Sat, Jan 17
|PaintSpace NOLA
Donna Weathers | Figuring Abstractly
$1100 | Get loose, get messy, and let the figure take a backseat to your intuition. Explore how the human form can slip in and out of focus through bold mark-making and layered abstraction.
Dates & Location
Jan 17, 2026, 9:30 AM CST – Jan 20, 2026, 4:30 PM CST
PaintSpace NOLA, 1202 Soniat St, New Orleans, LA 70115, USA
Workshop Description
Instructor: Donna Weathers
Workshop: Figuring Abstractly
Dates: January 17-20, 2026
Days: 4
Hours: 9:30am-4:30pm
Level: All
Size: 12
Tuition: $1,100
Description
Get loose, get messy, and let the figure take a backseat to your intuition. In this hands-onworkshop, we’ll explore how the human form can slip in and out of focus through bold mark-making and layered abstraction—creating richly textured mixed-media paintings that hover between the figurative and the abstract. Whether your figure is front and center or just a whisper, you’ll learn to loosen up, trust your instincts, and enjoy the process.
Experiment With
Gestural sketching, the grid method, transfer paper—and totally winging it
Brushes, trowels, texture tools, and a “make a mess on purpose” mindset
Simple iPhone apps to stretch, distort, and remix your figure reference
Xerox copies + Sharpies for old-school cut-up fun
Goals
Learn to loosen up and paint intuitively
Merge abstract and figurative elements with confidence
Discover new ways to create depth through layering and mark-making
Strengthen your personal voice and sense of play in the studio
Bring some figure photos (digital or printed), your favorite tools (or use mine), and clothes you don’t mind ruining.
Testimonials
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "...an experience that I shall never forget. I learned so much about painting figures, working with acrylics, choosing a subject and a palette, and learning to trust your instincts, etc. I have studied with quite a few artists that I admire, but your class is on the top of my list." -Glenda G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A great blend of real and abstract." - Nicholas Wilton, Art2Life
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I enjoyed my time with Donna and am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn with her and paint with her. I’ve never had much success painting figures but with her help, I created work that I was very proud of. And I made a new art friend and that’s always a joy! Donna always cheers me on and supports me!" -Allison F.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I had a blast making the coolest pieces by excavating under the paint!" -Susan S.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "You keep breaking ceilings! The sky is the limit!" -Sharon N.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "So much expression captured so minimally. - Mandy T.
Supply List
Artist Bio
Donna Weathers is a South Carolina–based visual artist known for her richly layered mixed-media paintings that hover between the figurative and the abstract. Originally from South Carolina, Weathers spent about 25 years in Los Angeles before returning to her Southern roots, bringing a self-taught, intuitive practice honed through years of experimentation. While she draws on her lifelong experience with drawing, she says painting became the “natural progression” — she has often said that form and color are the richest sources of inspiration for her work.
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