Playing With Colour To Create Unique and Bold Paintings
Friday, 7 April 2023
Painting Workshops & Retreats
with Gail Sibley
Upcoming Schedule
2024
Tasmania
17 - 27 March 2024
🌞 Gillian has done a tremendous job and at the moment we are sold out. If you’re interested you can get on the WAITLIST by emailing Gillian: info@Artable.com.au 🤞
Australia (Melbourne & Gold Coast)
2024 - To be determined
Since I’ve had a lot of interest to teach on mainland Australia and in New Zealand, Gillian offered to take on the job of organizing all that for me. Whew!! And I’ll be teaching TWO five-day workshops on mainland Australia (Gold Coast and Melbourne).
New Zealand
2024 - To be determined
Gillian and I are deep in organizing for me to teach a couple of workshops in New Zealand – YES!!! Can hardly wait! I’ll keep you posted!!
Tuscany
November 2024
10-day workshop in November at the Villa Nobile in Tuscany. Still finalizing exact dates. The workshop will be a combo of sketching on location, pastel technique in the studio, and how to take your sketches and photos and create successful studio paintings.
2025
France - Perigord Region
15-24 April 2025
🍷 The Perigord region of FRANCE!! The dates are set and the details should be available this weekend!!
Costa Rica
2025 - To be determined
There’s a possibility of another trip in 2025 with Martine, the fab organizer of our Costa Rica Art Retreat. Let me know if you’re at all interested!!
Santa Fe, New Mexico
2025 - To be determined
We’re working on setting this up with Bluebird Studios!! If you’re interested, do drop Beth an email to let her know! And let me know too please!
Past Events
Cornwall School of Art - 3-day workshop
3-5 July 2023
Introduction to painting en plein air painting with soft pastels. We will explore the process of painting on location, from how to choose what to paint, to simplifying the scene, to working up a thumbnail. From there you will block in the big shapes, and move towards a completed painting. Along with plein air work, there will be some in-studio practice which will include looking at pastel application and layering, making colour studies, and reviewing linear perspective. There will be plenty of one-on-one attention throughout the workshop.
Yorkshire Dales
14-22 June 2023
Painting en plein air is all about being in the moment, documenting the view, yes, but also capturing the feeling of being where you are. And this means letting go of perfection! This location is new to me so we will be discovering it together. I’ll be with you to guide you, one-on-one, through the ups and downs of painting on location. Sooo exciting!
ICAN (Pastel Artists Canada Bi-Annual Conference)
31 May - 4 June 2023
- a one-day workshop all about layering for luminous paintings
- a three-hour workshop on how to critique your own paintings
- a two-hour demo on colour studies
Pastel Live Online
18 - 20 August 2022
This online event was wonderful 4 day event that had many great pastel artists share thier knowledge. One of my sessions was on materials for pastel painting and the second session was a fantastic look at painting still life. It was a blast!
IAPS Convention - Albuquerque, New Mexico
June 2022
Gail balances her art practice with creating content for her well-respected blog ‘HowToPastel’ and her online art membership IGNITE! She loves to travel and combines that with her love of teaching, offering workshops worldwide. Her pastels and accompanying instruction are featured in the book ‘Artist’s Drawing Techniques.’
TUSCANY
May 2022
During this 10-day workshop, our focus will be working from life. Much of our time together will be spent painting outdoors on location but since we are lucky enough to have a studio on site, we’ll also spend some time there too.
We’ll go through the process of creating a painting en plein air step-by-step, from choosing what you’re going to paint, to simplifying the scene, to drawing up a thumbnail (a getting-to-know-you tool which also shapes a value pattern for your painting as well as a good composition), to blocking in the big shapes as an
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Favorite Tutorials
The Making Of “Black Hats” – From Concept To IAPS Exhibition
Friday, 31 March 2023
Find Something To Paint En Plein Air Every Time!
Friday, 24 March 2023
My Painting Is Finished! Or Is It?
Friday, 7 October 2022
Rearrange Elements In A Photo For A Better Painting
Friday, 8 April 2022
Seeing Colour In Greys – “Sipping Patrón”
Thursday, 3 February 2022
Embracing The Imperfection In Plein Air Painting
Friday, 13 August 2021
Translating Your Thumbnails – Painting From Your Black, White, and Grey Sketch
Friday, 9 July 2021
Latest Edition
Paint The BIG Shapes First
Friday, 24 November 2023
Painting the big shapes first establishes the composition and value pattern. Big shapes give your work an underlying strength. Let’s look at five examples!
Guest Artists
Margaret Evans gives some workshop supply advice
Thursday, 27 June 2013
When I was at IAPS this year, I met Margaret Evans for the first time. I knew that she was a much liked pastel instructor from Scotland who teaches workshops around the world. Many of
Michelle Lucking – The Abstraction Of Underwater Swimmers
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Have you ever been mesmerized by the distortions of shape and colour of a figure swimming underwater? Yes me too. And I’m always in awe of those artists who take up the challenge of recreating
Arlene Richman – Abstract Painter At Heart
Monday, 20 April 2015
I’ve been following the work of Arlene Richman for sometime now. I remember when I first came across her work – it was a pastel of abstracted chair patterns. Recently she’s been doing abstracts full
Bernadette deCesare: Eyes of Realism, Heart of Abstraction
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
I came across the work of Bernadette deCesare a couple of years ago and have featured her pieces twice in my Monthly RoundUp blogs – in Feb 2015 and then a year later. I’m fascinated
Richard Suckling – Studio Artist Takes On Plein Air Painting
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Bright and bold were the words that came to mind when I first saw the work of UK artist Richard Suckling. His work dazzles with colour and light. I featured his work last March and
Desmond O’Hagan – Figuring It Out
Friday, 21 February 2020
I remember many many years ago, seeing a fabulous painting of a Caribbean scene reproduced in a magazine (I think it was an airline magazine…?). I was blown away by its colour, the confident application
Michele Ashby – My Children As Muse
Thursday, 18 April 2019
Over the last couple of years, I’ve featured three pastel paintings by Michele Ashby in my round-ups. Each time was of a different subject: a spiral staircase, a dog portrait, and a figure piece. Such
The Secrets To A Good Composition – 20 Masters Share!
Saturday, 11 January 2020
Good composition. A simple idea yet not so simple to create a strong and effective one! Through my years developing as an artist, creating a good composition was definitely one of the things that I
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Gail Sibley
Artist. Blogger. Teacher.
My love of pastel and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about pastel inspired the creation of this blog. It has tips, reviews, some opinions:), and all manner of information regarding their use through the years – old and new. Please enjoy!
15 thoughts on “Workshops and Retreats”
Hi Gail,
I am interested in updates/info. Concerning your 2018 plein air France workshop. I am a relatively new follower of yours and just love what I’ve seen and learned thus far. Thank you for your willingness to share your abundant knowledge.
Fondly,
Elliott West
Hi Elliott,
Thanks for your kind words.
As to the 2018 workshop, it may be in Spain as I just love the look of the accommodation and the setting (which is new to me). Will that make a difference? http://frenchescapade.com/painting-tours-teacher-gail/
Nothing is confirmed yet and I do LOVE the Provence region of France so… Let me know!
Gail
Hi Gail,
Thanks for the reply. I would be happy in France or Spain. I’ll trust your judgement on which is best. Please keep me updated.
Elliott West
Wonderful Elliot – I will!
Hi Gail,
I enjoy your work and website. As an old Guy I don’t do international travel any longer but
I live in Comox on Vancouver island . Are you planning any workshops here on the Coast ?
Chris Carter
Hi Chris,
Good to hear from you and know you are enjoying my stuff 🙂
I did just offer a workshop at Peninsula Gallery. The answer to your question is yes, I’d like to. Is there anyone else up your way who would be interested in a workshop? It would be great to offer a workshop in Nanaimo/Comox Valley region!
I live in Calgary so i would LOVE a workshop in the West Coast!
Or why not Calgary itself? Banff is very close and we have some amazing parks / downtown area / rivers (2), historic village and fort to paint in town. I can help organize it if you need assistance with that…
Patricia, let’s do it!! Your help to organize something either in Calgary or Banff will make it happen. Please email me!
I do have the occasional workshop out here on the west coast – sometimes on Salt Spring Island.
I don’t live in Canada but would love to take from you somewhere, I subscribed to how to paint pastels.com earlier and have watched you on you tube. I love your work.
Thanks so much Hannah!! You don’t say where you live but my hope is to do workshops all over the world. As a subscriber, you’ll be the first to know where I’ll be teaching next. A number of possibilities in the cards!
I’m looking forward to more information regarding the way the art holiday in Tuscany will be organized by Raffaele. I spent 10 days with Raffaele when he was the tour director for an Art Safari holiday I took in Malta. He is very conscientious and concerned about his clients and is also lots of fun to be around. Tuscany, pastels and Gail …..great combo
Many thanks Joyce for sharing your own positive experience on an art tour with Raffaele. I am excited to be doing this painting holiday workshop with his company! Hoping from what you’ve said that I’ll see you there! Whoo hoo!
At this point we don’t have a clear itinerary for the 10-days but Raffaele emailed me a generic 7-day one which will give you an idea. So email me and I’ll send it on.
Thanks Gail
I’d like to see the generic 7 day itinerary that Raffaele sent you.
I am interested to know about the travel arrangements within the holiday as
I sometimes find getting around in mini buses can be difficult for me. Perhaps all such considerations will be ironed out nearer to the time. Sure sounds tempting!
Joyce, I’ll send you the itinerary. I’ll also let you know more in November when Raffaele will have time to focus on getting the info up on his website. Thanks for your interest and patience. Hope to see you in Tuscany!