Soft pastel workshops Spring Series 2026
Join me for my Spring Series 2026 – with a special offer!
5 weeks for £96.00
To keep my soft pastel workshops running smoothly with reliable tech and resources, each workshop is £22 individually ( usually £110 for all 5), if you book the full series it’s just £96.
When: Tuesdays, 10am–12pm UK time
Where: Live on Zoom (with recordings available soon after)
Booking the series helps me continue providing easy to access, smooth, high-quality workshops with professional software and tech. If you prefer individuals, they are listed here for you to ‘add to your cart’ and buy a selection.
Series outline.
We’ll start with a sketchbook refresher session – Sketchbooks magic — perfect if you’re coming back after a break or just starting out. Then we’ll explore a variety of inspiring pastel subjects together, step by step, to build confidence and skills.
If you’re new to my workshops, read this for more tips on how to access online sessions and art kit
I create a new series of online workshops each season, focusing on themes and skills that many students find challenging.
Evening Q&A’s for Series Members
As a bonus, series members are invited to exclusive evening Q&As with extra tips on Zoom:
27th January 7–7.30pm, 10th February, 7–7.30pm, 24th February, 7–7.30pm, 24th March – a little finale with review and demo
You’ll also have access to the recordings for at least a year, plus the support of our friendly online pastel community.
Book the full series today and join me for a season of creativity, learning, and inspiration. Individual sessions can be booked here.
Dates for the diary
27th January – Sketchbook magic
10th February – Find your creative energy – Seascapes
24th February – Calm and atmosphere by the river
10th March – Getting lost to find street scenes
24th March – Evening cafe scenes
Full Spring Series — £96 (usually £110)
– All five live online sessions
– Recordings included for every workshop
– A shared rhythm through the season
– Evening Q&A’s to discuss key concepts, ideal if you’re busy.
Individual sessions — £22 each
– Join an individual workshop
– Recording included
– Ideal if you can’t commit to the full series
If you’re new to my workshops, read this for more tips on how to access online sessions and art kit
27th January – Sketchbook Magic
Starting the journey
A relaxed opening session focused on building confidence and momentum in your sketchbook inspired by seascapes. We’ll look at loosening up, letting go of perfection, and creating a way of working you can return to throughout the series.
10th February – Finding Your Creative Energy
Drawn to where the sea and land meet
Using one of my favourite views, this session explores energy, movement and mark-making. We’ll look at simplifying the scene and responding to what draws you in. Use my tip of getting lost to find new views, it creates endless possibilities!
24th February – Calm & Atmosphere
By the river
A session focused on atmosphere, tone and subtle colour choices. We’ll explore how to suggest calm and light in a river scene without overworking the surface. Find a bench and let the bench lead the view. The art of comfort whilst you sketch.
10th March – Getting Lost to Find It
Street scenes
This session looks at street scenes in a relaxed, accessible way. We’ll explore structure, suggestion and how to simplify buildings and spaces without getting caught up in detail, oh, and my love of pots full of red pelargoniums. This workshop will be a pre-recorded demo, while I’m teaching in St Ives School of Painting. I will upload it to my website on or before the session. It’s why I chose the St Ives street as part of our series. I plan to share more of St Ives with you when I am down there. It’s a huge inspiration for all that I do and I love the idea of sharing more of it with you.
24th March – Evening cafe culture
confidence, simplicity and telling the story of a place
Our final session focuses on bringing together the skills of the series and taking that into cafe scene. Your pastels and sketchbook are a travelling companion and a way of making memories last a little longer. This session is about letting go of perfection, responding to what’s in front of you, and feeling more comfortable sketching and painting in everyday places.
During the course, you’ll learn more about artist’s, present and past, that inspire my work and subjects. Techniques and tips that reference art history and Live Q&A during the workshop.
Why join?
- Connect with fellow pastel enthusiasts in a friendly space in a private Facebook Group.
- Learn from live Zoom workshops or enjoy flexibility with recordings available shortly after.
- Get a creative boost to keep you inspired all season long.
How my workshops work.
Each workshop is self-contained, but they are also structured progressively, so you can choose to take them together as a series and build your skills steadily over time. If you are a beginner, I suggest that you start with Number 1. Otherwise just look through a series or find a workshop that inspires you in the list, Otherwise, you’re very welcome to browse the series and choose a workshop that inspires you. I have sorted the images into subjects and levels here. A good rule of thumb is to paint something you enjoy looking at — you’ll get more from the experience because you’ll enjoy looking at it.
If you’re keen to develop your skills, booking the full series offers the most continuity and value. Where possible, I encourage you to join my most recent workshops, as this allows you to take part live on Zoom alongside others.
The support and encouragement from my online community is a big part of the learning experience. Painting together, sharing questions, and seeing how others approach the same challenges can be just as valuable as the techniques I demonstrate.
FAQ
- How long do I have to catch up? You’ll have access to the workshop recordings for at least 12 months after purchase, and often longer. I can’t promise forever (technology and storage change over time), but you’ll always have plenty of time to revisit the sessions at your own pace. To get the most from the series, I recommend joining in while it’s fresh — make notes as you go, and you’ll build your own personal reference to dip back into whenever you need, without relying only on the recordings.
- Do I have to be on Facebook? No, the Live sessions are all on Zoom and the recordings hosted on my website.
- Is it for beginner and experienced artists? Yes, beginners can watch step by step, using the recording to create at a slower pace. You’ll see my process from blank page to finished artwork. Experienced artists can use the session to inspire new subjects and challenges with the techniques learned in each of the sessions.
- Can I ask questions? Yes, there are Live Q&A’s via text chat during and after the session and also evening Zoom Q&A’s for those who miss the session.
- Do I get feedback? Yes, one of the lovely parts of my online community is how everyone supports each other. You’ll get my Live Q&A’s and comments from me and other members in a Private Facebook Group. I’ve found that these sessions and comments are so helpful and encouraging. Focusing on successes and returning to pastelling regularly, those are the best ways to see improvements in your work.