Class Content: In this class we will work on one floral painting and learning how to re-use “failed” paintings and turning them into new “sanded” paper.

We will do some light sketching of the floral beforehand to help us loosen up. Then, we will tone our paper, sketch our chosen composition and paint with layers and line.

After lunch, I will show you how to make your own sanded papers that have a ton of texture. This technique can also be applied to failed paintings on your other sanded papers as a way to revive them. I will provide one sheet so you can practice painting on it as it acts differently. See supply list for items you will need to make your own, but this is not necessary.

Supply List:

Floral:

• a few sheets of sketching paper,
• vine charcoal or pencil to sketch with,
• at least one piece of pastel paper for the painting (Lux Archival, UArt, Pastelmat, etc),
• selection of soft pastels (NOT oil pastels),
• tabletop easel,
• backing board and tape.

We paint upright so the dust falls straight down and not on the painting.

DIY Pastel paper:

I will provide everyone one piece (5X7) of watercolor paper with Golden’s pastel ground applied to it. If you want to try making your own and don’t have this pastel ground, gesso does the same thing, bring a brush to apply gesso/ground and bring watercolor paper or old paintings on pastel papers that you won’t mind brushing off.

Any questions about supplies, please email me! I don’t mind answering questions at any time.

Biography: My name is Kristen and I started painting in 2022 when I decided to try a new hobby. Now I teach pastel painting at the Oak Ridge Art Center. I enjoy learning and taking workshops as much as I enjoy teaching. Classes are laid back and I encourage you to relax and try something new and have fun with the people around you. When I’m not painting I’m outside with our 2 mini aussies or making as many new flowerbeds as I can manage!

Class Content: This class will introduce you to the essential techniques of colored pencil work, including layering, blending, burnishing, and embossing. You’ll learn how these methods help you create rich textures, smooth transitions, and strong values in your artwork.

During the first half of class, we’ll focus on building skills through guided technique exercises. In the second half, you’ll apply what you’ve learned as you begin coloring your drawing.

By the end of class, you’ll leave with a finished colored pencil piece, a clear understanding of how to transfer and draw your source image onto paper, and the confidence to continue practicing and exploring this versatile medium.

Supply List: All supplies included

Biography: Patricia Pasbrig is a contemporary realism artist celebrated for her richly textured mixed media paintings and sculptural gourds. Her artistic journey began in silence: after losing her hearing for twenty years, painting became her voice — a way to express emotions and stories that words could not convey.

Following her cochlear implant, Patricia regained her hearing and confidence, immersing herself in art classes, collaborations, and volunteer work at the Milan Art Institute. A pivotal encounter with a deaf and blind man, who recognized the subject of her painting through touch alone, inspired her lifelong passion for texture. Since then, she has developed a distinctive style she calls Contemporary Impressionism Realism, blending impressionistic light, realist detail, and abstract elements into tactile, multidimensional works.

Patricia’s career spans exhibitions at the Palm Room Gallery in Stuart, Florida, leadership as Treasurer of the Martin Artisans Guild, and the creation of a large-scale mural at Barbeque Beer Company. She has hosted Paint & Sip events, taught drawing and mixed media at the Hobe Sound Art League and earned awards for both her paintings and gourds.
Now based in Tennessee, Patricia continues to share her knowledge through commissioned works, teaching, and community engagement. Her art invites viewers not only to see, but to feel — bridging visual and tactile experience to evoke memory, nature, and human connection. Learn more at texturedstrokes.com.

Instructor Website: texturedstrokes.com

Class Content: You will create a piece of 2D felted art with the wet felting process, approximately 10 inches square. If you have no experience with wool felting, have no fear, we will go through every step together. Students will learn how to handle wool roving, how wool fibers and plant fibers behave when agitated, how to use prefelted pieces to create sharp designs, how to lay out wool fibers to achieve 2D art, and how to manipulate wool with water and soap to felt it all together! If you have prior experience, but want to play with a new technique like using plant fibers, then you will find lots of fibers to play with in our class.

I will supply all the wool fibers, plant fibers, prefelted fabrics, and other embellishments you will need.

Two of the photos are student work. They are lovely!

Supply List:

• 1 small bowl (1 quart)
• 5 dish towels
• 1 old bath towel
• sharp scissors

Biography: I have been teaching felting classes for two years, focusing on wet felting 2D art, creating small structures, and introducing the combination of plant fibers and wool fibers. I have felted many bags, garments, and sculptures in the last 11 years, and I am slightly obsessed with experimenting with all kinds of fabrics and all kinds of wool.

Instructor Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoolFeltedDesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav