of oil painting—where color becomes emotion, and brushstrokes awaken something ancient and alive within you.
In this one-day workshop, you’ll explore the luminous, layered magic of oil. No experience? No problem. This class is designed for beginners and beyond. All materials are provided—paints, brushes, surfaces, easels, and even the image. Just bring a sack lunch and your curiosity.
Why Oil Painting? Oil is the medium of masters—rich, forgiving, and endlessly expressive. But it’s more than technique. Painting in oil is a workout for the brain and a balm for the soul. It sharpens focus, boosts neuroplasticity, and invites you into a meditative flow state that reduces stress and rekindles joy. It’s a slow art in a fast world—a way to stay creatively young and deeply present.
What’s Included:
- A dynamic, mysterious image of a legendary creature—our shared muse
- All paints, brushes, surfaces, and tools
- Easels, boards, and chairs
- Expert guidance in a relaxed, supportive studio environment Whether you’re seeking a new skill, a soulful reset, or a spark of creative fire, this workshop opens a portal into something deeper.
Instructor: Trish Harding
Medium: Oil
Cost: $87
Age groups: Adults/Seniors
Experience level: No experience required
Materials provided: Everything
Materials/etc. to bring: Sack lunch
Registration and payment: Please visit Trish Harding website to register
Artist website/links:
- Website: studio-ufo.net
Artist Bio:
Trish was born in Washington State and grew up on Lummi Island, literally feet from the water’s edge with a magnificent view of Mt Baker at the same time. She has always felt a part of the Salish Sea. Her formal art training includes Western Washington University and the Academy of Art University San Francisco.
Trish is owner of Trish Harding School of Art at Studio UFO in Bellingham WA which has proven to be the hot spot in the region for leading edge art and art education. Trish not only teaches painting at Studio UFO she also has been teaching at Whatcom Community College and Portland’s Creative Arts Community at Menucha, both for 25 years, and countless workshops around the Pacific Northwest, including museums and art centers. She is an art trip leader to such places as Paris, San Miguel De Allende, Mexico City, Yellowstone, Ghost Ranch, Palm Springs & Victoria Canada. She has facilitated the Annual Downtown Bellingham Plein Air Paint Out and Exhibition (PAPO) event for 16 years for which she received The Bellingham Mayor’s Arts Award. In 2017 Trish was selected as the Skagit Valley Internation Tulip Festival Poster Artist. Her image received the Gold Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals & Events Association for Best Commemorative Poster that year. Serving as an art commissioner for the City of Bellingham Mayor’s Office provided her with a unique opportunity to foster and contribute to the creativity within Bellingham’s vibrant art community. As a past president of the NW Pastel Society Trish established digital entries and newsletters effectively updating the society to the digital age.
Her work is in permanent collections throughout the region and is the recipient of many awards. Her most recent accomplishment is being invited into the esteemed Women Painters of Washington Organization. In June of 2023 she and husband Tom moved back to her childhood home, Lummi Island, to be able to paint closer to the edge of the Salish Sea than ever before.
