Exploring Color with Pastels with Heather Quay

In this one-day workshop, we will work on understanding color and value, focusing on how to make informed color choices and create color harmony in a pastel painting. Color speaks to emotions when we view a painting, and knowing how to manipulate color and value allows us to shift and shape a painting’s mood. We will discuss the vocabulary of color (hue, chroma, value and temperature) and the way in which our perception of color can be influenced by the quality of light, by distance and by surrounding colors. In the morning, you will create a number of different studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring distinct schemes for color harmony. In the afternoon, you will create a larger piece, using the approach you find most appealing – there are no wrong choices! All students will have personalized feedback and guidance as you explore the pastel medium and see the power of color and value in a composition. This class is appropriate for all levels. A materials list will be provided in advance.

About the Instructor: Heather Quay

“My goal is to have my paintings capture the feeling of a particular time and place. I have always been fascinated by the way that painters portray the quality and temperature of light. As a pastel painter, I continue to be drawn to scenes where the light is the central character. Whatever I am painting – from landscapes, both natural and manmade, to figures, animals, and portraits – I’m always striving to render the light I see onto the surface of my artwork.”

Heather’s work has been included in juried exhibits across New England and online, and has won a number of awards. She is an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America, and a Signature Member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, the Connecticut Pastel Society and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Association, the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website. More about Heather and her work can be found at www.heatherquay.com

Materials list: