Whispers of Nature

Do you love to work with animals and their magic?

 

For as long as I remember I have been painting animals.

Since I was little, my very first artworks were animals in pastel.

Later, my love for portraits and pastels grew as well, so I couldn’t help but combine these three elements in this one exciting class.

 

I will be sharing both my soft pastel and oil pastel techniques, while we explore the animal spirit realm and how we can communicate and work with nature and our power animal guides… A real adventure into the wild!

 

This class is for anyone who loves pastel and wants to get familiar with them and discover interesting combinations with mixed media… but most of all this class is for those who want to bring more magic in their art and lives by reconnecting with nature and it’s wonderful spirits, bringing guidance, empowerment and healing.

 

 

HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE FOUR PROJECTS WE WILL BE DOING…

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PROJECT ONE: GUIDANCE

Oil pastels

In this first project we will meet our power animal. I share some exercises on how we can begin to understand the importance of nature spirits and animal guides, and how they can be a magical companion and guide us when needed. We will be painting this oil pastel portrait with our power animal, as I share my favorite methods and techniques on how to create various skin tones and shading.

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PROJECT TWO: DIRECTION

Soft pastels

In this next project we move into soft pastels, and create another portrait with a more muted, limited palette. I show some of my different shading techniques for creating skin tones and fur. I share with you some of my methods of reading the signs and omens of nature, and how to recognize when our spirit messengers are trying to get a message across, and how to ask them in turn for direction and guidance.

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PROJECT THREE: HEALING

Oil pastels with mixed media and texture

In this second part of the workshop we explore mixed media backgrounds with texture and acrylic. We meet mother Bear and discuss how we can learn from her healing medicine and protective spirit. Bears are one of the most powerful healing guides, and by painting her I believe we can bring her healing medicine into our heart and lives. We will experiment first how to create a textured, mixed media background, letting our creative muse come out and play. We complete the painting with oil pastel, creating a woman with the bear as her healing guide.

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PROJECT FOUR: EMPOWERMENT

Soft pastel & pastel pencil with watercolor

Last but certainly not least, we will call on the Dragon to bring strength, creative passion and magic back into our lives. The Dragon is an extremely powerful and mystical guide who will strengthen your connection with the spirit world and magic. She is a strong protector of Mother Earth and works closely with nature and it’s guides. This time we will be creating a dramatic background with watercolor as a base for our pastel. As I show you some of my favorite pastel techniques we create this magical painting of our warrior woman and her dragon. ?

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BONUS VIDEO

In this bonus video make an experiment of working with really cheap/bad quality oil pastels and/paper, sharing with you some tips and tricks on how to “make it work” and what to expect when working with these type of materials. I totally understand that many can’t afford expensive or artist grade materials, as I hadn’t either for many years. You’ll see how I want to throw it in the trash and just give up many times throughout the process. But I totally believe that we don’t always have to make a masterpiece!

 

We will be covering several topics and techniques such as:

• Getting familiar with both soft pastels and oil pastels
• Layering with pastel to create luminous skin tones
• Exploring both front and profile portraits in pastel
• Painting hands with soft pastel
• Discovering how to connect with our animal guides
• Exercises and techniques on how to read and tune into their messages
• Using texture and mixed media as a base for oil pastels
• Creating interesting and unique backgrounds
• Painting animals in detail with oil and soft pastel
• using additional elements of nature in our portraits to tell a visual story
• How to call on our power animals for guidance, direction and healing.
• How we can bring more magic into our lives and art
• Exploring different types of pastel media and pastel paper
• and much more…

ALL VIDEOS DOWNLOADABLE

 

WHAT KIND OF SUPPLIES TO I NEED FOR THIS WORKSHOP?

Please note that you don’t have to have everything in this list, Many supplies can be substituted with what you have.

• *Oil pastels (I use Senneiler but you can totally use what you have)
• *Soft pastels (I use a variety of Sennelier and Rembrandt, but please use what you can afford and have).
• *Pastel pencils (just a few colors in light and dark shades, especially black and white).
• pastel paper and a mixed media paper (for the third lesson). I use different ones for each lesson, it’s good to experiment with different papers and see what you like and prefer.) Some of the ones I used are Fabriano Tiziano in the cool shades, Pastelmat N.4, U-Art paper, and oil pastel paper from Sennelier but you can easily exchange this one with the mixed media or watercolor paper for this lesson.
• Texture paste or gel medium, and a sharp object like a pen or porcupine stick to scratch into the paste.
• fluid acrylics or inks in warm colors for creating a background
• Stencils (optional)
• Acrylic paint brushes
• blending stumps
• Paper towels, wet wipes, water jar
• small palette for the inks or fluid acrylics

*If you wish to get the same or similar colors I use in the lessons, please refer to the color charts I have prepared for you here:

Oil pastel color chart

• White & Black
• flesh ochre (medium skin tone)
• coral (very light pinkish skin tone)
• Violet ochre (light purple-gray)
• Gray violet
• Geranium (Medium hot pink)
• Bordeaux
• Geranium lake light or Violet (medium warm purple)
• raw umber
• Azure blue (bright sky blue)
• delft blue (bright medium blue)
• pale blue (light)
• deep yellow (golden yellow)
• Pine green (deep green)
• Sap green (lighter green)
• reddish brown

Soft pastel color chart

• White
• prussian blue
• paynes gray
• pale teal
• very light pale blue (almost white)
• pale turquoise
• pale light pink
• light skin tone
• medium skin tone
• medium pink
• violet mars (dark reddish brown)
• Indian red (light purplish gray)

Pastel pencil color chart

• Black & white
• medium purple (warm shade)
• light purple-gray
• paynes gray
• prussian blue or dark blue

 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. Once I sign up, will I receive instant access?  – Yes, once purchased you can log in to your classroom and find it there.  
2. Will we do the exact artworks shown on this page? –  Yes, these are the actual paintings we will be creating in each lesson
3. Is this workshop also suitable for beginner artists? ? Yes, I go through each project step by step. 
4. How many videos will there be? 20+ 
   For how long will the class be available? For as long as I’m in business (A lifetime hopefully)
5. Will there be a dedicated Facebook group? Absolutely! You will get an email with the link to sign up when the classroom opens. You are not required to join, but it is highly recommended as I will be able to give feedback and support there. It is also a great way to connect with others from the workshop, and share your work or get inspired from others.
6. Can I sell the work I created in this workshop? Absolutely, I will be happy if you do! I would of course really appreciate if you give credit to the class it was inspired by, especially if it’s a painting from the lessons. ?
7. Do I have to buy everything on the supply list? Ofcourse not, please use what you have! But seeing as this is a pastel class you will need at least a small set of oil pastels and soft pastels.

 

 

I hope you will join me for this magical journey into the wild as we learn to listen to it’s whispers.