Pastel Workshops

Yellow Gesture
18" x 11"
Original Pastel
Casey Klahn
Private Collection

This artwork was rendered during a Diane Townsend workshop on abstract pastels. The yellow gesture is a thin line yellow pastel stick from Diane's own palette. See an essay by me about this painting here.

A pastel workshop can be a huge challenge for the student. I have lost sleep at workshops. There is a kinesthetic struggle that takes place when you have your own ouvre, and then you are challenged to adopt new techniques and subjects. For me, it's like I am literally being skinned alive, and then told to put it back on!

I have only attended 3 pastel workshops: Jennifer Evenhus, Susan Ogilvie and Diane Townsend. They each shined in their own way, although I think you'll notice that I rave about the DT one constantly in my blogs. I try to take one a year, but don't quite reach that goal. As I mature in my career, the workshops need to be more targeted. Family obligations have veto power, too!

I want to highlight workshop evaluations and stories here at Pastel, and I found this post at Making a Mark about Katherine's workshop experience sitting under Sally Strand. Strand is a contemporary expert of the figure and light, IMO. Add to the difficulties listed above, the extra hardships of international travel, and you can respect the effort Katherine put into this workshop.

Time is short, so I won't post a workshop resource. You have Google. I would like to do it sometime, though, since I have my favorite searches.

Note: Stay tuned for my evaluation/review of Sennelier pastels.