Square_16Skies1
Launch Sale: $30 Off! Get Started Now for $67

Introducing Sixteen Skies

An Online Mini-Workshop
with Marla Baggetta

Whether you’re brand new to pastel or an experienced painter who has always found the sky a little intimidating, this mini workshop invites you to see it as a subject worthy of attention in its own right. From glowing sunsets to bright, billowing cumulus, from the drama of a Utah thunderhead to the swirling energy of Van Gogh, these sixteen skies offer endless opportunities to study light, movement, and atmosphere. As I worked through these paintings myself, I was reminded of something I first felt as a child lying in the grass watching clouds appear and dissolve: the sky is never just a backdrop. It sets the mood, carries the light, and can hold an entire painting on its own. Join me, and I promise, you’ll never look up the same way again, and every landscape you paint from here on will be better for it.
$30 Off Launch Pricing Start Now for Just $67

Over 10 Hours of Video

We have worked hard to bring you high quality instructional videos that provides easy to follow, clear and detailed instruction.  You’ll have lifetime access to all the videos enabling you work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home from any device for a seamless and modern online experience.

Beautifully Illustrated PDF

Our 72-page detailed coursework presents you with an illustrated guide to materials, techniques, and creative approaches from an expert instructor and professional artist covering everything you need to get started with Sixteen Skies. Divided into 6 focused chapters, Marla will guide you through the science of light and color in the sky, then sixteen complete pastel demonstrations across sunsets, sunny skies, stormy skies, and master studies of Van Gogh, Turner, Monet, and Constable, each with a Creative Compass tip and independent studies, providing you a roadmap to painting the sky with confidence.
Mini Workshop Launch Sale Join Now for Only $67

Private Facebook Community

 You’ll also have access to a private Facebook group where you can share your progress, ask questions of Marla and a community of your fellow students who are also taking the course to keep you motivated and inspired along the way. 

Course Contents

Each chapter focuses on a Study or a Step By Step Demo

Chapter 1:
Introduction

Before the first stroke, learn to see the sky the way a painter does. This chapter explores the science behind what you’re looking at, from the scattering of light that makes the sky blue to the optics of a glowing sunset, along with the meditative pull of sunsets, the lessons of watching one sky change over time, and why the sky deserves to be a subject in its own right.
  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: Welcome
    Intro Video
    Suggested Materials
    The Science of Light and Color in the Sky
    The Science of the Sky Video
    The Meditative Power of Sunsets
    Seeing the Same Sky Over Time
    The Sky as a Subject
    Learning from the Masters

Chapter 2:
Sunsets

Sunsets are a dance with time, a few fleeting minutes when the sky holds more hues than seems possible. In four demonstrations, from a golden ocean glow to a quiet Cape Cod marsh at dusk, you’ll learn to balance warm and cool, place your brightest lights with intention, let toned paper unify the whole, and build intensity through value rather than pure pigment.
  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: DEMO: Golden Glow Over the Ocean
    DEMO: Soft Pastel Evening
    DEMO: Marshland at Dusk
    DEMO: Sunbeams + Puffy Clouds
    Independent Studies

Chapter 3:
Sunny Skies

A bright sky is never just blue and white. These four demonstrations teach you to see the color hiding inside “white” clouds, to build cloud forms as faceted planes instead of cartoon puffs, and to knit sky and cloud together so nothing looks pasted on. You’ll also compose without a horizon, relying entirely on shape, value, and movement.

  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: DEMO: Cumulus Clouds Over a Golden Field
    DEMO: Billowing Clouds Above a Rural Home
    DEMO: Albuquerque Silver Sky
    DEMO: The Blue Above
    Independent Studies

Chapter 4:
Stormy Skies

Stormy skies are all about movement and mood. Here you’ll block in heavy cloud bands early, use directional marks to suggest falling rain, manage extreme contrast so light feels luminous when it breaks through, and layer a fleeting rainbow so it reads as atmosphere rather than graphic. Four demonstrations, from Utah thunderheads to a rain-soaked Taos storm.

  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: DEMO: Utah Thunderheads
    DEMO: Rainbow
    DEMO: Taos Storm
    DEMO: Blue in the Storm
    Independent Studies

Chapter 5:
Masterful Skies

Copying a masterwork is a chance to step inside the mind of the artist. In four pastel interpretations, you’ll borrow Van Gogh’s swirling energy, Turner’s luminous glazes, Monet’s unified atmosphere, and Constable’s loose, scientific observation of clouds. The goal isn’t a replica but insight you can carry into your own work.
  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: DEMO: Van Gogh - Wheat Field with Cypresses
    DEMO: J.M.W. Turner - The Fighting Temeraire
    DEMO: Monet - Autumn on the Seine at Argenteuil
    DEMO: Constable - Cloud Study
    Independent Studies

Chapter 5:
Wrapping Up

Take Constable’s spirit with you: work fast, work often, and let each study be a stepping stone. This chapter gathers the key lessons of the workshop, offers a self-critique framework for evaluating your skies, and provides the full set of reference images for every painting in the course.

  • Guided Learning + Video Instruction: Key Points
    Self-Critique
    Resources
New Workshop — $30 Off Enroll Today for $67

Sixteen Skies Mini Workshop

24/7/365 Lifetime COURSE aCCESS

Get started with Sixteen Skies in this incredible Online Workshop!

Mini Workshop Launch Sale Join Now for Only $67

Beautifully Designed Ebook

72+ pages of in-depth content

In Depth Theory and Guidance

Marla isolates the complex principles of painting and investigates them practically and simply so any student can comprehend and execute even the most difficult problems. Moving from simple to more involved concepts, each lesson builds on the previous so you’ll gain a sound foundation to further your study and practice of painting.

Step by Step Guided Demonstrations

Marla guides you through the time-tested fundamentals step by step, stroke by stroke from the very beginning stages of a drawing to the finish line in a logical and enjoyable path. Marla  stresses the need to develop your own judgement and individual voice as an artist.

A Lifetime of Artist Experience
At Your Fingertips

Over 30 years as a professional artist and teacher

$30 Off Launch Pricing Start Now for Just $67

Marl a Has Thousands of Satisfied Students

What people say?

I was both stimulated and excited at the prospect of taking on a totally new medium. I adored the class work and the interaction with other students. I hope to take another class soon and I feel I have learned a great deal in”mark making” and with a new medium upon which to play. Thanks, Marla!
Donna
Santa Fe
I have been so impressed with your online painting lessons. You put so much work into presenting the concepts clearly with your teaching, examples, and demos. There is so much content on your site and I’m still scratching the surface of your offerings but I feel that every exercise you suggest helps me grow in depth and breadth. Thank you for your commitment (and perfectionism) to giving us the best learning experience.
Francesca
Montana

World Class Video Instruction

Like having a teacher at the easel with you, no matter where you are

Fun and Easeful Instruction

With a lifetime of experience as an artist and educator, Marla brings an unparalleled combination of joy and wisdom directly to your home. We have worked hard to offer beautiful and clear video instruction, providing valuable education and insight, that will keep you inspired for months and even years.

Up Close and Personal at the Easel

Following along while learning has never been easier! The demonstration view shows the progress of each painting, the reference photo and thumbnail when appropriate, so you get to see how each piece is built from start to finish. Marla narrates her progress in real time as she is painting, so you won’t miss a thing!

Sixteen Skies

24/7/365 COURSE ACCESS​

Get started with Sixteen Skies an incredible Online Workshop!

Launch Sale: 15% Off Get Started Now for $47

Frequently Asked Questions

You need to log into the site to participate in the workshop so you will need an internet connection. Workshops and Subscriptions are accessible on iPads, tablets, computers, laptops and even phones – any device you can watch access the web on.

If you have any problems with playing a video or hearing a video, try these steps: 

1) Check your internet connection and reset your internet connection if necessary.

2) Clear your browser cache and history.

2) Update your browser, or try another browser (like Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer).

Sure, you can open a support ticket and we’ll help you right away. Just Email Suport  and we will reply within 24 hours! If we don’t know the answer to your question, we’ll ask Marla and she’ll reply as quickly as she can.

The workshop assignments are online accessible 24×7 – you can take the lessons any time you want. You are not required to complete the course in a specified amount of time. You get access to all the assignments in the workshop at once in a secure member’s area on PaintingLessonsWithMarla.com

When you register for the workshop, you’ll get a Student Account which gives you access to the My Courses area on the PaintingLessonsWithMarla.com website. Your Student Account will allow you take lessons and complete assignments any time you want.

You get lifetime access to the workshop and lessons you pay for so you can finish your painting any time.  It’s fun to keep up with your fellow artists and see how they are doing too but you can stop and come back to it any time, 24×7.  Assignment reminders are sent via email but you can complete them at your own pace – no problem at all! 

100% Digital Online Course

Works With All Devices

24/7 Access No Matter Where You Are

Easy To Follow

Our Site has been carefully designed to be easy to follow. Our simple learning system tracks your progress and takes out the hassle, allowing you to focus on panting!

Scroll to Top