The Quinlan Visual Arts Center is honored to welcome nationally recognized artist and educator Abner Cope for an intensive four-day Portrait Painting Workshop, taking place Tuesday through Friday, March 17th through March 20th, 2026.

This workshop is open to ALL LEVELS of artistic proficiency, offering a unique opportunity for emerging and experienced artists alike to deepen their understanding of portrait painting through structured instruction and hands-on practice.

Designed to help artists enhance their skills in painting from the live model, participants will focus on achieving accurate proportions and proper placement of the figure on the canvas. The workshop will begin with a strong structural foundation, as artists develop portraits through monochromatic lines and tonal studies on a stained canvas.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR

Abner Cope spent thirty years teaching drawing and painting at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH, where he was an Associate Professor in the Art Department. During that time Mr. Cope also taught in the Art Departments of the University of Dayton, and Sinclair Community College, in Dayton, OH, and Clark State University, in Springfield, OH. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree (1980) from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, with a major in drawing. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree 1974) from Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, where he majored in painting and minored in printmaking.

A press release from the Quinlan Visual Arts Center adds that Mr. Cope spent many years honing his special talent for imbuing his painted subjects with light.  A generous portion of his career has been spent teaching drawing and painting classes and workshops. Abner feels that his thirty-year (1980-2010) university teaching career provided him with an opportunity to devote a tremendous amount of time focusing on how the old masters painted the figure. His services on many boards of museums and arts organizations have provided a great opportunity to explore numerous painting styles and have made him more knowledgeable about various painting approaches and techniques. He also credits the accomplished portrait painter, Wende Caporale with furthering his development in that genre.

Abner Cope continues to find many ways to combine his knowledge, understanding, and portrait painting techniques with his teaching experience, which is evident in his portrait painting classes.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP’S ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY

Workshop Dates: Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 20, 2026
Daily Operating Times:  9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Cost: $260 (+ $35 modeling fee)
Location: Quinlan Visual Arts Center
514 Green Street N.E., Gainesville, GA 30501

Officials with Quinlan Visual Arts Center remind participants that space is limited and early registration is encouraged.

For registration information, contact the Quinlan Visual Arts Center at 770-536-2575 or [email protected].