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Mudheads on the Pier with Glenna Hartwell | September 12-13, 2026

$180.00

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Spend a weekend on the beach painting mudheads.

The Egeli Gallery in Provincetown explains the painting term, mudheads, as “a portrait or figure study that features no facial details or drawn lines. Instead, the artist focuses entirely on capturing the essence of broad color spots, the effects of outdoor lighting, and the relationship of color masses against one another.”

We will explore ways to begin by laying in the large color masses that make up the planes of the face and figure. We’ll study the structures of the head, neck, and shoulders and how outdoor light informs the color of each surface. We’ll also examine the interplay between hair, clothing, sand, and sea. We won’t spend much time on features. These are mudheads, after all!

Move beyond the brown and beige of tonal painting and learn to see and paint the extraordinary colors that make up the human face and figure. Be prepared for your visual perception to change and grow as you start seeing unexpected colors, like blue tones in the cheeks of your model. You’ll be taking the first steps in learning to paint the light itself.

The class suits beginners or advanced students. There will be an additional modeling fee of $10 per day. If the weather is rainy, we will paint indoors in North light.

You can register here using our secure Paypal account; for further information, call the registrar at 617-717-9568.

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Spend a weekend on the beach painting mudheads.

The Egeli Gallery in Provincetown explains the painting term, mudheads, as “a portrait or figure study that features no facial details or drawn lines. Instead, the artist focuses entirely on capturing the essence of broad color spots, the effects of outdoor lighting, and the relationship of color masses against one another.”

We will explore ways to begin by laying in the large color masses that make up the planes of the face and figure. We’ll study the structures of the head, neck, and shoulders and how outdoor light informs the color of each surface. We’ll also examine the interplay between hair, clothing, sand, and sea. We won’t spend much time on features. These are mudheads, after all!

Move beyond the brown and beige of tonal painting and learn to see and paint the extraordinary colors that make up the human face and figure. Be prepared for your visual perception to change and grow as you start seeing unexpected colors, like blue tones in the cheeks of your model. You’ll be taking the first steps in learning to paint the light itself.

The class suits beginners or advanced students. There will be an additional modeling fee of $10 per day. If the weather is rainy, we will paint indoors in North light.

You can register here using our secure Paypal account; for further information, call the registrar at 617-717-9568.

Materials:

Winsor-Newton (or equivalent quality such as Rembrandt) Artist Oils. You can use Cadmium in place of Winsor if you like.

Winsor Lemon
Winsor Yellow
Winsor Orange
Winsor Red
Permanent Rose
Magenta
Permanent Green Light
Permanent Green Deep or Viridian (optional)
Manganese Blue or Sevres Blue
French Ultramarine
Yellow Ochre
ndian Red and Mars Violet (optional)
200 ml tube Titanium White or Gamblin Brilliant White

Optional – blue pencil

Gessoed panels: Masonite, Luan or birch plywood – Bring as many as 5-6 per day in a variety of sizes: 9×12″, 11×14″, 12×16″, 16×20″

NOTE: If you purchase pre-gessoed panels, be sure to brush them with another coat of gesso or else they will be too slick, and the paint will not adhere properly.

Palette knife: Loew Cornell #J-15 or similar

Easel: Plein Air type: Stan-Rite #300 or similar (you can purchase the Stan-Rite easel for $50. or less on Ebay.)

Other supplies:
Vegetable oil for cleanup (you can also use spirits such as Gamblin)
Roll of soft paper towels such as Bounty
Small plastic trash bags
Hat with brim (such as a baseball cap)

NOTE: do not wear tinted or transition eyeglasses. Wear Black or medium-colored shirts, no white or bright colors as they will reflect into your painting.