Craig Stephens Workshop – June 2025

Workshop Description

Gouache is an opaque, water-based medium that has been used by fine artists for centuries. In this class we will cover the unique handling characteristics of this wonderful medium, including paint application and layering. Gouache has a few idiosyncrasies that I will also try to shed some light on. I’ll be spending some time on the dreaded color shift that is unique to gouache and will give students some effective methods for working with and around this frustrating quality! We will also be exploring how light interacts with objects and learning some practical color-mixing strategies as we compose a simple still-life. Students can expect their overall confidence with gouache to improve by the end of our sessions!

Artist’s Background

Craig Stephens was born in Sacramento, California, in 1963. He grew up in the foothill town of Weimar. Craig attended American River College and later transferred to UC Davis, where he received his B.A. in art studio in 1993. During his undergraduate years, he had the privilege of taking classes from Gary Pruner, Roy DeForest, David Hollowell, and Wayne Thiebaud. In 1996 Craig began teaching art classes at Chana High School in Auburn, California.

Since 2006, he has completed a small painting in oil or gouache on a nearly daily basis, which he shares through his Instagram feed. He has found that the practice of completing a painting a day suits his disposition and aesthetic.

Craig still teaches high school students as well as more advanced, adult painters in person and online. He resides in Auburn, California with his wonderful wife and amazing children. His works can be found in private and corporate collections throughout North America and Europe.

For more information, see: CraigStephensArt.com
You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram