Pastels are an invitation to play—play with colour, play with pattern, play with possibility.

In this joyful, hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how to choose colours that sing together and bring life to your artwork. Guided exercises will help you explore how patterns can enhance your subject matter—adding charm, rhythm, and depth without overwhelming the composition.

With everyday objects like cups and mugs as our muse, we’ll uncover how the ordinary can become extraordinary through colour and design. Expect a vibrant day of discovery where creativity flows as freely as your imagination.

You’ll learn how to:

• Mix and create colours that feel “just right”
• Balance colour in an arrangement so it feels harmonious
• Use pattern to spark interest without clutter
• Add depth and richness to even the simplest designs

By the end of the workshop, you’ll take away:

• A colour-creation exercise to guide your future work
• A hands-on design activity arranging simple objects with maximum impact
• One or two (or more, if you’re speedy!) small but lively pastel studies, brimming with colour and pattern

Come ready to experiment, play, and see the world of pastels in a whole new light!

Saturday 18 October

9am - 4pm

$80 (Gallery members)

$100 (non-members)

BYO Materials List:

NOT OIL PASTELS

• A range of colours and tones of soft pastels. Make sure you have the colours for your cups, mugs, and fabric choices. Pastel pencils are optional.
• A kneadable eraser and a regular rubber
• A backing board large enough to hold the pastel paper along with tape or clips to hold in place
• Newspaper or similar to catch any pastel dust as it falls from the surface as you work
• Table easel (or use the standing easels provided by the Gallery)
• Pastel paper – sanded surface - any brand, any colour - 2 to 4, A4-size sheets
• Willow Charcoal and a charcoal pencil if you have one
• Wet wipes or a rag for hand clean-up
• A small soft brush and a small container for water
• Notebook and pen, and a small sketch book for rough drawings

Objects to draw:

• Some cups and mugs with and without a pattern.
• As an alternative to cups and mugs feel free to bring a wooden breadboard (with a prominent wood grain), a cloth, and perhaps a Vegemite jar, sauce bottle, food packet, cutlery item etc.
• A few pieces of fabric with different patterns on which to display the cups etc.

Choose these items with the idea of putting them together in an arrangement, so consider some crossover in colour between the fabrics and the cups.