Celebrate the return of spring and discover techniques to create bold and expressive paintings using pastels. We will focus on landscapes, waterscapes, and gardenscapes across all seasons. The class is geared to all levels of experience.

Diana will share her color-forward approach using demos, fun exercises, and practical tips. We will use color strategies and loose, gestural mark-making to give paintings energy and movement.

Experienced painters will explore new techniques and experiment with loosening up and painting boldly. For artists new to pastels, the class offers a step-by-step process to jump-start painting with this versatile medium. The class offers lots of individual attention at the easel and time to create fully developed paintings during class.

CLASS HIGHLIGHTS:

• Use expressive and gestural mark-making to add energy and movement to paintings
• Translate what you see in a photo into a more personal interpretation of the scene
• Build your unique color voice and create harmonious color
• Simplify design of a composition – focus on big shapes and editing details
• Go bolder with fewer strokes of paint (finding large shapes and color masses)
• Use techniques to develop your painting at each stage (planning, underpainting, layering, finishing touches)