Nature's Palette: Pastel Landscapes

Instructor: Mary Beth Sasso

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Ages: 18+

Members: $81

Non-Members: $90

(Registration deadline: June 23)

Description:

This workshop is designed for artists with some experience in pastels (soft and hard). Through inspiring demonstrations and hands-on exercises, you’ll enhance your techniques, gaining greater control over color, texture, and composition in your landscape art. You’ll learn to create deep, atmospheric scenes with advanced layering and blending, add texture and details using varied applications, and choose the right balance of pastels for precise effects and structural integrity in your work. This workshop is ideal for those with beginner/intermediate drawing experience using pastels.

Materials:

Suggested Pastels: Cretacolor Hard Pastels and Rembrandt Soft Pastels are excellent options for your needs. If you bring your own soft or hard pastels to the workshop, please ensure they are of high artist quality. Some additional examples of very soft pastels include Sennelier, Schmincke, and Unison Colour. Do not bring oil pastels, as they require different techniques and materials.

Other supplies: Charcoal Pencils, Artist Chamois, Faber Castell Kneaded eraser, Blue Painters Tape

Preferred surfaces for best results: Mi-Teintes Pastel Paper Pad - GREY TONES OR Claire Fontaine Pastel Mat or Uart Sanded Paper, 600 or 800 grit.

Instructor Bio:

With over half a century of artistic expertise, Mary Beth specializes in teaching foundational skills in drawing, watercolor, and pastel painting. As an associate faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College and a Kennedy Center Certified Teaching Artist, she has developed a curriculum that serves everyone from kindergarteners to adult learners. Having exhibited her fine art in both California and Connecticut, she brings a bicoastal perspective and deep professional experience to her students. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in her dual background as a veteran Graphic Designer and a certified yoga teacher. This allows her to guide students through both the technical “rules” of composition and the meditative “flow” of creation. 

InInstructor's Website: https://marybethsasso.com/

All workshops are held at the Five Points Arts Center, 855 University Drive

Workshops may be cancelled due to low enrollment if a minimum number of participants are not met. Registrants will be notified in advance and a refund or credit will be arranged (see workshop polices below for details).

Workshop Policies: Please review the terms of our workshop policies here