Expressions in Pastel: Using Limitation to Explore and Create
Date
6/1/2027 - 6/4/2027
$550.00
Location
Riverside Community Church
317 State St.
Hood River, Oregon 97031
United States
Contact Info
Description
Above: "Golden Glow" by Carol Strock Wasson, 18 x 18 in.
What happens when you give yourself fewer choices at the easel? In this workshop, Carol Strock Wasson invites you to explore how limits on value, color, and composition can open the door to more expressive pastel paintings.
We'll begin with the idea that draws us to a subject, then use simple sketches and selected limitations to discover different ways to interpret it. Through demonstrations and painting exercises, you'll experiment with simplifying shapes, establishing a clear value structure, choosing a color harmony, and using edges and marks to create atmosphere and energy.
Bring landscape reference photos that interest you. You'll leave with practical ways to move beyond copying a photograph and make a painting that expresses what you found compelling about the scene.
About Carol Strock Wasson
Carol Strock Wasson
Carol Strock Wasson, IAPS-EP, PSA-M, AWA, CPP-M, is an Indiana-based landscape painter and instructor working primarily in pastel and oil. Her paintings celebrate the quiet beauty of rural places: the fields, woodlands, waterways, fence rows, and old barns that are often passed without notice.
Through simplified shapes, harmonious color, expressive edges, and atmospheric light, Carol seeks to convey not only the appearance of the landscape but also its emotional presence. Her work reflects a deep connection to the cultivated and natural environments of the Midwest, along with a growing concern for protecting the habitats that sustain wildlife and enrich human life.
A nationally recognized artist and experienced instructor, Carol teaches workshops emphasizing composition, value, color relationships, and personal interpretation. Whether painting outdoors or developing larger works in the studio, she balances observation with imagination, allowing each painting to become both a visual experience and a story about our relationship with the land.
See more of Carol's work at carolstrockwasson.com.
Essentials
Dates: June 1-4, 2027
Location: Riverside Community Church, 317 State St., Hood River, OR 97031
Tuition: NPS members $550, non-members $600
Class size: Limited to 18 students
Registration: Member registration is now open to current NPS members. Not a member yet? Visit our Membership page to join. After 30 days, if seats remain, registration opens to the public.
Questions: Contact NPS
