Rainbow Lifelong Learning Institute, Boston

Schedule: This course will be at the Arlington COA for 5 Tuesdays (10/21/2025 -11-18/2025) starting at 1:30 PM.

Directions and Parking: https://www.rainbowlliboston.org/location

Description: An improvisational painting workshop using the power of play,experimentation, and intuition to create unique paintings that will surprise and delight you. Absolutely no talent or previous experience is required—yet this process can be freeing for practicing artists, too.

We build our paintings by adding layers week by week.

Session 1: Start Where You Art. We start by scribbling on the canvases to loosen up and warm up. We paint words of intention on the surface. Then we make broad strokes of bold color, using big brushes. We start with a warm color palette on one canvas (red, orange, yellow, pink) and a cool palette on the other (green, blue, teal, violet). Then we add a bit of black and white to both paintings. 

Session 2: Happy Little Accidents Today is all about play. We will make random marks and lines. We will swoop, drip, swirl, sketch and stamp with fingers, objects, stencils, and smaller brushes. Each layer has a presence; we don’t obliterate layers but instead use the improvisational principle of “yes, and” to build our paintings.

Session 3: Mapping and Creating Zones Rather than boss our paintings around, today we look at and listen to our paintings. What areas do we especially love? Which areas can we quieten down? What might the painting want to be when it grows up? We experiment with taking away some of the noise, finding focal points, and creating zones of differentcolors. We go on scavenger hunts for shapes and marks inspired by the studio environment, online images, or walking around in nature. 

Session 4: Subject Matters This session is all about exploring composition. We may chalk outlines on our canvas, or we may create masking shapes or stencils out of paper to create designs that feel “on purpose.” The instructor has a stencil library for painters to use, as well as a projector that will allow artists to draw outlines of digital images if they wish.

Session 5: Wholeness and Completion Today we put the finishing touches on our paintings, including our artist signature. Some may wish to make small final marks with acrylic markers, which will be provided. We will do a gallery walk of each other’s work, and comment on what we love. We reflect on what the process has taught us and dream and scheme about possible next steps on our creative itinerary.

Required Material: 

Two square canvases or wood panels, approx 20" x 20"
Students may be asked to pay a small fee to cover the costs of shared paints and brushes.

Preparation for the First Class: 

Gather the above supplies, along with comfortable clothes that are ok for painting in, and/or an apron to protect clothing. Not necessary, but interested students might wish to read Brave Intuitive Painting by Flora Bowley.

 Instructor Bio: 

Liz Heichelbech is an author, artist, educator and creativity coach. She believes that art making is for everyone, and is passionate about encouraging and cultivating the joy, freedom, and wisdom of creative engagement. After retiring from a career as a middle school teacher and instructional coach, Liz attended the Martha Beck Wayfinder Life Coach School and is now growing her own creative coaching business, Creative Incites. She is working on her third book, paints on commission and for pleasure, and teaches a variety of creative courses in the Boston area.