In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp discuss workshops—why artists take them, what they actually offer, and whether they are worth the investment.
They explore what workshops can provide beyond technical instruction: exposure to new ways of seeing, immersion in focused time, and the value of learning inside a temporary community of working artists. The conversation also addresses common questions about cost, expectations, and how to evaluate whether a workshop is right for you.
Trevor and Kelsey share some of their most meaningful workshop takeaways, reflecting on the lessons that stayed with them long after the event ended. Rather than treating workshops as shortcuts, this episode considers them as catalysts—experiences that can accelerate growth, clarify direction, and reconnect artists to their practice.
Kelsey Kopp is a landscape painter whose work is rooted in observation, repetition, and sustained engagement with place. Her practice emphasizes process as a way of understanding time, light, and perception rather than arriving at a fixed image.
Find Kelsey on instagram @kelsey_kopp_art
Trevor Wade Thomas is a painter and educator working primarily from observation. His practice centers on drawing, material process, and the relationship between labor, memory, and making. He is the founder of Oil and Earth Studio YouTube Channel, where he explores craft, teaching, and long-form artistic inquiry.
You can find Trevor online at www.trevorwadethomas.com , on YouTube at www.youtube.com/oilandearthstudio , or on Instagram @twtfineart
