Color & Joy
A Beginner’s Abstract Workshop
December 6 & 7, 2025
10 AM – 4 PM each day
Take a break from the holiday rush and spend two relaxing days surrounded by color, creativity, and good company.
This beginner-friendly workshop is all about loosening up, trusting your intuition, and painting from joy rather than rules.
We’ll explore acrylics, color layering, and playful mark-making exercises that help you let go of perfection and rediscover your creative spark.
Think of it as a cozy art retreat in the heart of Pioneer Square—complete with delicious lunch and plenty of laughter.
By the end, you’ll walk away with a few finished abstract pieces, new techniques, and a fresh sense of creative confidence.
What You’ll Learn
Day 1
Flow & Freedom
- Loosen-up exercises to shake off overthinking
- Exploring color, texture, and rhythm
- Learning to trust your instincts
- Creating harmony through play
Day 2
Glow & Growth
- Building layers and visual rhythm
- Adding depth, contrast, and balance
- Finishing touches and when to stop
- How to keep your creative momentum at home
What’s Included
- All painting materials (acrylics, brushes, mixed media tools)
- Canvas & panels
- Mark-making materials (markers, collage bits)
- Lunch both days, plus coffee, tea, and snacks
(You’re welcome to bring your favorite brushes or tools too!)
Who This Is For
If you’ve ever said, “I can’t paint” or “I don’t know where to start,” this workshop is for you.
No experience needed—just curiosity, playfulness, and a sense of wonder.
All-Inclusive
Beginner's abstract workshop
Dates: December 6 & 7, 2025
Time: 10 AM – 4 PM each day
Location: Nino Studio & Gallery, 316 1st Ave S, Seattle (Pioneer Square)
Level: Perfect for beginners and anyone curious about abstract art
All materials are included!
I'm Nino.
I’m an abstract artist and designer with over 27 years of experience, dedicated to exploring authenticity through the balance of creativity and design. My work thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and a deep sense of freedom—pushing boundaries while staying true to artistic intuition.
I love helping others discover their unique artistic voices, whether through my original artwork, prints, or immersive workshops. My goal is to make the journey of self-expression both inspiring and joyful, encouraging artists to create fearlessly and embrace their own creative flow.
This workshop is an extension of my own process—blending intuitive mark-making with thoughtful composition, allowing freedom while embracing structure. It’s an experience designed to help you break through creative limitations and create work that feels alive, exciting, and uniquely yours.
"If you feel in a rut with your painting, this is the class to experiment, have fun, make connections, and get inspiration as well as learning a new way of painting.
Also, found doing a live class with other artists can add a lot to the painting experience in terms of learning, inspiration, and enjoyment.. And that includes having a great and relaxed instructor."
- Marla Brandt
"I think when we put ourselves in situations where we find others in a like-minded community, we can connect on really beautiful levels, build bridges, find our tribes, find other "weirdos" willing to bare insecurities, self doubt, and help each other to stretch boundaries.
I really enjoyed how Nino mixes his paints together to blend on the canvas, showing thick and thin textures, colors that might be completey different, yet somehow come together cohesively. I also loved the little pre painting exercises to get creativity and ideas moving.
- Tiffani Wetherbee
“Nino’s Workshop was such a treat on so many levels. The small group format allowed for a relaxed and supportive environment. Nino did demonstrations everyday to get us going and also sparked discussions about why we create, and how we overcome obstacles and maintain our curiosity as artists. The depth of instruction was incredible and the variety of exercises gave us the opportunity to look at many different approaches to our own work. Oh and the non stop snacks and gourmet lunches were over the top! Can’t wait for the next one!”
- Jen Brannon
"I learned you can look into your past works and borrow a few patterns and motifs you particularly liked, but now push the limits and create them in a new refreshed and dynamic way. It was so deliciously satisfying."
- Kate Jonese
"Workshop with Nino was just what I needed. The days were perfectly paced. We started each day with lively discussions, a demo or two, worked on insightful exercises, and did a lot of painting and repainting. Nino led a great workshop with charm, humour, perceptive feedback and great snacks. I’d do it all over again in a flash! Thanks Nino."
- Jo-Anne Westerby
