Studio in Strawberry Creek Park
Teen Summer Workshops
Watercolor Classes for Adults Register
About Berkeley Painting Club
Watercolor Workshop at Berkeley Art Museum March 8
Current Teen Classes Jan-March
Berkeley Painting Club
Teen Summer Workshops
Week long art camps for kids entering 6th-10th grade
Berkeley Painting club provides authentic art-making experience for teens and tweens with a strong interest in art. Students learn new skills and techniques in an environment that supports their creativity and artistic progress. All levels welcome. Our studio is located in beautiful Strawberry Creek Park. Students have lunch and break out in the park every day, and some outdoor art projects are incorporated into the schedule each week. All programs are taught by practicing artists.
9am-3pm Monday-Friday $550 per week
Early Bird Discount through Feb 14:
10% off 2 sessions: code EARLY10
20% off 3 or more sessions: code EARLY20
June 8-12 - Animation
June 15-19 - Crochet & Fiber Arts (Almost Full)
June 22-26 - Visual Arts Mix - Painting, Drawing, Printmaking
July 6-10 - Textiles
July 20-24 - Comics
July 27-July 31 - Crochet & Fiber Arts
Aug 3-7 - Visual Arts Mix - Painting, Drawing, Printmaking
Watercolor Vacation
Sundays 4-5:30Each session will start with a short demo of an easy to follow watercolor technique. The rest of the class will be a relaxing space to work on watercolors from your own photos or mine. At the end of class partipants are welcome to stay for an extra 30 mins to paint more or chat. All materials provided. All levels welcome - complete beginners & more experienced painters. The demo will be on the theme listed below but participants can work on any subject they choose.
Register for February - Cactus Painting
Feb 1, 8, 15, & 22
Single Drop In $50
Register for March - Seascapes
March 1, 15, 22, & 29
Series of 4 classes $175
Single Drop In $50
No Class March 8
Join My Workshop at Berkeley Art Museum on March 8!
Let me know what classes you are interested in for 2026 here
Animation Summer Workshop
Lije MorganIn this week long animation workshop, students will explore a wide range of animation techniques from character movement and environment design to effects, compositing, and beyond. We’ll experiment with both physical and digital mediums, playing with hand-drawn animation, cut-outs, stop motion, and computer-based tools to understand how motion can shape emotion, meaning, and story.
During the first half of the course, students will build core animation skills through guided projects and playful exercises. In the second half, each student (or collaborative group, if preferred) will develop their own short film using the techniques and mediums they’ve grown excited about.
This class is rooted in experimentation and play: trying new materials, imagining new worlds, and learning how animation can transform the simplest shape or gesture into something full of life. This class uses provided iPads and Apple Pencils. Lije’s previous students’ work
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm $550
To register click on the selected session below:
June 8-12 - Animation
Crochet & Fiber Arts Summer Workshop
In this immersive summer workshop, students will explore the tactile world of fiber arts, transforming thread, yarn, and fabric into unique 2D and 3D creations. We’ll experiment with a wide range of traditional and contemporary techniques, from the structure of weaving and knitting to the playful possibilities of crochet and soft sculpture.
Each morning, we’ll dive into guided demonstrations and exercises, covering everything from making your own looms to crafting three-dimensional plushies and filet crochet. We’ll even take a brief step into printmaking to explore cyanotype, using the sun to create beautiful blue-and-white prints of our textile work.
In the afternoons, the studio becomes an open lab. Students can choose to embark on a long-form project or continue exploring the morning’s medium at their own pace. Whether you’re interested in functional craft, creating characters, or experimental art, this week is all about the joy of making by hand.
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm $550
To register click on the session below:
June 15-19 - Crochet & Fiber Arts
July 27-31 Crochet & Fiber Arts
Visual Arts Mix
Painting, Drawing, Printmaking
In this immersive summer workshop, students will explore two dimensional visual art media including painting, drawing, printmaking, and collage. We’ll experiment with a wide range of traditional and contemporary techniques - from drawing from life and color mixing to open ended projects using collage and paint.
Each morning, we’ll start with guided demonstrations and exercises, providing instruction and prompts to get students started with various media.
In the afternoons, the studio becomes an open lab. Students can choose to embark on a long-form project or continue exploring the morning’s medium at their own pace.
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm $550
To register click on the selected session below:
June 22-26 - Visual Arts Mix - Painting, Drawing, Printmaking
Aug 3-7 - Visual Arts Mix - Painting, Drawing, Printmaking
Textiles Summer Workshop
In this five day workshop students will learn a range of textile manipulation techniques and take home a variety of wearable artworks that combine their new skills. We will play with color and texture using fabric dyes, sun prints, embroidery, and patchwork applique. Each morning we will learn a new technique, and have the afternoon to practice it in individual and personalized ways. Students will gain an appreciation of textile arts, a better understanding of what goes into making the objects surrounding them, and fun ways to express their personality with their wardrobe.
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm $550
To register click on the session below:
July 6-10 - Textiles
Comics Summer Workshop
ReedJoin a session of comics adventures with Berkeley Painting Club! In the class we will explore the fundamentals of comics with fun and open weekly prompts designed to introduce kids to new ways of exploring comics expression. Classes will support the kids' own goals while introducing new tools for expressing their ideas such as character design, map building, emenata, comic pacing and paneling, and more. As the course progresses kids will have the option to develop a multi-page comic. This is an analog class and kids will use markers, watercolors, & colored pencils - no digital media.
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm $550
To register click on the selected session below:
July 20-24 - Comics
2121 Bonar Street, Berkeley
Berkeley Painting Club was started by Rene Smith to host art programming for teens and adults. Students learn new skills and techniques in an environment that supports their creativity and artistic progress. The studio is located in Strawberry Creek Park in the same building as Hidden Cafe so there is access to both indoor and outdoor space for artmaking. During our full day youth programming kids spend time outside at the park every day.
René received her M.F.A. in Painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and her B.A. in Painting from Bennington College in Vermont. She has taught portfolio preperation classes for high school students at Tyler School of Art and Moore College of Art and beginning undergraduate through MFA painting classes at several institutions including St. Thomas Aquinas College in NY, Temple University in Rome, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand. She recently had a solo show of her pastels at Et Al Gallery in San Francisco.
Location
Our gate is just south of the main 2121 Bonar St entrance - please see photo.
Contact: rene@renesmith.net
Future Class Interest Form
Instructors: Lije Reed Rene
Animation
Lije MorganIn this weekly animation workshop, students will explore a wide range of animation techniques from character movement and environment design to effects, compositing, and beyond. We’ll experiment with both physical and digital mediums, playing with hand-drawn animation, cut-outs, stop motion, and computer-based tools to understand how motion can shape emotion, meaning, and story.
During the first half of the course, students will build core animation skills through guided projects and playful exercises. In the second half, each student (or collaborative group, if preferred) will develop their own short film using the techniques and mediums they’ve grown excited about.
This class is rooted in experimentation and play: trying new materials, imagining new worlds, and learning how animation can transform the simplest shape or gesture into something full of life. This class uses provided iPads and Apple Pencils. Lije’s previous students’ work
To register click on the selected session below:
Wednedays Jan 14-March 18 - 10 classes $650
Wednesday 5:30-7:30 | 6th-10th grade
Saturdays Jan 10 - March 7 (no class Feb 14) - 8 classes $520
Saturdays 10am-12noon | 5th-9th grade
after school pickup from nearby schools may be available if there are multiple kids coming from the same school - contact us
Comics
ReedJoin a session of comics adventures with Berkeley Painting Club! In the class we will explore the fundamentals of comics with fun and open weekly prompts designed to introduce kids to new ways of exploring comics expression. Classes will support the kids' own goals while introducing new tools for expressing their ideas such as character design, map building, emenata, comic pacing and paneling, and more. As the course progresses kids will have the option to develop a multi-page comic. This is an analog class and kids will use markers, watercolors, & colored pencils - no digital media.
January 12-March 20
Mondays 8 Sessions $400 (no class 1/19 & 2/16)
Monday 3:45-5:15 | 5th-9th grade
after school pickup may be available from nearby schools if there are multiple kids coming from the same school - contact us
Mixed Media
(Painting, Drawing, Printmaking)
Rene Smith
In this class kids will learn a variety of new skills so that they can grow their artistic practice both technically and conceptually. We will work with watercolor, drawing, printmaking, collage and more. Students will learn both realistic and experimental techniques in order to strengthen their ability to express their ideas visually. This is an analog class (paper, canvas, pencil, paint etc.) - no digital media.
January 12-March 20
10 Sessions $500
Tuesday 4pm-5:30pm | 7th-9th grade with Rene SOLD OUT
René Smith
Berkeley Painting Club is run by René Smith. René received her M.F.A. in Painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and her B.A. in Painting from Bennington College in Vermont. She has taught portfolio preperation classes for high school students at Tyler School of Art and Moore College of Art and beginning undergraduate through MFA painting classes at several institutions including St. Thomas Aquinas College in NY, Temple University in Rome, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand. She recently had a solo show of her pastels at Et Al Gallery in San Francisco. René started Berkeley Painting Club to provide more access to art programming for older kids, teens, and adults.
Rene’s Website
Rene’s Instagram