

1-Day Pastel Workshop
Great Paintings from Crummy Photos
with Diane Fechenbach
Saturday September 23, 2023
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Are you having trouble finding painting subjects? Fear not! They are right at your fingertips. Learn the secret of coaxing wonderful paintings from the worst photo references. Dig out your boring, crummy photos and be prepared to fold, spindle and mutilate! We will slice and dice and use everything except bailing wire to work some magic as we find beautiful paintings in hopeless photographs. Come make a mess and have fun. This is a fun, hands-on (very popular) class on how to take disappointing snapshots and make them into fabulous paintings. An overview of the principles of composition is included.
Pastel Materials List
Small sketch book or several sheets of drawing/sketching paper – any brand, preferably white
Charcoal or soft [2H or softer] pencil
kneaded eraser
Two or three 8 x 10″ or 11 x 14″ papers or prepared boards – any brand, any color
Board to mount papers
Tape
Assortment of pastels, any brand
Suggested assortment: hard pastels: 1 dark cool (but not black) 1 dark warm (but not black) 1 medium value cool 1 medium value warm 1 light cool or warm (but not white); semi soft pastels: 1-2 blues (dark, cobalt, cerulean, Phthalo) 1 dark brown 1 medium brown 1-2 greens (olive, viridian (bluish), light green) 1 red 1 medium orange 1 warm yellow 1 cool (lemon) yellow
Optional: rags, brushes, tortillon or stumps, barrier cream or rubber gloves, wipes, razor blade,
optional pastel colors cool (bluish) red warm (orange-red) red burnt sienna (orange brown) violet (light and/or dark) yellow ochre Light blue green (turquoise)
Workshop Details
Location: Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. – map it!
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
FEE
Pikes Peak Pastel Society Members: $125.00
Non-members: $175.00
Click here for a pdf to print, fill out, and mail with a check to:
Pikes Peak Pastel SocietyPO Box 2443, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-2443
About Diane Fechenbach
Since childhood, I don’t remember any time when I was not drawing or painting. I saw the world as a series of paintings. Everywhere there were wonderful compositions and delicious color. It was a shock to learn that other people did not “see” this way. My passion is dramatic light and shadow and clean, saturated color. I am particularly interested in the effect of light on snow, trees, rocks and water.
I work in a variety of media, including pastel, oil, and watercolor. Plein Air (outdoors) painting is one of my favorite things. I make sketches when I travel that are mementos of the places visited. Back in the studio they provide subjects for larger paintings.
My paintings have been featured in magazines, in juried exhibitions across the country, have received national and international awards, and are in corporate and private collections throughout North America. I am a Signature member of Pastel Society of America, a juried member of the Oil Painters of America, Master Signature/Distinguished Pastelist of Pastel Society of the West Coast, Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies, Master Signature with Pastel Society of Colorado, Signature member of Western Federation of Watercolor Societies and numerous other art organizations.