In this workshop, local artist and instructor Mariya Kovalyov will teach you how to create a landscape painting. Using reference photos throughout the class, students will explore a variety of creative approaches, and each painting will be unique.

The class will begin by briefly discussing the photo at hand, and the best ways to approach the painting. Students will also learn about the properties of acrylic paint.

Mariya will paint alongside the class, instructing students on proper technique. Our goal is to make sure the process is just as enjoyable as the result. Join in for a fun and relaxed way to make art. 

Workshops are intended for seniors (ages 65+) with little or no artistic experience.

Each workshop will be self-contained and requires separate registration. Students may take the workshop multiple times, depending on demand. Registration will open exactly two weeks prior to the workshop.

This workshop is funded in part by generous grants from the Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library, Union County Local Arts Program and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Presented in partnership by the Westfield Art Association, Lifelong Westfield, the Westfield Regional Health Department, and the Westfield Memorial Library.

About the Instructor

Mariya Kovalyov is a NJ-based artist and photographer. She grew up in an art school. Quite literally! Her families’ flat was in the same building that housed the city art school. Unavoidably, the love for art seeped in. She has been drawing, painting, photographing, and creating, for as long as she can remember. For her, creativity is a source of peace, relaxation, and a form of meditation. 

After graduating from Rutgers University, Mariya has been teaching multimedia art. She has worked as a freelance illustrator and illustrated children’s books. She has also participated in public art exhibits and local shows. Up to this day she has not met a medium that she did not like. She always enjoys exploring a variety of mediums and concepts with her students, all whilst sharing her love for the process of art making. She currently teaches art and art history and is pursuing her masters in art education.