Painted Flowers: Observing, Drawing, & Painting Flowers with Olena Babak
October 26-27, 2026 | Monday – Tuesday| Times TBD
Medium: Oil
Experience: All Levels
Registration: Each student must enroll individually. Click on the Cancellation Policy tab above for more info.
Materials: Click on the Materials List tab above.
Location/Time: Sedona Arts Center and various outdoor locations
Flowers are among the most beautiful and generous models an artist can study. They quietly offer their form, color, and elegance, inviting us to observe closely and translate their beauty into art.
In this two-day workshop, you will learn how to approach flowers as compelling subjects—first through drawing and then through painting. We will explore how to understand floral structure, simplify complex forms, and build strong compositions. You will learn to see values more clearly, mix color with confidence, and handle edges with sensitivity to bring your paintings to life.
The workshop will include live drawing and painting demonstrations, along with individual guidance and critiques to help each student grow and strengthen their skills.
Day One – Drawing Flowers
We will focus on drawing as the foundation for painting. Topics include understanding structure, simplifying forms, recognizing value relationships, and developing strong compositional ideas.
Day Two – Painting Flowers
Using the knowledge from the first day, students will create a flower painting while developing a deeper understanding of color, value, and painterly techniques.
This workshop is designed to help artists see flowers—and painting itself—with greater clarity, confidence, and enjoyment.
26 1026w OB
Olena Babak
My inspiration comes from painting in Plein Air and working from life. It is the poetry of light and constant change that makes me excited about the next painting. It can be a sunrise or sunset, constantly moving water, an ever changing harbor, a storm or a gentle morning fog… It is the fleeting moments presented by nature that captivate me the most.”
Olena Babak is Ukrainian born, internationally recognized artist who has received awards from Plein Air Magazine, Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Art Renewal Center, Bold Brash and numerous Plein Air competitions across the country including Plein Air Easton, Door County Plein Air, Plein Air Taxes, Lighthouse Plein Air, Wayne Plein Air, Olmsted Plein Air and many more.
Her work has been featured numerous times in Plein Air Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur. Olena was also a recipient of the Hudson River Fellowship, NY and her works appear in numerous publications including “Strokes of Genius” series, the “Poet’s and Artists: 100 Great Drawings,” and the “Classicist.”
Formerly teaching graduate students at the Academy of Classical Design, Olena now enjoys traveling all over the country participating in Plein Air/Gallery competitions/events, and teaching workshops.
Materials List
Please bring paper that can withstand some erasing, HB, 2B pencils, a kneaded eraser, a knife for sharpening pencils, and a piece of sandpaper or a sharpening block.
For Painting
Any painting surface without pronounced texture will work well. I especially enjoy painting flowers on Centurion canvas boards or Ampersand boards. Please bring a variety of brushes—some that can make broad marks and others suitable for smaller, more precise marks. Natural hair brushes work well for washes and blocking in, while synthetic brushes are great for more detailed work.
Paints
Please bring yellow ochre pale, if you have it, or regular yellow ochre, as well as raw umber and burnt sienna. In addition, bring the colors you already have. It is helpful to have white, yellow (both warm and cool), red (warm and cool), blue (warm and cool), green (warm and cool), and black.
Students may register online or by calling the Sedona Arts Center’s Administrative Offices in the Art Barn, toll-free at 888-954-4442 or locally at 928-282-3809
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are accepted or student may pay with cash or check by registering in person during office hours at the Art Barn
In-Person and Online Workshops
Payment in full is due upon registration, or a payment plan can be put in place by the student upon check-out through Sezzle.
There is a $125 Cancellation Fee for any cancellations made before September 26, 2026. Remaining balance will be refunded.
There are no refunds after September 26, 2026.
If Sedona Arts Center cancels the workshop for any reason, all payments made will be refunded in full.
Note: If traveling to Sedona, we strongly urge students to purchase refundable airline tickets or travel insurance in case of workshop cancellation due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen changes. Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for non-refundable ticket purchases or lodging fees.
Important Message
The Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for providing make-up sessions or issuing refunds, credits, or transfers for courses cancelled or missed as a result of illness, emergencies, or other events beyond our control. There are absolutely no refunds after the cut-off date for any reason, unless the Sedona Arts Center has to cancel the workshop, then all fees paid will be refunded in full.
