Michael Weller – Inspired by Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury Group: At Home with Colour and Form (Online); Wednesdays, June 17-July 8, 2026

Supply List

Mediums: All mediums welcome – Michael will work in oil
Level: All
Class Dates: Wednesdays, June 17-July 8, 2026
Class Times:
• 9:30 am-noon Pacific Time
• 12:30 pm-3:00 pm Eastern Time
• 5:30 pm-8:00 pm UK Time

Vanessa Bell was a key painter of the Bloomsbury Group, an influential circle of artists, writers, and critics in early 20th-century London. The sister of Virginia Woolf, she was also an interior designer. A modernist painter influenced by Paul Cézanne and the subtle palettes of Piero della Francesca, Bell is known for her landscapes, interior scenes, and intimate studies of family and friends – often rendered without clearly defined facial features.

In this course, instructor Michael Weller guides students through an exploration of Bell’s work. Over several weeks, he focuses on her recurring themes of home and domestic life, her simplification of form, and her expressive use of colour. His own practice leans toward abstraction, which informs his teaching approach.

Michael encourages experimentation and the development of individual approaches to painting. Rather than asking students to imitate Vanessa Bell -or his own work – he invites them to draw inspiration from her more abstract and playful sensibility.

Throughout the course, students will complete a series of exercises:

1. Creating a copy of a Vanessa Bell painting, with particular attention to her use of colour.
2. Painting a tabletop still life.
3. Observational painting, such as a garden view, a window scene, or a corner of a room.
4. Developing a painting from a favourite drawing made at home, incorporating aspects of Bell’s colour palette.