Painting Peonies from Life A 2½-Day Oil Painting Workshop with Yelena Lamm

Workshop Description

Throughout the workshop, students will strengthen their understanding of:

• bold, expressive alla prima brushwork
• color harmony and color temperature
• values and light
• floral structure and simplification of form
• creating movement and dynamic compositions
• the often-overlooked importance of leaves and stems
  

We will work primarily with a limited palette, with optional color expansion, helping students develop stronger, more unified paintings while still encouraging individual creativity and artistic voice.

The workshop includes at least three live demonstrations, including a special Friday evening demo, as well as extensive individual instruction. During student painting sessions, I will work one-on-one with each participant, meeting you at your current level and helping guide you forward in your artistic journey. Questions are encouraged, and I will openly share my process, techniques, and studio insights throughout the weekend.

Some painting experience is recommended, but enthusiastic beginners and first-time oil painters are warmly welcome.

Students are responsible for bringing their own supplies.

Demonstration: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Workshop: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (with a one-hour lunch break)

Includes Friday evening demonstration plus the full weekend workshop.

Available for both in-person and online participants. Recording access will be emailed to all ticket holders 2 days prior to the event.

• Surfaces:

2-3 stretched canvases, canvas boards or panels, recommended size between 8x10˝ and 12x16˝. I use Centurion Deluxe Professional Oil Primed Linen Canvas Panels. Unexpensive acrylic primed canvases can be used, however, I highly recommend applying another layer or two of acrylic gesso. I will use aluminum panel for at least one of my demonstrations, and if you want to experiment painting on aluminum, please feel free bringing aluminum panels as an alternative surface.

• Brushes:

I use Rosemary and Co. brushes. My favorite are Evergreen Short Flat sizes 4-10; Eclipse Fan (1.5-2”, optional).

• Palette
• Medium: linseed oil and container for oil
• Small sketch book, pencil, eraser
• Oil paints:
  

LIMITED FLORAL PALETTE

Quinacridone Rose Phthalo Turquoise Cadmium Yellow Lemon Transparent Oxide Red Cobalt Blue

Titanium White

Additional colors I like, all of these are optional: Cadmium red light

Vermilion

Chinese Orange (Sennelier) — my favorite!! Viridian

Sap Green

Green Gold (MH)

Radiant Turquoise (Gamblin) Radiant Green (Gamblin)

Amethyst (MH) – or any nice purple or violet

Bring your favorite bright pinks, oranges, yellows, purples — or stay within a limited palette.

Yelena Lamm was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where she received her formal art training from the N. K. Roerich Fine Arts School. Since 1995, she lives in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Yelena is painting primarily in oil. She is known for her portraits of pets and animals, in which she reflects on her subjects’ characters and personalities, as well as for her lively and colorful floral compositions. Yelena is a Signature member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), Society of Animal Artists (SAA), American Impressionist Society (AIS), National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS), and American Women Artists (AWA). Yelena’s works were selected for and won awards in juried regional and national shows. Her list of awards includes ARC Staff Awards in both 17th and 18th ARC Salon Competitions, First Place in the Animals as the Subject category of Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition in 2024 and 2025, Most Original Award of Excellence in OPA 2023 Eastern Regional Exhibition, Outstanding Achievement Animals in AWA 2023 Annual Online Juried Show, and SAA 63rd Art & the Animal Exhibition Purchase Award. Britain’s most popular magazine for practicing artists,

Artists & Illustrators, featured Yelena’s animal portraits in a 6-page article and on the cover of

their June 2023 issue. The October 2025 issue of the Artists & Illustrators features Yelena’s step- by-step painting process in a 5-page feature article.

Yelena’s works are represented by Reinert Fine Art in Charleston, SC, Main Exhibit Gallery in Ligonier, PA, The Zebra Gallery in Easton, MD, The Lucy Clark Gallery & Studio in Brevard, NC, and Picket Fence Art Studio in Woodinville, WA.

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