Join us for a 2.5 hour introductory charcoal workshop where you will learn the fundamentals of drawing from life while creating your own picture of a cake. We’ll cover the essentials of building form, understanding light and shadow, where to use hard and soft edges, and more. Perfect for beginners and enthusiasts alike. All materials–including the cake–are provided. So come, spend an afternoon with us to learn a new skill with fellow creatives. Note: Charcoal can get a little messy, so wear something you don’t mind getting a little dusty!

Caroline Gates Bio: Caroline Gates is a figurative painter who examines human connection, agency, and longing. Inspired by Edward Hopper, Magritte, and Bo Bartlett, Gates creates cinematic paintings that capture fleeting moments—quiet yet emotionally electric. She invites viewers to imagine the story beyond the frame. Winner of the 2025 Founders Award at the Seven Bridges Foundation, her paintings have been shown in New York City, Greenwich, CT, Berlin, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Greenville. She is represented by C&B Reichert Galerie in Berlin, Germany. 

Gates received her MFA at the New York Academy of Art in 2021. She runs Caroline Gates Art Studios in Greenville, SC, where she paints and teaches classes and workshops. She takes commissions and offers private and group classes on a limited basis.

Materials: Caroline will provide

• Charcoal: willow charcoal, compressed charcoal

• Charcoal paper

• Charcoal boards

• Painters tape for the edges

• Erasers (Kneaded and rubber)

• Hairspray (for setting the drawing)

• Mini easels

• Cake for drawing

• Paper towels

• Plastic table cloth for the tables (Unless Nina has a drop cloth that is typically used for art classes)