Art Academy of Palm Springs

I totally enjoyed completing Blocks 1-4 of the oil painting curriculum at the Art Academy of Palm Springs. The painting method was challenging, the progression from black & white to colored oil painting, while steadily increasing the complexity, was just right for me. Matthew’s approach to teaching was attentive and relaxed and his feedback was always appropriate. I now feel ready to paint on my own, and I look forward to starting the advanced techniques to keep on learning. Thank you Matthew Sarmiento!

I am having a fantastic experience at the Art Academy of Palm Springs! Matthew is an incredible teacher who perfectly balances passion, skill, and patience to his classes. His knowledge of various techniques and art forms is outstanding, and he has a unique way of making every lesson fun and deeply educational. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist, Matthew meets you at your level and encourages you to explore your creativity. I am truly impressed by how personalized and thoughtful the instruction is. I highly recommend the Art Academy of Palm Springs and Matthew's classes to anyone looking to develop their artistic skills in oil painting! ?✨

Loved taking classes with Matthew! I was a total novice when I began, but I have learned so much and gained so much confidence in my skills. Matthew is an excellent instructor, his studio is cute and clean, there’s plenty of parking, 10/10 recommend!

Matthew, the instructor, is a great painter and he will lead you through your classes helping when needed and letting you discover on your own. I like that this class is composed of different exercises, taking you from the very beginning of becoming accustomed to oils, to painting photo realistic. Everyone in the class is working at their own pace with Matthew guiding. I'm still taking classes and look forward to learning something new each week.

I've never taken a professional art class so was not sure what I was getting myself into but from day one Matt puts you at ease. He's a patient, kind, very knowledgable teacher. I'm learning so much and each week I look forward to getting back to continue the process. I highly recommend this class.

My 8-year old daughter has been attending Art Academy of Palm Springs for almost a year and loves it! Through Matthew's methodical training her understanding of light and shadow, materials and brush control have all increased immensely! She is excited to attend each week and is looking forward to moving into color and more advanced painting techniques!

Matthew is a very patient and detail oriented teacher. This is an ideal class for people wanting to learn about painting realistic techniques. Matthew is very sweet and a talented artist in his own right.

If you are interested in learning how to paint realism, this is the place. Matthew, the instructor, takes you from the very foundations of shades and values to painting forms that look three-dimensional. One of the things I enjoyed about this class was that there was a sequence to the development of the skills. You do not need any previous experience in any art form to be successful in this class. I have always been intimidated the idea of painting in oil. Through this class, I learned not to fear it by knowing how to work with it.