Light First: Intro to Oils in Black & White
Summer Class | Available
Are you overwhelmed by color and not sure where to start? Light First begins with the one thing that makes every great painting work — light and shadow — before color enters the picture. In this four-week class you'll build a real foundation in oil painting by working exclusively in black and white, painting from still life arrangements in the studio. You'll learn to mix consistent tones, see light and shadow as shapes, control your edges, and organize a painting before color ever enters the picture. Calm, structured, and beginner-friendly. No experience necessary.
- Titanium White and Ivory Black oil paint
Bristle brushes, 2–3 sizes
Palette knife and painting knife
Palette
Jars or cups for medium and solvent
Liquin or Gamblin Galkyd Gel
Solvent: Turpenoid or Gamsol
Painting surface: canvas, Masonite board, wooden panel, or oil painting pad
Painting rags
Kate Mundie
KateKernMundie | Explore Art & Inspire Action
Kate Kern Mundie (b. 1974) is a mid-career artist rooted firmly in the rich tradition of American realism. Her work reflects both urban streets and rural landscapes, capturing moments of beauty in the environment. She considers her work part of the environmental realism movement. Through her paintings, she skillfully portrays the impact of climate change and human influence on the evolving landscape.
Kate Kern Mundie’s artwork is in the collection of The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and numerous private collections. Kate is a two-time winner of the Fred & Naomi Hazell Faculty Fellowship from the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial. She has also been a recipient of an artist residency at the Elizabeth Bishop House in Nova Scotia, and the Thrive Together Network Virtual Artist Residency. Additionally, her work has been featured on film and book covers.
A proud alumna of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where she studied printmaking and painting, Kate also holds a BFA. from the University of Pennsylvania. She resides in Philadelphia with her husband and fellow artist, James Mundie, and their children, while also being part of the artist community on Deer Isle in Maine. Kate’s work offers a profound exploration of the American landscape and the societal forces that shape it.