Pastel Still Life workshop with Roberta Combs, SFCA

Mar 22nd - 23rd, 2025

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (PDT) 

Open to All Levels!

Federation Academy on Granville Island,  1310 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3S1 

Medium: Pastel

Workshop Overview:

“Still Life is my favorite choice to paint because it can be a simple, uncluttered presentation, or as complex as any painting I have ever tackled. If you think Still Life may be boring, simplistic, and unchallenging, then maybe its time to take another look.”

The choices you can find in your own home at any given time, make Still life subjects more available and convenient than any other subject matter. Reach for sparkling glassware, reflective metals, toys or colorful textured fruit, old books, and heirloom vases with showy flowers. Fabrics, carpets, patterned wall coverings, or wood surfaces are all interchangeable supports for each new painting. Anything that doesn’t get up and walk away can be transformed in your composition by light and color and you don’t even have to leave the building.

Still life is a close-up, non intimidating subject that will help you focus on choosing and blending colors. Learn how to create textures and surfaces such as glass or fabric. The items in the composition are familiar and the composition is compact and manageable. Pastels are very effective when building your painting, subtly blending your colors, and creating depth, drama, and light. This is where you feel in control of your choices and application.

This workshop will include:

· Recognizing basic compositions that work

· Capturing photographs with impact

· Assessing your values

· The roll of shadows in your composition

· How to create textures and effects

· Color choices that may surprise you 

You will be encouraged to try the best pastels available in the world from Roberta’s own selection (including Great American, Sennelier, Unison, Richeson, J Luda) to become more familiar with brands you may like. Throughout the workshop, you will receive visual demonstrations and one-on-one guidance that will help you assess your color choices and improve your approach. 

Whether you are currently a pastel artist or you would like to learn how to paint with the velvety jewel colors soft pastel has to offer, this workshop is suitable for every level of painting skill. All information will be useful for novices to more established painters.

The goal is to improve aspects of your current painting abilities. 

With Roberta’s personal attention, you will work on strengthening weaker areas and challenge yourself to reach a new level of achievement. 

Join us for this opportunity to share the comradery of other artists and experience this workshop with an internationally acclaimed Master Pastelist whose first passion is Still Life painting.

About the Instructor - Roberta Combs, SFCA 

Roberta Combs has been awarded First Place for her Still Life paintings in the Pastel Journal Magazine’s international Pastel 100 competition three times with multiple other placement awards. Her paintings have been featured in several issues of magazines including International Artist, Pastel Journal and Southwest Art.

Her paintings have been shown in prestigious galleries across North America as well as several European countries.

Website:  Roberta Combs Fine Art