Delaware Valley Art League

Monthly Meeting, Demonstration, and Workshop

 

MEMBERSHIP MEETING:

March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Demo: Paula Brown - Landscape Pastel Painting with a Splash

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​WORKSHOP:

March 25, 2026 (Wednesday) 

10:00am - 3:00pm

(register soon! this workshop is limited to 13 artists)

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Artist's Bio:

Paula Brown is a "Heartist" whose paintings find and reflect the heart of nature and light. Her work has gained her national and international awards as well as signature status in both Philadelphia and Maryland Pastel Societies. Her most recent honor is being named a 2025 Fellow by the Delaware Arts Council. She has taught workshops and classes on both coasts from Los Angeles, CA to Wilinington, DE in pastels, oils, and watercolor with line for Heart Scape Journaling.

 

Paula is a BFA graduate of the University of Washington, WA. She held a career as a Creative Director of "essence" identity for international brands with ad agencies on both West and East Coasts. She was invited to teach Creativity at UCSD, San Diego, and teaching pastels, oils, in SoCal; Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.

 

Some of her honors include being juried into SoCal and National shows by Richard McKinley, Steven Shriver, Jeremy Tessmer, Kim Lordier, Nathan Volk (Sullivan Goss). She has been juried into Philadelphia National Pastel and Central Massachusetts Pastel Society International shows. And has been honored and selected by the Delaware Arts Council to be a 2025 Fellow. After resettling in Wilmington, DE, 2023, she has become a member of Delaware Valley Art League, Signature Member of both Philadelphia Pastel Society, and the Maryland Pastel Society. She currently teaches pastels and art at the Delaware Art Museum.

 

Paula invites you to visit her "Heart Art" website: www.paulabrowncreative.com

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Demonstration and Workshop Information:

Paula will be doing a demo showing a few watercolor underpainting options supporting and springing from the artist's emotional intent for creating a landscape (or nature scape) painting. What advantages are given to you working from the base of a watercolor "story" foundation? You can avoid "blank paper" stall-outs, map out a painting from the heart and mind, save on media, and loosen up so you can dive into pastel marking with a Splash!

 

What happens when you create an intent-filled foundation for your pastel landscape painting that flows with the loose strokes of a watercolor underpainting? A splash of creativity to usher infinite ways to support your pastel masterpiece.

 

In this workshop, Paula will go over quick demos to show and guide the "how-tos" and "whys" of starting a pastel painting with a loose splashy watercolor underpainting. She will offer suggestions of paper, media, and how emotional intent can influence composition and focus of your pastel painting.

 

Paint from one of Paula's photo sources or bring your own to jump in and experiment with how water DOES partner with and has keen relationship with pastels.

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Supply List:

 

Pastel Colors: At least 5 soft pastels in each hue plus a soft white pastel (Basic Hues: Primary: blue, red, yellow, Secondary: green, purple, orange ranging from very light to very dark, in both warm and cool. (Ex: reds ranging from lightest pink to deep red, in warm and cool reds.)

*Brands I like and use are:

Soft pastels; Mount Vision

Extra Soft; Art Spectrum, Sennelier

Very soft pastels; Schmincke

Harder pastels; Rembrandt for wider mark painting than the below Hard Sticks.

 

Hard Pastel Sticks are narrow and necessary for underpainting and base marks. I like NuPastel, Creatacolor or Prismacolor, and/or Conte sticks for line and underpainting. PLEASE NOTE: NuPastel sticks are now discontinued...but you can buy them in sets.

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Foundation colors for hard sticks: GET AT LEAST ONE Violet, Dark Green /or darkest purple or green you can find. Found at Dakota Pastels and Blick online EXAMPLES: CreataColor: Dark Blue: #48239, NuPastel: Bottle Green CreataColor: 48125, NuPastel: 244-P.

 

Special pastel colors: One stick each (find at Blick Art), Sennelier Paris Dark bhit 463 and dark grn 179, Art Spectrum Extra Soft Flinders Violet Blue.

 

PAPER: SANDED! Neutral colors (white, cream), size: Bring at least 2-9xl2 inch sheets of your choice: Multimedia Art Board, Pastel Artist Panels, UArt 400-500 grit, or Pastel Mat in light beige or white... or any pastel paper you like and KNOW takes water. You may wish to also bring a sheet of your chosen paper to cut down to a 5x7 size to experiment with then go to a larger size format.

 

OTHER MATERIALS:

 

• Please bring your own standing easel.

 

• Small dish size towel to put pastels on.

 

• Backing boards: at least 2-12xl6 inch Mat art board, gator board or foam core (inexpensive foam core at Dollar Tree).

 

• Sketchbook: (FOR NOTANS PRIOR TO PAINTING) At least 6x9 inch journal size or 8 x 10 inch preferred), soft pencils, eraser, and at least 3 grey value wide tip felt markers (Grey scale (warm or cool) one dark: #8-9, one medium: #5, one light: #2-3...or more if you wish), one fine tip permanent black sharpie marker

 

• Color wheel

 

• Masking tape (neutral color: tan, white or black. No blue or green tape, please)

 

• Isopropyl alcohol (70%)

 

• Container with lid for your water or Isopropyl alcohol use and paper towels or rags for clean-up, hand wipes

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• For watercolor underpainting:

An inexpensive watercolor set with its own lid palette (prefer large pans not small paint pans) Brush: A medium flat #10 or wider size man made bristle brush (no sable brushes!)

 

• Your ipad or electronic device for photo and use for source reference. Large portfolio bag or container to carry all... can have wheels, carry bag or back pack.

 

• A sense of fun and sharing!

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​Click on the Workshop Registration Button below to secure your spot!

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Paula Brown's workshop is limited to the first 13 artists.

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PLEASE NOTE: The cost of workshops is $50.00 for members and $60.00 for non-members.

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