Workshop Dates: Mondays, Sept. 14, 21, and 28, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Museum Art Studio — 8035 Indian Lore Dr, West Bend, WI 53090

$199.00 per student — All supplies and zoo admission included!

Space is limited to only 12 participants to ensure personalized guidance.

Unleash your inner artist in this unique, relaxed 3-week painting workshop designed specifically for adults. No previous art experience necessary. We bridge the gap between wildlife and the canvas through a structured, low-stress creative process. Learn the process artists use from beginning to end when creating a new piece of art.

Your instructor is Michele Wiesen, an award-winning professional artist who is constantly improving her paintings through trial and error. Marilyn Sievert, painter of the famous Ginger & The Gang painting, will be on hand to enhance your experience!

Sept. 14 — Week 1: We meet at the museum classroom and head next door for a morning photo safari at the Shalom Wildlife Zoo to capture reference photos of beautiful animals. Afterward, we return to the cozy museum studio to look at our shots and use simple digital tools to plan our composition.

Sept. 21 — Week 2: Skip the anxiety of drawing! You will arrive to find your 11"x14" canvas board completely pre-drawn by the instructor using professional transfer methods. Learn the secrets of image transfers and lock in your painting's foundation with a classic monochromatic underpainting.

Sept. 28 — Week 3: Discover specialized brush techniques to bring fur, feathers, and eyes to life. We wrap up our workshop with a supportive gallery celebration of everyone's completed animal portraits. No prior drawing or advanced painting experience required. All instructional demonstrations are filmed live and mirrored onto a large screen TV so you can easily follow every brushstroke from your seat.

Note: This is a registration for a live event. No physical ticket will be mailed — simply give your name at the door.