Workshops
I have all sorts of workshops available for 2025, so please take a look and call or email me if you are interested in knowing more, or would like to book.
Workshop Dates by Email
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Pastel Workshops
Soft pastel is an amazingly versatile, contemporary medium which works beautifully on its own or with mixed media. It is painting and drawing all in the same action and so very tactile as a painting medium.
All my workshops are small, so they are friendly and intimate. I do some demonstrations to give students an idea of what's going to be happening and although fun, the workshops are informative, focusing on working hard and getting a lot done!
The idea behind all my tuition is to increase a student's confidence and knowledge of using pastels as a medium, whether they are a beginner or an experienced artist. None of my teaching will turn anyone into a photo-realist painter, as I believe strongly in developing an expressive and emotional individual style.
Workshops for Everyone
I offer a variety of workshops in Rowde near Devizes Wiltshire for absolute beginners to experienced artists. Some workshops are single standalone sessions, others are run as courses and I am also happy to design the tuition around your particular pastel needs.
Please see below for detailed descriptions of the different pastel workshops I offer and the latest dates.
Which Workshop?
If you have ever thought you would like to have a go at using soft pastels, or are lacking the confidence to even take your labels off and snap your pastels in half, then why not try one of my one-to-one Pastel Sessions?
Alternatively, if you are an established artist and think you know pastels, think again. Or if you are a bit rusty with your pastel techniques. Choose a single Pastel Session to focus on a particular subject or technique. I also offer a number of different workshops, showing you a wide range of techniques and papers and covering various subject areas.
How many different pastel papers have you tried? Starting with a number of papers helps to build your knowledge of texture straight away. Learn all about mark making, sgraffito, alcohol/pastel underpainting and paper texture tests. All useful and surprising techniques, which will bring striking results.
Which Pastels?
I have designed and Unison Colour, who make extraordinary pastels, have produced a number of sets specifically for my workshops. The prices of some of my courses of workshops include one of these sets, but you can also purchase them separately from me.
Please take a look here at the different Pastel Sets and to purchase call me on 07731 476760.
Workshop Venue
The Mind Tree Cafe
My new pastel studio and workshop space are located at the Mind Tree Cafe Furlong Close Rowde SN10 2TQ Wiltshire.
My studio can accommodate 8 students and I also have access to a larger workshop space at this same venue.
Please take a look at the latest workshop dates and book by phone or email.
The Workshops
Pastel Session
This is a single 3 hour session intended to give you a taste of pastel techniqiues if you are a beginner or new to this medium, or to focus on a particular subject or techniqiue if you are a more experienced artist.
A Pastel Session is a fun idea for a birthday present or ideal to concentrate on for example learning or improving pastel mark making, landscape or still life.
Pastel Techniques
This course is just as suitable as a refresher for an artist who hasn't touched their pastels for a long time or has always wanted to have a go at painting with pastels, as it is for an absolute beginner.
The idea of these workshops is to develop a student's dexterity and skills with pastels and a variety of papers.
During the course I will cover all techniques, basic to advanced and experimental mark making. Mark making being a fundamental building block in art and is how you begin to express emotion and movement.
We will explore scraffito, liquid/pastel under painting, blending and knowing when to stop to allow a pure mark to shine through, basic colour theory and when and how to use different pastel paper textures, including specialist papers for their expertly designed surfaces.
At the end of the course, you will have all the information on papers and techniques you need to start to practice on your own and be able to slot into any of my other workshops.
Landscape
For this series of standalone Landscape Workshops, each will feature a different famous landscape painter.
We will look at each artist's unique way of observing and interpreting the landscape in order to experiment with our use of pastel mark making and colour palettes.
We will explore what is involved in developing your concentration and observation skills to produce an interesting composition and your use of pastels to paint the textures of that particular landscape.
We will also work on your ability to use colour effectively and be expressive in your paintings with your colour choices and mark making skills.
You will need your own landscape photos to work from.
Still Life
Still Life provides such a wonderful opportunity for painting, because there are everyday objects around us, wherever we are. A great passion to ignite in all artists!
This standalone single workshop is designed to provide a full day of uninterrupted observational Still Life practice.
I will set up an huge, colourful still life full of a variety of textures, shapes and surfaces to really get the inspiration flowing.
We can then zoom in to take a contemporary look at the passageways, spaces and shapes created.
Studying groups of objects in terms of lighting and colour, developing our artistic eye.
Exploring how to draw a collection of objects and their relation to each other within a composition and then how to complete the painting using pastels.
Colour Theory 1
When you are using paint you can easily mix your primaries and see how they make some secondary colours. Whereas pastels are all powder, so we have our colours made for us already.
But we still need to know what's cool, what's warm, what's light, what's dark & everything else. So really understanding the different emphasis of colour theory for pastels is a vital part of painting with and using them and is why I have developed this sequence of 3 full day workshops.
In the first workshop, we will look at how to identify colour and how to create it. For example we will look at something like the colour beige and if we imagine just our primary colours, a black and a white, how are we going to actually physically make beige?
We will explore a colour's temperature, tone and purity. Whether it's vibrant, dull, bright, subdued, saturated or a desaturated colour. Essentially, we will deconstruct the colour, so we know how to re-create it.
A great opportunity for beginners or experienced artists, who simply need a refresher, to gain, or renew your knowledge, experience and confidence in using colour, knowing its construction.
Included in the cost of the workshop is a set of 18 pastels. Primary, secondary and tertiary colours I have picked out from the colour wheel. There are 12 colours which make up the colour wheel and I have also included a black, a white and 4 greys to use throughout the sequence of 3 workshops.
The Colour Wheel set is a beautiful selection and will complement any pastels you may already have.
Colour Theory 2
When you are using paint you can easily mix your primaries and see how they make some secondary colours. Whereas pastels are all powder, so we have our colours made for us already.
But we still need to know what's cool, what's warm, what's light, what's dark & everything else. So really understanding the different emphasis of colour theory for pastels is a vital part of painting with and using them and is why I have developed this sequence of 3 full day workshops.
An essential element of colour theory is colour relativity.
In this second workshop, among other practical exercises, we will observe a simple still life subject, experimenting with a variety of colour palettes to witness the changing relationships between the chosen colours.
Students will need to have attended the Colour Theory 1 workshop and we will use the Colour Wheel set of pastels from the first workshop.
Colour Theory 3
When you are using paint you can easily mix your primaries and see how they make some secondary colours. Whereas pastels are all powder, so we have our colours made for us already.
But we still need to know what's cool, what's warm, what's light, what's dark & everything else. So really understanding the different emphasis of colour theory for pastels is a vital part of painting with and using them and is why I have developed this sequence of 3 full day workshops.
How do we make use of colour theory in our pastel painting practice?
In this third workshop, from your own photo or sketch, I will guide you through the process of using your knowledge of colour and technique to create a balanced and expressive piece of work, liberating you from the static procedure of simple copying.
This will open up your artwork generally for further development.
Students will need to have attended the Colour Theory 1 and 2 workshops and we will use the Colour Wheel set of pastels from the first workshop.
The Workshop Calendar
Autumn dates will be available soon, but have you thought of coming on my Summer School in July?
How do you fancy 3 days just for you, just painting?
Do you love painting, but would really like to be much more confident about your use of colour?
If you enjoy how I use my pastels in my joyful landscapes, how about an opportunity for me to show you all my methods and techniques? A 6 day masterclass!
That's exactly what my Pastel Summer School offers you and I have a few places left on both weeks! So why not give yourself a treat and book now on 07731 476760?
Whether you are an experienced artist, or an absolute beginner, this is a wonderful opportunity to become confident with pastels.
Please see my Summer School page for details on all the different topics, dates and costs.