Bear in the Trees — Oil Painting Class

After all the bear sightings around our neighborhoods this year, this felt like the right painting to bring back. In this three-hour oil painting class with Hope Blakely, we’ll create Bear in the Trees using the Bill Alexander/Bob Ross wet-on-wet style. We’ll build the scene from soft, misty background evergreens into darker foreground trees, using value, color, and overlapping shapes to create depth. You’ll practice soft blending, layered evergreen textures, atmospheric distance, controlled highlights, and shaping a simple bear so it feels tucked naturally into the landscape rather than pasted on top. Each painter will create their own version of the scene, so exact copying is not expected. A 16 × 20 canvas and all painting supplies are included, including paint, use of brushes, and aprons if needed. You’ll take your finished painting home at the end of class. Ages 14+. Class size is limited to 6 painters.