Studio Immersion Retreat at CREATE Community Studios with Carolyn DiFiori Hopkins, MFA

Studio Immersion Retreat at CREATE Community Studios- Troy
with Carolyn DiFiori Hopkins
Friday, August 7, 2026, and Saturday, August 8, 2026,
from 11 am to 4 pm
MEMBER: $595 per student
NON-MEMBER: $604 per student
Preregistration is required to attend all classes and workshops at Arlene’s. Space is limited so please register soon. Click the link to register online. Otherwise, please come into the store, at 57 Fuller Rd Albany NY, or call us, at (518) 482-8881, to reserve your space.
This two‑day studio immersion is designed for painters ready to move beyond guided exercises and into sustained, independent work. Over two full days, participants will develop one or more paintings through a cycle of building, disrupting, and refining—staying with the work long enough for it to evolve beyond its initial idea. The studio will function as a working environment rather than a classroom, supporting depth, focus, and genuine artistic growth.
Who This Retreat Is For?
- This retreat is intentionally designed for:
- serious adult learners
- semi‑professional painters
- MFA‑adjacent artists
- artists seeking a retreat‑style, process‑driven experience
What We Offer
Participants will benefit from:
- direct access to a practicing artist with decades of experience
- an immersive studio process that prioritizes sustained work
- observational and atmospheric painting knowledge
- structured instruction that supports individual decision‑making
What to Expect
Day One: Building, Disrupting, Opening the Work
On the first day, painters begin quickly and at scale. You’ll work across large surfaces to establish movement, proportion, and tonal structure before detail takes over. The emphasis is on loosening familiar habits and allowing gesture, physical engagement, and intuitive decision making to drive the early stages.
Throughout the day, Carolyn will guide you in recognizing when a painting becomes fixed too early and how to reopen it—through layering, editing, scraping back, and repainting. Expect to push beyond your comfort zone, experiment boldly, and let the work evolve in unexpected directions. This day is about opening, expanding, and breaking the surface so the painting has room to grow.