Autumn Series 2026 – 7 online workshops in soft pastel
I am excited to share my 6th Autumn Series of online workshops, 7 subjects to help you develop more confidence painting in soft pastels.
There is something very different about making art in company. You can book your spot here and read more about it.
You may be sitting at your own table, in your own home, with your pastels spread out in front of you, but the moment you join a live workshop, you become part of something shared. Around the country, and sometimes much further afield, other artists are choosing colours, making marks, asking questions and discovering that they are not alone in finding some parts easy and others more challenging.
That sense of connection is one of the reasons I love teaching online.
This autumn, I’m inviting you to join me for seven live soft pastel workshops, four evening Q&As and at least 12 months of recording access. The series begins on 22 September 2026, with workshops taking place fortnightly on Tuesday mornings.
A gentle rhythm for your creativity
One of the hardest parts of developing an art practice is simply making the time to begin.
We can all have the best intentions. We buy the materials, save inspiring photographs and promise ourselves that we will paint when life becomes a little quieter. Then the weeks pass.
A regular workshop creates a gentle rhythm. It gives you a reason to bring out your pastels, clear a space and spend time doing something that is just for you.
Because the sessions are fortnightly, there is time between each workshop to revisit the recording, finish your painting or experiment with the techniques in your own work. There is no pressure to keep up or produce a perfect result. The aim is to return to your art regularly and allow confidence to grow through practice.
Learning alongside other artists
Creating on your own can sometimes make every choice feel larger.
You might wonder whether you have chosen the wrong colour, whether your drawing is accurate enough or whether everyone else finds pastel painting much easier than you do.
In a live workshop, you quickly discover that other people are often asking the same questions. Someone else’s question may solve a problem you had not yet put into words. Seeing different interpretations of the same subject can also be wonderfully freeing. There is never only one correct way to make a painting.
Our online pastel community is friendly and encouraging. Some members have been painting for years, while others are opening a box of soft pastels for the first time. What matters is curiosity, not experience.
The private Facebook group is there for anyone who would like to share progress, ask questions or simply enjoy seeing what others have created. It is entirely optional; all the live teaching takes place on Zoom, and the recordings are hosted on my website.
Seven subjects, each with something new to explore
We will begin with Riverbanks, using tangled foliage as a relaxed way to refresh our pastel skills after the summer.
As the series continues, we will explore colourful dahlias at the allotment, the glow of evening light in Spain, iconic London buses after dark and the character of cottages at Lee Bay in Devon.
We will then escape to the coast with Beyond the Dunes, before finishing in December with a festive evening workshop inspired by a snowy mountain town.
Each subject has been chosen not just because it is enjoyable to paint, but because it offers something useful to practise: layering, texture, reflections, glowing light, nocturnes, buildings, atmospheric distance and gentle colour transitions.
Throughout the course, I will also share some of the artists, past and present, who influence my own work and help us look at familiar subjects in new ways.
The reassurance of recordings
Although I love the energy of a live workshop, I know that life does not always fit neatly around a timetable.
Every workshop will be recorded and made available within 24 hours. You will have access for at least 12 months, giving you the freedom to pause, replay and work at your own pace.
Some people join live and paint along with me. Others watch first and return to the demonstration later. Both approaches work.
The recording can be particularly helpful when you are learning a new technique, as you can stop at each stage and take the time you need. It also means that missing a live session does not mean missing the workshop.
New evening Q&As
This autumn, full-series members will also be invited to four informal evening Q&As on Zoom.
These shorter sessions are an opportunity to revisit techniques, ask about a painting you are working on or talk through something that did not quite go as expected.
Often, the most useful learning happens when we pause and look at why something worked — or why it did not. The Q&As are designed to give you that extra bit of support without making the series feel overwhelming.
More than seven finished paintings
Of course, it is lovely to finish a painting that you are proud of. But the real value of joining a series is not simply producing seven pictures.
It is learning to trust your choices a little more.
It is becoming less afraid of making the first mark.
It is discovering that a difficult stage does not mean the painting has failed.
And it is finding a community that reminds you to keep going.
Art can be a wonderful escape from the busyness of everyday life, but it can also be a way of feeling connected to a place, a subject, a memory and to other people who understand the pleasure of making something by hand.