Expressive Color with a Limited Palette Gail Sibley
4 day Workshop: June 4-7, 2025
9 am - 4 pm
$815 + NM Sales Tax
A note to our students: To ensure that the workshop will not be canceled, we kindly request that you sign up as early as possible. Please note that if the minimum number of students required is not met three (3) weeks before the first day of class, the workshop will be canceled. However, we offer a full refund in the event of a canceled workshop, so there is no monetary risk for you. Please take some time to review our cancellation policy.
About the Workshop
Skill level: Intermediate
Materials used: Pastel
Overview:
This studio-based workshop is a deep dive into the creative potential of colour. It will be all about understanding and becoming more confident and expressive with colour and doing that with a limited palette.
We will start digging into values because understanding this aspect of colour will not only help you create stronger paintings but also give you freedom with colour!
We’ll explore pastel application and layering then go on to creating colour studies. From these we’ll develop new ways to represent and express a subject in colour. Through the four days, we’ll progress from a literal interpretation of a subject to a more intuitive and expressive one. We’ll focus on really understanding why you’re pulled to paint a subject and explore ways to make sure that’s what you capture. Experimentation and risk-taking are a big part of this workshop and our mantra will be: Process not outcome Leave your comfort place at home!
Challenge yourself to learn new ways to express yourself in colour. Revel in the creative process. Be prepared to struggle and be frustrated - these are GOOD things!! They mean you are in a growth place. New things will come out of these uncomfortable places. We are artists and our purpose isn’t merely to copy what we see (especially from a photo) but to share something of unique vision and understanding of the world.
About Gail
A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST LIVING IN VICTORIA, BC ON THE CANADIAN WEST COAST.
I’m crazy about colour and at the same time, a limited palette is my jam! Whether I’m painting in soft pastels or paint (acrylic, watercolour, or oil), my focus is on creating a visual extravaganza of colour using the smallest number of colours. Crazy huh? (Whether you’re a student at the GailSibleyArtSchool or a subscriber to my HowToPastel blog, you’ll hear about the benefit of a limited palette. All. The. Time.)
Along with creating art, I also love teaching. With the last two pandemic years, so much of our lives have been pushed online and that’s where you’ll find me sharing my knowledge and encouraging students to believe in themselves and their unique voice. Happily, in-person workshops are coming back!
Life has a funny way of distracting you from your soul’s purpose (in my case for example, taking on the work of a Masters degree in Art History and more recently, creating IGNITE! an art-making membership) but always, always, the call deepens and when I hear and surrender to that call, returning fully to my art-making, I’m my most joyful self. Creating artwork that reveals the beauty in the world even in the most ordinary and mundane of subjects is the challenge and the reward.
What’s Included
Bluebird Studios offers an array of complimentary food and beverages during our workshops. Attendees can enjoy an ice breaker the evening before the first day, complimentary continental breakfast served every morning, complimentary unlimited beverages, and afternoon treats each day. We also offer catered lunches brought to the studio or the plein air site (optional for $20), and lastly, our complimentary signature lunch of Frito Chili Pie on the final day. We will spoil you!
Supplies
The supply list for this class can be opened via the button below and printed at your convenience.
The main things you need to bring in a nutshell are:
❑ soft pastels– not too many!
❑ paper – Canson Mi-Teintes for exercises, sanded paper for the rest
❑ glassine to cover your finished work,
❑ sketchbook and markers (100% black and 50% grey), HB and 4B pencils
PASTELS
- A selection of quality soft pastels. (You don’t need to bring your whole collection!) Some good brands I’ve used are: Unison Colour (my 36-piece set is ideal!), Sennelier (the 40-set of half sticks will work well), and Mount Vision. Very soft pastels that will also work if you’ve used them before are Schmincke, Great American, and Terry Ludwig. I will be using primarily Unison Colour.
The main thing is to have colours spread over the three values – some darks, mid-values, and lights. Have primary and secondary colours: blues, yellows, reds, oranges, violets, greens. Have bright saturated colours and a few neutral ones if you like. Also a white and a black pastel (or very light neutral and very dark neutral) for black and white exercises
PAPER
- 2-3 full sheets of Canson Mi-Teintes neutral colour, mid-value - ideally “Felt Grey” (for exercises) – these can be cut in half or quarters for easier transportation
- Pastel paper (eg UART, Pastel Premier, Sennelier La Carte, PastelMat, LuxArchival). I suggest working on 9 x 12 size unless you’re used to working on larger sizes in which case, bring the size you feel comfortable working on. We will use the this paper for colour studies and more finished work. Bring about 6 pieces, minimum size 9 x 12 in. (If you tend to be a fast painter, bring a couple extra). I like the UART pad of 10 sheets with glassine.
Bring the paper you’re used to using (eg Pastelmat) as the workshop is focused on working with colour rather than experimentation with paper.
IMAGES to work from
Ideally we will spend some time working from life but for much of the class, we will work from photos. Bring a selection of photos either digital or printed.
OTHER MUST-HAVES
-Vine charcoal (for drawing up image on paper) http://amzn.to/2CLRL1W You could also use a pastel pencil if you have any.
- A container in which to place the pastels you’re using to work on a piece. You can also use a small black Styrofoam tray or a small shallow cardboard box or a box lid lined with some paper towel.
- White or black Artist Tape (or masking tape) to mount paper to your drawing board and to secure glassine over your finished pieces http://amzn.to/2CpsvTo (Note: please don’t bring blue or green painters tape except to use in a hidden way)
- A sketchbook for making thumbnails, sketches, and notes
- Two markers (I use Prismacolour) - one black and one 50% grey
- HB (or 2B) and 4B Pencils (and sharpener)
- Colour wheel https://amzn.to/2CJfpk2
- Roll of soft toilet paper (for cleaning pastels)
- A few sheets of glassine to cover your work
- Two pieces of foamcore or equivalent between which to transport your finished work
OPTIONAL BUT DESIRED!
- Value scale http://amzn.to/2BSlz05
- Barrier cream https://amzn.to/2CIn9TB or vinyl gloves
- A viewfinder like the ViewCatcher https://amzn.to/417eQsH
- Moist towelettes (like WetOnes)
- Apron (preferably with pockets)
NOTE: The venue has easels and boards but if you have a portable easel you like using with accompanying board feel free to bring them.