Megan Woodard Johnson | The Language of Layers in Abstract Painting

Instructor: Megan Woodard Johnson

Workshop: The Language of Layers in Abstract Painting

Dates: September 9-12, 2026

Days: 4

Hours: 9:30am-4:30pm

Level: Intermediate

Size: 10

Portfolio: No

Tuition: $1,500

Includes: Delicious lunches and beverages served in studio daily.

This 4 day workshop will offer an opportunity to push your abstract paintings further by building deeper layers of marks and new materials. We’ll explore how collage, acrylic paint, and a wide range of mark-making media such as inks, oil pastels, water soluble crayons, graphite, marker and more can play together on the same canvas - as well as how to find the balance between maximalism and refinement to bring your composition to the perfect resolution. Designed for the intermediate and experienced artist who is ready to add greater depth to their work and variety to their practice, moving their own voice further with fresh inspiration and new techniques.

You can expect to:

• Learn functional tips for making multiple layers and materials ‘play nice’ on the same surface

• Increase your mark making language through use of new materials and experimental play

• Become brave with your use of layering materials - embracing the unexpected

• Use color and visual texture boldly to bring fresh energy to your work

• Discover how hidden depth in your work adds story and interest

• Manage how a given materials’ impact on a composition changes depending on the scale of the piece

• Learn how to decide between spontaneous, intuitive layers and more studied, deliberate marks

• Spend time ‘communicating’ with your work, learning how to decide what it needs next

We’ll do this all by way of:

• Demonstrations & Samples

• Practice and exploration with multiple ongoing studies

• Working on multiple larger surfaces - moving from piece to piece to keep energy fresh and learn to see each piece as a unique composition

• Breaks for constructive critique and Q & A

• Some good old fashioned artist group chat

Some of many takeaways:

• Several small works on paper and 2 or more larger works - All demonstrating increased understanding of layering materials to build abstract paintings with greater depth and story

• Many new tricks up your sleeve and knowledge of how various media work together

• Fresh and inspiring takes on how to move past “stuck” stages or even the “ugly phase” of a painting with confidence

• Probably paint on your clothes!

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