Step Into the Landscape
Sonoma Community Center Announces Plein Air Oil Painting Course with Michael Bartlett
Sonoma, California. The Sonoma Community Center invites artists to step into the landscape with Plein Air Oil Painting: Chromatics in the Wild, an 8-week course led by master artist Michael Bartlett. Designed for advanced beginners through advanced painters, the class blends studio instruction with outdoor sessions to build both technical skill and creative perception.
Held Mondays and Wednesdays from May 6 through June 29 (no class May 25), the course includes 16 sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, meeting in Room 208 and at local outdoor painting sites. Each week alternates between studio instruction and outdoor field sessions, creating a balanced learning environment that supports both experimentation and refinement.
With enrollment limited to eight participants, the intimate class size ensures individualized attention and meaningful engagement with the instructor while students develop confidence working in natural light and changing conditions.
“In painting outdoors, artists sharpen more than their technical skills,” says Bartlett. “They develop focus, spatial awareness, and the ability to respond to constant change—skills that elevate both their art and their perception.”
Michael Bartlett, a Sonoma-based artist with over 45 years of experience, is known for his vivid California landscapes. His teaching combines technical rigor with a mindful approach to seeing and interpreting light and color.
The course concludes with a final critique and an opportunity to participate in a month-long exhibit.
As a complement to the course, Bartlett will also offer a free introductory workshop, Paint Out Gear Up: Preparing to Paint en Plein Air, on April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Open to all levels, this session covers essential gear, materials, and practical tips for painting outdoors, and serves as an ideal entry point for those considering the full course.
For more information, visit: www.sonomacommunitycenter.org or call 707-938-4626.
About Sonoma Community Center
The Sonoma Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1953 to serve the communities of Sonoma Valley with the mission of cultivating a vibrant community through extraordinary creative, cultural, and learning experiences. Originally built as the Sonoma Grammar School, which opened in 1916, the Center is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Michael Bartlett
[email protected]
