Discovering Your Shapes

in Abstract Painting

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Free Live 3-Day Artist Talk & Demo with Jenny Nelson

October 14-16, 2026. Sessions: 12:00-1:30pm ET

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Shapes have personalities and stories to tell!

We all have an innate visual language that can be explored, developed and enriched. Some shapes appeal to us more than others, and some actually speak to us directly.  Shapes can be hard edged or loosely rendered, curved or geometric. These unique forms evoke an emotional response and we know what makes our heart sing when we see it.

All shapes have a life of their own. When you find yourself repeating certain marks and lines, these are signals, that can develop into a more refined shape making language.

In this demo you will:

âś… Watch me demonstrate a shape making exercise that you can incorporate into your work right away

âś… Gain insight about creating edges, volume, and relationships

✅ Learn to use a variety of tools that instill a mindset of inquiry and flexibility 

âś… Explore a simple process to begin several related forms

✅ Look at and create a wide variety of unique shapes 

Plus there will be a Q&A and recorded replays each day.

Join me and develop shapes that make your heart sing and feel authentic to your work.

Schedule

Day 1: Making Many Shapes 

 October 14th, 12-1:30pm EST

  • Artist Discussion of the variety of shapes in Master works
  •  Shape Making Demo part-1
  • Q&A
  • Replay available within 24 hours

Day 2: Unique Shape Relationships

October 15th, 12-1:30pm EST

  • Artist Discussion of sourcing unique shapes
  • Shape making Demo part-2: Three related shapes  
  • Intro to my Exploring Abstraction program for continued learning in abstract painting
  • Q&A
  • Replay available within 24 hours

Day 3: Artist Panel

October 16th, 12-1:30pm EST

  • Interactive discussion with a few of my students about creative challenges and visual solutions in their paintings
  •  A look behind the scenes of my Exploring Abstraction online course
  • Q&A
  • Replay available within 24 hours

 

Is This for You?

Whether you are new to abstract painting or a seasoned artist, even if abstraction is not your primary genre, the principles we'll discuss will train your eye to recognize the nuances of shape relationships and help you to see your work in new ways! 

Can't Make the Dates?

Register anyway and I'll send you daily replays!

REGISTER FOR FREE

About Jenny

Jenny Nelson is a painter and arts educator. Trained at Maine College of Art and Bard College — where she earned a scholarship to the Lacoste School of the Arts in France — she has spent three decades living and working in the Hudson Valley, including a residency at the prestigious Byrdcliffe Art Colony.

Her work has been shown nationally at galleries including Hidell Brooks (Charlotte, NC), Anne Loucks (Chicago), and Carrie Haddad (Hudson, NY). She has taught at celebrated arts institutions across the Northeast and beyond — from Provincetown and Nantucket to Woodstock — and has guided thousands of students in improving their abstract painting.