See Art from the Outside—Look Out from the Inside!

PVAS Host: Clare Chesnavage

This is a fee-based program. $25/person (PVAS members receive a 10% discount). All ages are welcome, though youth must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required and limited to 10 participants.

PVMN Continuing Education Credit Eligible

Discover the magic of painted screens—functional works of art inspired by a beloved Baltimore folk tradition. In this hands-on workshop led by artist Clare Chesnavage, you’ll transform a simple screen panel into a vibrant one-way viewable painting. Using just a small amount of water-soluble paint, you’ll create an image visible from the outside, while preserving a clear view and airflow from the inside.

We’ll introduce a red-roofed cottage scene as a starting point, but your screen is your canvas—feel free to follow your own inspiration. Add trees, mountains, wildlife, or paint something entirely different. The process is simple, but the results are magical, especially when viewed from outdoors in natural light.

Whether you’re drawn to the art, the illusion, the eco-friendliness of this craft, or the tradition, this is a perfect blend of creativity and craft.

Learn more about Clare’s work at: windowscreenpainting.weebly.com

• Walking Distance: This is a stationary art class, but students can paint outside as well.
• Pace/Activities: Little to no walking
• Exposure: This program will be shaded – on the back deck of the Case Nature Center under the living roof. In case of extreme weather, the program may be moved inside.
• Restroom: Indoor, flushing restrooms are available.
• Parking/Where to Meet: Participants should meet behind the Nature Center on the back deck.
• What to Bring: Ideas and images they might want to paint.

Register Here!

Registration will remain open until the start of the program.

Read our pricing structure & policies.

About Clare:

Originally from Dundalk, I’ve always known about Baltimore Window Screen Painting, a beloved local tradition. After taking my first class with Tom Lipka in 2000, I was hooked—he showed me how to bring my drawings to life through paint, and it felt magical.

Like many in this folk-art tradition, I’m largely self-taught but deeply grateful for the guidance I received from Master Screen Painters over the years. I love to teach and am always happy to donate my time and supplies to share this unique art form. I find my greatest inspiration in the outdoors and in the simple things that make me happy, which is why painting outside feels most natural.

Teaching at Craftworks at Cool Springs Preserve several years ago was please and I am excited to be asked back again with the Potomac Valley Audubon Society—I’m continually inspired by the region’s beauty and the Society’s mission and the inspiring work that they do at the Nature Center.

https://windowscreenpainting.weebly.com/