I've taken several classes over the last 3 years at the JC here -- drawing, figure drawing, color, painting, art history. Also took a plein aire workshop. Have done a lot of oil painting, won some awards, and sold some. The people I've met have been really interesting and have a very different orientation then the technologists I knew at work. It takes a lot of patience to learn the fundamentals and along the way you can expect to turn out some truely terrible art. Probably figure on 100 paintings before things start looking good. But the exercises can be fun and you will see real improvement over time.
It really helps to have people to work with or at least discuss your progress. In our community there is a plein aire group called Monday Morning Painters that meet once per week with an informal critique at noon. Painting outdoors is really different then painting in the studio from reference photographs.
Les