Teaching Schedule: Fall 2025 and Beyond!
- Bryan Jernigan
- Jun 18
- 7 min read
My new teaching schedule has been updated, so I wanted to share it with you here.
If you've never taken a class with me before, I regularly teach abstract painting classes in acrylics or oils, and I periodically teach pastel landscape workshops. Both occur in the Washington, D.C. metro area, but a few include a bit of travel and sightseeing in the states. Overseas vacation workshops come up once a year, so be on the lookout for those as I firm up plans for the next couple!
Here's what's on this fall and into 2026:
Boundless Abstract Exploration Through Parameters - The Art League of Alexandria - Beginning Either June 25 (Wednesdays) or June 28 (Saturdays) Register here: Wednesdays - Intermediate Abstract Painting (Oil or Acrylic) – The Art League
Description: Dive into the expressive world of abstract painting in this immersive one-day workshop designed for artists of all skill levels with national award-winning abstract artist Bryan Jernigan. Whether you're a seasoned painter or picking up a brush for the first time, this hands-on experience will guide you through various abstract techniques, helping you unleash creativity in new and unexpected ways.
Throughout the day, we will explore:
Color & Emotion: Understanding how different palettes evoke mood and movement.
Texture & Layers: Experimenting with tools, mixed media, and unconventional techniques to create depth.
Spontaneity & Composition: Balancing free expression with intentional design.
Personal Style Development: Finding your unique artistic voice through guided exercises.
Through demonstrations, individual practice and group discussions, participants will gain confidence in expressing ideas without limits. By the end of the workshop, everyone will have an abstract piece in process and a fresh perspective on artistic exploration.
This workshop is all about creativity, curiosity and having fun with the artistic process. Ready to unleash your imagination?
Paint With Me! Abstraction: Step by Step - Falls Church Arts - Aug. 10, 2025 Register here: Abstraction: Step by Step (Aug 10, 2025) - Falls Church Arts
Description: Abstraction is so broad and there are so many ways to approach it, what seems easy at first becomes much more of a challenge once you’re in it. And there can be so many choices to consider that you actually end up stopping or you never get started to begin with. In one, roll-up-your-sleeves day, national award-winning abstract painter and instructor Bryan Jernigan will walk you through his process. The questions he asks himself, you can ask to differentiate your process. By the end of the day, you should have a flexible roadmap to follow that leads you to work you like or a system for making work that hangs together in a cohesive series. In six hours, you can have a finished abstract painting you can be proud of! More importantly, you can develop a process that will elicit a new series of explorations and possibly one that you can work with for a lifetime!
*The instructor encourages acrylics, but oils are acceptable as long as students have prior experience with them.
Pastel Landscape Taster Afternoon - McLean Project for the Arts - Sept. 20, 2025 Register here: TBA Description: If you're a complete beginner with pastel or you're looking to brush up on your skill set, this taster afternoon course (3.5 hours) is just what you're looking for. Bryan will get you up to speed and power you through to create a handful of pastels in just a short amount of time. It's fun, forgiving and will be forever a part of your artistic arsenal! Come join in!
Color Mixing Revealed - McLean Project for the Arts - Sept. 28, 2025 Register here: TBA
Description: Have you always wanted to paint, but you just can't get past all the nuances of color? Do you find them so overwhelming you can't seem to get started? Are you looking to avoid mud making? Join Bryan for a full day of color mixing as he reveals his secrets to making ANY colors work EVERYTIME. We won't make paintings in this workshop - but we will uncover the basics of color mixing, so you will walk away feeling far more confident in your color choices and ready to tackle your next painting with gusto!
The Poetry of Pastel with Bryan Jernigan - Hudson River Valley Art Workshops - Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2025
Description: The power of soft pastels as an artistic medium lies within their versatility. They are forgiving and dry, offering less mess and easier travel options. From landscapes to beaches, flowers to still life, the medium of soft pastels is both deep and broad, and in just a few days, national award-winning artist/instructor Bryan Jernigan will guide you through these genres to help you get a jump on the medium or brush up on your current skills. Each day will include a full demonstration of various aspects of the subjects on offer. There will be opportunities for working from photos as well as in plein air, including time carved out for a “photo safari” in the local area.
Day one will cover the basics of pastel – the supplies you need; the advantages and disadvantages of sanded versus unsanded papers; an overview of the foundational elements of composition and design, value and colors; focal points and cropping for stronger design; aerial perspective essentials, practice warm-ups and more.
Day two will include using sketches, studies and notans to help you prepare before painting to instill confidence in your subject matter. A review of the color wheel, why a limited palette works best, how to move away from local color into interpretive tints, tones and shades.
Day three will get down to the nitty-gritty of landscapes – tackling the nuances of skies, clouds and trees as well as knitting the foreground seamlessly and successfully with the background. We will also try different types of landscapes – working through water reflections, developing sea grasses and sand and the delicacy and drama of crashing waves.
Day four will explore flowers and fruit – both in nature and via still life. Learn about the importance of developing light falling on objects, cast shadows, reflections, how to use “Rembrandt lighting” in a still life setting and how best to set up still life forms – what you need and what you don’t, and more.
Day five will move beyond the basics and into experiments with underpaintings using water and alcohol washes to create atmospheric pastel compositions. The afternoon will culminate with a review of what we’ve learned, offering constructive critique and getting feedback from workshop colleagues. The last day will include a framing demonstration, saving yourself money from framers and how to keep your pastels clean.
Capturing Nature's Essence in Pastels - The Art League of Alexandria - Jan. 10-11, 2026
Register here: TBA Description: Immerse yourself in the beauty of pastel landscapes during this enriching two-day workshop with pastelist and instructor Bryan Jernigan. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of pastel techniques, color blending and atmospheric effects to bring landscapes to life.
Over the weekend, we will explore:
Foundations & Techniques
Understanding pastel materials and surfaces
Mastering color theory for landscapes
Creating light, shadow, and depth with layering
Guided exercises on sky, trees, and water elements
Composition & Personal Expression
Developing dynamic compositions and focal points
Capturing mood and movement in nature
Applying advanced techniques for texture and detail
Completing a finished landscape pieces with individual guidance
Each day will include live demonstrations, individual practice, and group discussions, allowing participants to explore their unique artistic style while gaining confidence with pastels.
Join Bryan for a weekend of creativity, inspiration and connection with nature through art. Let your pastels transform the ordinary into the extraordinary!
The Poetry of Pastel - Artists Rising Art Retreats, Glastonbury, CT - June 7-12, 2026 Register here: Bryan Jernigan 2026 Retreats — Artists Rising Creativity Retreats Description: National award-winning artist, Bryan Jernigan, paints impressionistic pastel landscapes and still life. Each day in this workshop, he will demonstrate landscapes – from bucolic scenes to sandy beaches – and still life arrangements while he shares with you the secrets of the pastel medium. From choosing the right papers to create your best work to learning the basics of value, composition and color that apply to all disciplines, a new world of artistic possibilities will open up for you. Jernigan shows you how to produce loosely expressive, impressionistic works on a small scale, but with techniques that can be translated into larger pieces. For beginners and experienced pastelists alike, you’ll learn what tools to use, get practical guidance on developing skies, water, trees, flowers and more, explore framing options, and discover application tips and tricks to take your art to the next level. If you are looking for a balance between control and expressiveness, color confidence and greater mastery, this workshop will allow you to learn by doing to enhance your artistic practice.
Capturing Nature's Essence in Pastels - The Art League of Alexandria - June 13-14, 2026
Register here: TBA Description: Immerse yourself in the beauty of pastel landscapes during this enriching two-day workshop with pastelist and instructor Bryan Jernigan. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of pastel techniques, color blending and atmospheric effects to bring landscapes to life.
Over the weekend, we will explore:
Foundations & Techniques
Understanding pastel materials and surfaces
Mastering color theory for landscapes
Creating light, shadow, and depth with layering
Guided exercises on sky, trees, and water elements
Composition & Personal Expression
Developing dynamic compositions and focal points
Capturing mood and movement in nature
Applying advanced techniques for texture and detail
Completing a finished landscape pieces with individual guidance
Each day will include live demonstrations, individual practice, and group discussions, allowing participants to explore their unique artistic style while gaining confidence with pastels.
Join Bryan for a weekend of creativity, inspiration and connection with nature through art. Let your pastels transform the ordinary into the extraordinary!
I hope to see you at one of these workshops or classes!
Best,
Bryan
Comentarios