Building Bold Landscapes in Soft Pastel with Alison Crary
February 15-16, 2025 | Saturday-Sunday
Times – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Experience – All levels of experience are welcome.
Registration – Click the Cancellation Policy tab above.
Location – Sedona Arts Center, Theatre Studio
Learn how to create bold and vibrant landscapes in soft pastel. This course will be broken into steps to simplify the process. Each step will include instructor demonstration with questions encouraged, followed by student practice, group discussion and individual feedback.
We will start by simplifying the scene into basic shapes and value masses to build a compelling composition from a provided reference photo. The next step will be to explore color relationships, both for the underpainting and the pastel layered over it. These steps will help students gain confidence to build their finished piece, with instruction regarding the painterly handling of pastels to build an impressionistic style landscape painting.
Students will be able to work at their own pace, and more than one painting may be completed during the course depending on the level of experience and working speed of each student. All levels are welcome, although instruction will be focused on beginner to intermediate levels of pastel experience.
25 0215 AC
Alison Crary
As a child, Alison always loved spending time outdoors or doing any kind of art. As an adult, her interests remain the same but for many years pursuing education and a career limited time for art. After over a decade of working as an Occupational Therapist, Alison recently decided to risk a change- and pursue art seriously.
Motivated to continually learn and grow, Alison is in the process of rediscovering art and falling for it all over again. Inspired by light, color, and the moods found in natural landscapes- her goal is not realism but rather to convey the ‘feel’ of a place. Alison’s recent works use soft pastels to capture that with a colorful and loose mark making style meant to invite the viewer into her art.
While there are a few works included based on other’s photos (credit given in title), most reference photos were taken on adventures Alison has shared with her husband Allan and their friends and family. Often this involves backpacking, climbing, paddling, riding their two young mustangs and hiking with their puppy. Alison feels blessed to be able to get out and experience the sense of wonder found in these wild places, and hopes to share that with others through her art.
After the expense of grad school, Alison was often discouraged to not be able to find prints of art she loved for her own walls since originals were not in her budget. It is therefore important to her to be able to offer affordable and functional art that everyone can enjoy in a way that suits their lifestyle. In collaboration with a local team, functional art products will be offered soon as well as prints. It is her hope to create art that everyone can enjoy, that inspires viewers to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us.
Life can get crazy, and it’s not always easy to make the time that many of us need to get out in nature and refresh our souls. A beautiful painting can provide a similar brief moment of peace or inspiration, and that’s what I hope to do with my art. Through colorful and bold pastel marks, I hope to be able to share the feel of these natural landscapes, to hopefully brighten the day of the viewer and inspire them to make time to seek out peaceful outdoor places themselves.
MATERIALS
For thumbnails: bring a small sketchbook or several sheets of mid toned paper, along with either markers or charcoal to create a range of values. Please also include a white hard pastel for highlights.
Pastels: bring a range of values of soft pastels in colors suited to landscapes. It may be a set or individual sticks of any quality brand- many beginners start out with Sennelier, Jack Richeson, Unison, Great American and Rembrandt. A set of hard pastels or pastel pencils are optional, but recommended.
Sanded pastel paper that will take an underpainting. For those just starting out, Uart 400 is recommended (white or ‘sand’ colored). You may choose your own size but between 8”x10” and 12”x16” is recommended for the demo. Please bring at least 3 pieces of paper, but more if you work quickly and would like to complete multiple landscapes during this workshop
Scissors
Ruler
Tape (acid free artists tape is ideal for works that will be framed, but painter’s tape is ok for beginners just starting out)
¼” thick foam core to mount your paper on while working, at least 2” wider/longer than the paper you bring
Glassine paper or clear plastic bag to store your finished work(s)
Optional but helpful tools include a value finder and color wheel
Optional: your own reference photo for additional paintings. Instructor will provide first reference photo and everyone is encouraged to complete that first landscape together. Instructor will also provide additional reference photos for students completing more than one work, or they may bring their own inspiration.
Feel free to contact Alison directly with any questions about this course or materials.
Students may register online or by calling the Sedona Arts Center’s Administrative Offices in the Art Barn, toll-free at 888-954-4442 or locally at 928-282-3809
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are accepted or student may pay with cash or check by registering in person during office hours at the Art Barn
In-Person and Online Workshops
Payment in full is due upon registration, or a payment plan can be put in place by the student upon check-out through Sezzle.
There is a $125 Cancellation Fee for any cancellations made before January 15, 2025. Remaining balance will be refunded.
There are no refunds after January 15, 2025.
If Sedona Arts Center cancels the workshop for any reason, all payments made will be refunded in full.
Note: If traveling to Sedona, we strongly urge students to purchase refundable airline tickets or travel insurance in case of workshop cancellation due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen changes. Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for non-refundable ticket purchases or lodging fees.
Important Message
The Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for providing make-up sessions or issuing refunds, credits, or transfers for courses missed as a result of illness, emergencies, or other events beyond our control. There are absolutely no refunds after the cut-off date for any reason, unless the Sedona Arts Center has to cancel the workshop, then all fees paid will be refunded in full.
