$50.00 – $60.00
Sunday, March 16
10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Join artist Maria Iva (PAC) in a fun one-day workshop exploring and practicing dry pastels. Pastels are well known for their rich and vibrant colours and for their high permanence ratings: they won’t fade over time. Unlike what many people think, pastels are a very forgiving medium and are very easy to handle. Maria will demonstrate easy steps that will lead to creating successful paintings, and illustrate an under-painting technique that is critical for producing depth and texture. Participants will complete one painting together with the instructor. A lot of guidance will be provided throughout the day. Basic understanding of composition and values and some painting experience in any medium is recommended.
Details
Maria is a landscape painter known for her impressionistic style and vibrant color palette. Working in both oil and dry pastel, she draws inspiration from her love of nature and extensive hikes through the provincial parks and conservation areas of Southern Ontario. Often sketching on location with dry pastels, she captures the unique light and atmosphere of each setting. Back in her studio, she transforms these sketches into larger oil paintings on canvas, using a palette knife to bring texture and depth to her work.
Maria is a Signature Member of Pastel Artists Canada (PAC), holding a Master designation. She is an Elected Member of the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) and Society of Canadian Artists. She is also a well-regarded instructor in both soft pastel and oil mediums.
List of Supplies for Soft Pastel Workshop
- This workshop is for SOFT pastel technique. NO oil pastels, please.
- Assortment of both softer and harder dry pastels in colors suitable for painting landscapes (blue, green, red, orange, yellow, turquoise and purple in light, dark, cool and warm versions). Rembrandt, Nupastels are some of the harder brands. Unison, Terry Ludwig, Great American Artworks, Sennelier, Mount Vision are examples of softer brands. We will use harder pastels for the underpainting and paint the rest with softer pastels. If you are new to soft pastels you will be doing most of your work with harder pastels.
- UART grit 320 or 400 or 500 SANDED pastel paper. Off white color only. Sizes 9X12 or 12×18. 1-2 sheets per day. Could be purchased on Amazon.ca or DeSerres Art Supplies store (in person and on-line) or Above Ground. Premier Sanded pastel paper is good too. It is important to bring sanded paper as it will have to take many layers of pastels.
- At least 5-10 sheets of foam board (preferably black) to mount pastel paper on. I buy mine in Dollarama. Should be large enough to allow a few extra inches of boarder all around pastel paper.
- Masking tape for mounting paper on board (black preferred, but white is ok too).
- Easel (full size foldable easel for plein air painting).
- Rubbing Alcohol 70-99%.
- Really small container for rubbing alcohol
- Bristle brush for underpainting size 8-10
- Paper towels
- Gloves to protect hands when painting (optional)
- Aluminum foil to use as a tray to collect pastel dust.
- Apron (optional)
- Note book/Sketch book
- Pencil or charcoal for sketching
- Eraser, pencil sharpener
- Wipes to clean hands
- Photographs if prefer to use own reference material