LIVE #117 - How to See and Work with Composition - Cold Wax Academy

Skip to main content Skip to course navigation

Return to course: Member Library

Previous Lesson Previous Next Next Lesson

Member Library

Resources

MEMBER LIBRARY CONTENT GUIDE (BY TOPIC) + STUDY GUIDE

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CONTENT GUIDE DOWNLOAD
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR 'START HERE' STUDY GUIDE

2026 SUMMER/FALL SEMESTER

JUL 8 - LIVE #167 - How Do I Improve?
JUL 22 - LIVE #168 - MEMBER CRITIQUE + Q&A
AUG 12 - LIVE #169 - Abstraction w/Guest Artist Rebecca Crowell
AUG 26 - LIVE #170 - MEMBER CRITIQUE + Q&A (a focus on abstraction)
SEP 16 - LIVE #171 - Abstracting 'From' w/Guest Artist Melinda Cootsona

2026 WINTER/SPRING SEMESTER

WINTER - SPRING 2026 SCHEDULE
JAN 14 - LIVE #156 - MEMBER CRITIQUE + What's New for CWA 2026?
FEB 11 - LIVE #157 - Working with Cold Wax Medium & Oils
FEB 25 - LIVE #158 - MEMBER CRITIQUE + Q&A
MAR 11 - LIVE #159 - Color & CWM
MAR 25 - LIVE #160 - MEMBER CRITIQUE, A Focus on Color
APR 15 - LIVE #161 - Texture & CWM
APR 29 - LIVE #162 - MEMBER CRITIQUE, A Focus on Texture
MAY 13 - LIVE #163 - CWM Techniques, Part 1
MAY 27 - LIVE #164 - MEMBER CRITIQUE, A Focus on Technique
JUN 10 - LIVE #165 - CWM Techniques, Part 2
JUN 24 - LIVE #166 - MEMBER CRITIQUE, A Focus on Techniques

SELF STUDY, WINTER 2025

LIVE #154: Q&A Session 1
LIVE #155: Q&A Session 2

SKILLS FOR COMPOSITION & CRITIQUE - AUG thru OCT 2025

SEMESTER OVERVIEW WITH DATES, DETAILS & DEADLINES
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS LIVE #150 and #151
AUG 13 - LIVE #148 - Being Objective + Critique of Member Work
AUG 27 - LIVE #149 - Critique of Member Work
SEP 10 - LIVE #150 - Critique of Member Work
SEP 24 - LIVE #151 - Looking at Member Critiques
OCT 15 - LIVE #152 - Looking At Your Own Work (Self-Critique)
OCT 29 - LIVE #153 - Looking at Member Self-Critiques

SEMESTER OF COMPOSITION - 2025

Semester of Composition OVERVIEW & LIVE Session Schedule
FREE Q&A About our Semester of Composition and The Structure of Composition
FEB 2025 - MONTH 1 - The Structure of Composition - Instructions & Guide
FEB 2025 - MONTH 1 - Q&A - The Structure of Composition
LIVE #142 - MONTH 1 - The Structure of Composition
MAR 2025 - MONTH 2 - Evaluating Composition - Instructions & Guide
MAR 2025 - MONTH 2 - Q&A - Evaluating Composition: Other Artists' Work
LIVE #143 - MONTH 2- Evaluating Composition: Other Artists' Work
APR 2025 - MONTH 3 - Evaluating Your Own Work - Instructions & Guide
APR 2025 - MONTH 3 - Q&A Evaluating Composition: Your Own Work
LIVE #144 - Month 3 - Evaluating Composition: Your Own Work
MAY 2025 - MONTH 4 - ROUND 2: Evaluating Your Own Work - Instruction & Guide
MAY 2025 - MONTH 4 - Q&A, Re-Submissions, Round 2: Evaluating Your Own Work
LIVE #145 - MONTH 4 -Evaluating Composition In Your Own Work: Round 2
JUN 2025 - MONTH 5 - Evaluating Works in Progress - Instructions & Guide
JUN 2025 - MONTH 5 - Q&A, Evaluating Works in Progress
LIVE #146 - MONTH 5 - Evaluating Works in Progress
JUL 2025 - MONTH 6 - From Work In Progress to Finished, Instructions & Guide
JUL 2025 - MONTH 6 - Q&A, from Work In Progress to Finished Piece
LIVE #147 - MONTH 6 - From Work In Progress to Finished Piece, Member Submissions

FALL 2024 - WINTER 2025

FALL 2024 Schedule
Oct 9 - LIVE #134: Overcoming Obstructions to Progress
Oct 23 - LIVE #135: Self-Assessment/Self-Critique in the Series
Nov 6 - LIVE #136
Nov 20 - LIVE #137: Q&A + GROUP 1 Progress
Dec 4 - LIVE #138
Dec 18 - LIVE #139
Jan 22 - LIVE #140 - GROUP 1
Jan 29 - LIVE #141 - GROUP 2

SUMMER 2024

SUMMER 2024 SCHEDULE
SERIES PROJECT DOCUMENT 1
LIVE #133 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Jul 10 - LIVE #128 - Meet the Juror with guest Dan Addington
Jul 24 - LIVE #129 - Intro to the SERIES PROJECT
Aug 7 - LIVE #130 - Guest Brian Rutenberg: Working in Series, Abstracting from Landscape
Aug 21 - LIVE #131 - Series Progress/Feedback: Ideas, Sources, Approaches
Sep 11 - LIVE #132 - Guest Diane Williams: Working in Series, Personal Voice
Sep 25 - LIVE #133 - Series Progress: Comments, Support, Critique

SPRING QUARTER 2024

Spring 2024 Schedule
SPRING 2024 INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBER CRITIQUE & PAINTING CLINIC
Apr 3 - LIVE #121 - Benefits & Opportunities of Working Small w/Jen Drysdale and Paula Dunn
Apr 17 - LIVE #122 - Websites & Newsletters w/guest Jason Horejs
May 1 - LIVE #123 - Personal Voice
May 15 - LIVE #124 Guest Artists Diane Williams and Michael Shemchuck talk about Personal Voice
May 19 - DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FOR PAINTING CLINIC
May 20 - DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FOR JURIED SHOW
May 29 - LIVE #125 - Painting Clinic - Works in Progress
Jun 10 - DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FOR MEMBER CRITIQUE
Jun 19 - LIVE #126 - Approaching Your Subject
Jun 26 - LIVE #127 - Member Critique & Announce Juried Show Results

Winter Quarter 2024

WINTER QUARTER 2024 SCHEDULE
LIVE #115 - How To Get the Most From Your CWA Membership
LIVE #116 - Working with Shape, Scale, and Proportion
LIVE #117 - How to See and Work with Composition
How to Submit for the Feb 21 Painting Clinic (deadline: midnight Feb 11)
LIVE #118 - Painting Clinic - Focus on Composition
LIVE #119 - Guest Artists
How to Submit for Mar 20 Member Critique (deadline: midnight Mar 10)
LIVE #120 - Member Critique (focus on shape & composition)

Fall Quarter 2023

SCHEDULE - FALL 2023
Oct 11 - LIVE #109: All About Texture
Oct 25 - LIVE #110: Process & Materiality w/guests Lisa Pressman & Nathan Terborg
LIVE MENTORING #111 - Member Instructions
Nov 8 - LIVE #111: Live Mentoring - Finding Time for Your Art
PAINTING CLINIC #112 - Member Instructions
Nov 29 - LIVE #112: Painting Clinic - A Focus on Texture
Dec 6 - LIVE #113 - Gamblin Product Specialist Q&A
MEMBER CRITIQUE #114 - Member Instructions
Dec 20 - LIVE #114 - Member Critique: A Focus on Texture
EXTRA

Summer 2023

SUMMER 2023 SCHEDULE
SUMMER PAINTING CLINIC - INSTRUCTIONS
SUMMER MEMBER CRITIQUE - INSTRUCTIONS
Jul 5 2023 - LIVE #103 - All About Color, A Review
Jul 19 2023 - LIVE #104 - Deciding When It's Done
Aug 2 2023 - LIVE #105 - LIVE MENTORING: Finding Creative Energy
Aug 16 2023 - LIVE #106 - PAINTING CLINIC: Nearly Done
Sep 6 2023 - LIVE #107 - Stand OUT in the Crowd: Maximizing Your Online Presence
Sep 27 2023 - LIVE #108 - Member Critique: A Focus on Color

Spring Quarter 2023

Apr 12 2023 - LIVE #96 - How We See Composition, Part 1
Apr 19 2023 - LIVE #97 - Gamblin Q&A
May 10 - LIVE #98: Painting Clinic, 'Almost Done'
May 17 - LIVE #99: How We See Composition, Part 2 + PDF Questions
May 31 2023 - LIVE #100 - Celebrate with us!
Jun 14 - LIVE #101 - Mentoring: Feedback
June 28 - LIVE #102 - MemberS Critique

Winter Quarter 2023

WINTER 2023 SCHEDULE
Jan 4 2023 - LIVE #88 - LIVE Mentoring: Procrastination & Avoidance
INSTRUCTIONS - FINAL MEMBER CRITIQUE - Deadline March 8th
Jan 11 2023 - LIVE #89: Sources, Stories, Symbols & Content
Jan 18 2023 - LIVE #90: Q&A w/demos, Challenging and Frustrating Techniques
Feb 8 - LIVE #91: Top Challenges of the Visual Artist, Guest: Eric Maisel, PhD
Feb 22 - LIVE #92: Photographing Your Work
Mar 1 - LIVE #93: Painting Clinic, Paintings In Progress
PAINTING CLINIC WINTER 2023 - GUIDELINES/INSTRUCTIONS
Mar 8 - LIVE #94: Trust The Process w/author Shaun McNiff
Mar 22 - LIVE #95: Member Critique, A Focus on Composition

Summer Quarter 2022

Summer 2022 Schedule
Summer 2022 PAINTING CLINIC GUIDELINES
Jul 13 2022 - LIVE #71 Recording - Composition/POD Part 1, Unity & Contrast
Jul 20 2022 - LIVE #72 Recording - Painting Clinic, Summer 2022
July 27 2022 - LIVE #73 Recording - Visual Weight, Hierarchy, Balance, Symmetry & Proportion
Summer 2022 MEMBER CRITIQUE GUIDELINES
August 10 2022 - LIVE #74 Recording - POD Part 3: Repetition, Pattern, Rhythm
August 17 2022 - LIVE #75 Recording - Gallerist Panel w/Q&A
August 24 2022 - LIVE #76 Recording - Personal Voice, Part 1
Sept 7 2022 - LIVE #77 Recording - Personal Voice, Part 2
Sept 14 2022 - LIVE #78 Recording - Member Critique: Formal Analysis
Sept 21 2022 - LIVE #79 Recording - Q&A: Composition, Principles of Design

Fall Quarter 2022

Fall 2022 - SCHEDULE (as of 10.06.2022)
Oct 12 2022 - LIVE #80 Recording: Using Transparency & Opacity Effectively
LIVE MENTORING #1 - TAMING YOUR INNER CRITIC
Oct 19 2022 - LIVE #81 Recording: Taming Your Inner Critic, Part 1
Oct 26 2022 - LIVE #82 - Using ProCreate to Improve Your Painting w/Melinda Cootsona
Nov 9 2022 - LIVE #83 - Taming Your Inner Critic, Part 2
!! MEMBER CRITIQUE FALL 2022 - GUIDELINES/INSTRUCTIONS !!
PAINTING CLINIC FALL 2022 - GUIDELINES/INSTRUCTIONS
Nov 16 2022 - LIVE #84 - Making Progress, Member Stories
Nov 30 2022 - LIVE #85 - Painting Clinic: Paintings In Progress
Dec 7 2022 - LIVE #86 - Achieving Depth thru Layering, w/Rebecca and DEMOS
Dec 14, 2022 - LIVE #87 - Member Critique: Analysis of Form & Content
INSTRUCTIONS - LIVE MENTORING January 4th - Deadline to Submit Dec 30th

Spring Quarter 2022

Spring 2022 Schedule
Apr 13 2022 - LIVE #61 Recording - Discovering Your Personal Aspects of Form
Apr 20 2022 - LIVE #62 Recording - Pathways to Content in Your Work
Apr 27 2022 - LIVE #63 Recording - Member Work: Finding Your Form
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAINTING CLINIC - LIVE #65 and #66
May 11 2022 - LIVE #64 Recording - Personal Paths w/Krista Harris & Joanna Kidney
May 25 2022 - LIVE #65 Recording - Paintings in Progress 1, The Painting Clinic
June 1 2022 - LIVE #66 Recording - Painting in Progress 2, The Painting Clinic
June 8 2022 - LIVE #67 Recording - Professional Development, Part 1
June 15 2022 - LIVE #68 Recording - Professional Development, Part 2
LIVE #68 - IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ART
June 22 2022 - LIVE #69 Recording - Spring 2022, Member Critique: A Focus on Form
June 29 2022 - LIVE #70 Recording - OPEN Q&A: Professional Development

Winter Quarter 2022

Winter Quarter 2022 - SCHEDULE
Jan 12 2022 - LIVE #51 Recording - Member Critique, Work from Fall 2021
Jan 19 2022 - LIVE #52 Recording - History of Abstraction
SUBMISSION GUIDELINE - FEB 9 MEMBER STORIES - DEADLINE FEB 4TH
SUBMISSION GUIDELINE - MEMBER CRITIQUE - Deadline March 2
Jan 26 2022 - LIVE #53 Recording - Sources in Abstraction
Feb 2 2022 - LIVE #54 Recording - Abstraction: Finding Your Way
Feb 9 2022 - LIVE #55 Recording - Abstraction: 6 Member Stories
Feb 16 2022 - LIVE #56 Recoding - Abstraction: Putting It All Together
Mar 2 2022 - LIVE #57 Recording - Photography: What is its role in painting?
Mar 9 2022 - LIVE #58 Recording - Member Critique: Spontaneous Works
Mar 16 2022 - LIVE #59 Recording - Working Representationally Part 1, with 3 Guest Speakers
Mar 23 2022 - LIVE #60 Recording - Working Representationally Part 2, with 3 Guest Speakers

Fall Quarter 2021

Oct 6 - LIVE #41 Recording - Jerry & Rebecca Develop Their Work, Part 1
MEMBER TECHNIQUES - Guidelines for Submission
Oct 20 - LIVE #42 Recording - Finishing & Presenting Your Work
MEMBER ASSIGNMENT - for FINAL CRITIQUE (Due Dec 31th)
Oct 27 - LIVE #43 Recording - How We Develop Our Work, Part 2 of 4
Nov 3 - LIVE #44 Recording - How We Develop Our Work, Part 3 of 4
Nov 10 - LIVE #45 Recording - How We Develop Our Work, Part 4 of 4
Nov 17 - LIVE #46 Recording - Member Techniques
Dec 1 - LIVE #47 Recording - CWM w/Encaustic, Photography - Guest Lia Rothstein
Dec 1 - LIVE #47 - Lia Rothstein's 'Resource List' for materials
Dec 8 - LIVE #48 Recording - CWM w/Photography, Plein Aire - Guest Mary Mendla
Dec 8 - Mary Mendla's Supply & Resource List
Dec 15 - LIVE #49 - Spontaneity w/CWM - Guest Karen Darling
Dec 16 - FREE Q&A Fall 2021 - Recording
Dec 29 - LIVE #50 Recording - How We Work

Summer Quarter 2021

Summer 2021 - Schedule
Jul 7 - LIVE #31 Recording - An Introduction to Intentions
Jul 21 - LIVE #32 - Writing Your Intentions - Guidelines
Jul 21 - LIVE #32 Recording - Member Intentions
July 28 - LIVE #33 Recording - Mark Making Part 1
Aug 4 - LIVE #34 Recording - Mark Making/Line Part 2
Aug 11 - LIVE #35 Recording - Working in Series (Focused Intentions)
Aug 17 - FREE SUMMER LIVE Session Recording - Intentions
Aug 18 - LIVE #36 Recording - Composition Part I
Aug 18 - LIVE #36 Composition Part I - HOMEWORK
Aug 25 - LIVE #37 Recording - Composition Part 2
Aug 25 - LIVE #37 Composition Part 2 - HOMEWORK
Sep 8 - LIVE #38 Composition Part 3 - Review of Composition Exercises
Sep 22 - LIVE #39 Series & Intentions w/guests Sorrentino and Mascarenhas
Sep 29 - FINAL CRITIQUE

Spring Quarter 2021

SPRING 2021 SCHEDULE
Apr 7 - LIVE #21 Recording - An Introduction to Shape
Apr 14 - LIVE #22 Recording - The Form & Content of Shape
Apr 21 - LIVE #23 Recording - Guest Eric Maisel "The Power of Daily Practice"
Apr 21 - Books by Eric Maisel Jerry says are 'worth reading'
Apr 28 - LIVE #24 (Part 1) Jerry's Coaching Q&A
May 5 - LIVE #24 (Part 2) Coaching Q&A w/Jerry & Rebecca
May 12 - LIVE #25 Recording - Introduction to Scale & Proportion
May 17 - FREE LIVE Session - About Abstraction
May 19 - LIVE #26 Recording - Practical Aspects of Scale & Proportion
May 19 - LIVE #26 Supplemental Videos
May 26 - LIVE #27 Recording - Member Critique: Shape, Scale, Proportion
Jun 2 - LIVE #28 Recording - Rebecca Answers Questions About Process
Jun 2 - LIVE #28 - Recommended Messy Studio Podcasts
Jun 16 - LIVE #29 - Putting It All Together, Spring 2021
Jun 23 - LIVE #30 - Final Critique - Spring 2021

Fall Quarter 2020

October 7 - LIVE #1 Recording - Interesting Color & Color Relationships
October 7 - Color Relationships & Interesting Color - EXERCISES
October 7 - Jerry & Rebecca's PDFs
October 14 - LIVE #2 Recording - Pervasive Contrast
October 14 - Pervasive Contrast - EXERCISES
October 14 - Pervasive Contrast - Artwork PDFs
October 21 - Live #3 Recording - Spontaneity & Control
October 21 - Spontaneity & Control - EXERCISES & Further Reading
October 21 - Spontaneity & Control - Artwork PDFs
October 28 - Value + Mixing Blacks, Grays, Whites - EXERCISES
October 28 - LIVE #4 Recording - Value + whites, blacks, grays
October 28 - Value - Rebecca's PDF
October 30 - LIVE Q&A Recording - CWM basics
November 4 - Control in Editing PDF - Rebecca
November 4 - LIVE #5 Recording - Control Issues
November 4 - Control Issues - EXERCISES
November 11 - LIVE #6 Recording - Guest Artist Melinda Cootsona
November 18 - LIVE #7 Recording - Dualities: Contrast of Meaning
November 18 - Dualities - EXERCISES
November 18 - Dualities - Examples of Dualities PDF
December 2 - LIVE #8 Recording - Color Tips & Pitfalls
December 2 - Color Tips & Pitfalls - EXERCISES
December 9 - LIVE #9 Recording - Developing Spontaneity
December 9 - Developing Spontaneity - EXERCISES & Additional Reading
December 16 - LIVE #10 Recording - Member Critique Fall 2020

Winter Quarter 2021

Winter Quarter Schedule & Syllabus
Jan 6 - LIVE #11 Recording - Introduction to Layering
Jan 13 - LIVE #12 Recording - Introduction to Texture
Jan 13 - Introduction to Texture - EXERCISES
Jan 20 - LIVE #13 Recording - Developing Texture
Jan 20 - LIVE #13 - EXERCISES
Feb 3 - LIVE #14 - ART VOCABULARY - Talking About Your Work
Feb 10 - LIVE #15 - Ann Landi - Guest Speaker from Vasari21
Feb 24 - LIVE #16 - Writing Your ARTIST STATEMENT
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING WORK FOR MEMBER CRITIQUE
Mar 3 - LIVE #17 Recording - Sara Post Talks Layering/Collage
Mar 3 - LIVE #17 - Sara Post Layering/Collage Supplies & Tips
Mar 10 - LIVE #18 Recording - Critique, Self-Critique, and Editing
Mar 17 - LIVE #19 Recording - Putting It All Together
Mar 24 - LIVE #20 Recording - MEMBER CRITIQUE

Browse Products

Cold Wax Medium Book
Starter Kit
Squeegees
Brayers
Gift Cards
CWA Products
Mentoring

LIVE #117 – How to See and Work with Composition

You are unauthorized to view this page.

Username

Password

Remember Me

Forgot Password