Explore The Lessons & Classes
As a Pastel Insider, you’ll receive two new lessons each month—released on the 1st and 3rd Fridays—designed to build confidence with PanPastel and pastel pencils. Each class explores different subjects, techniques, and creative approaches.
Your membership also includes access to a growing library of 70+ lessons, organized into two formats:
Private Lessons (51+ and growing):
These are fully exclusive to members and include everything you need: printable line art, supply lists, reference images, and step-by-step video instruction.
Hybrid Lessons (23+):
Created using an earlier format, these combine members-only videos with one or two public livestream replays. The livestreams show parts of the real-time process, while the private content fills in the structure and steps. Each lesson also includes exclusive original printable line art so you can paint along with me. (Some supply lists are linked in the livestream description—I’m currently updating these.)
Private Lessons (51+ and growing):
These are fully exclusive to members and include everything you need: original printable line art, supply lists, reference images, and step-by-step video instruction. Some classes have multiple lessons
In this lesson, we begin with what might look like a simple value study — but it’s really more of an intention study. Together, we’ll set the tone for the piece by exploring qualities like whimsy, lightness, ethereal clouds, and playful mark-making. Rather than focusing only on mapping values, we’ll look at how intention and composition work hand in hand to support the painting.
Using the strength of a cruciform composition, I’ll guide you through bite-sized steps that make the process approachable and fun. You’ll learn how to create both simple and more detailed owl faces, giving you the flexibility to adapt the piece to your comfort level. From there, we’ll bring the scene to life with color — using light, imaginative choices to emphasize the whimsy and spirit of the painting.
The finished piece, a family of owls nestled in a dreamlike setting, becomes a Garden of Wisdom: a symbolic reflection of community, protection, and creative insight.
This colorful new class is all about creating vibrant, expressive mini abstracts—each one built from a limited palette of my favorite rainbow-inspired colors. We’ll create three separate pieces using approachable abstract structures, and then I’ll show you how to bring them together into a cohesive, joyful series.
The heart of this class is the Composition Deep Dive—a dedicated video where I reveal the core principle behind strong abstract work: composition. You’ll learn how simple structure (not randomness!) gives abstract art its power. I’ll walk you through three of my go-to formats—Circle, Grid, and Cruciform—and share how I plan focal points, flow, and balance. We’ll also create thumbnail sketches together so you can warm up and apply these concepts on your own.
In this portrait class, we’ll begin with a solid foundation—learning to map structure, block in color, and create realistic yet approachable skin tones. I’ll share my simple process for understanding a range of skin tones so you can approach portraits with more confidence.
Once our base is in place, the fun begins. We’ll loosen up, play with patterns, add whimsical details, and weave our subject into a vibrant, abstract environment using PanPastel and pastel pencils. You’ll discover how to blend realism with imaginative mark making, creating a portrait that feels alive with personality, color, and texture.
This step-by-step class is designed to spark your creativity while giving you practical tools for portrait work—whether you want to paint faces more often or simply explore new ways to combine structure and play.
Mini Landscape Magic is one of my most popular soft pastel classes—a playful and inspiring journey into creating a series of three expressive mini landscapes.
You’ll learn how to loosen up, simplify reference photos, push color and value, and bring a cohesive gallery-style feel to your work. We’ll explore alcohol underpainting, color harmony, and easy techniques for adding drama and depth—while keeping things joyful and intuitive.
The class includes a curated bundle of 22 printable 3x4 photo references and a custom mat template for framing your 5x7 series. You'll finish with a collection of small landscapes that feel expressive, connected, and uniquely yours.
Wings of Value This two-part class is all about unlocking your creative confidence through the power of value. We’ll begin with a neutral gray study, where you'll learn how to break down your subject into simplified shapes and map the core values clearly. I’ll guide you in training your eye to see value accurately—one of the most essential (and overlooked) skills in art.
Then, we’ll bring the piece to life in full color. You’ll learn how to translate your value map into expressive, confident strokes using PanPastel. I’ll show you how to see value more clearly in color—and how that understanding can help you make bolder, more intentional choices in your paintings.
Whether you’re new to pastels or looking to deepen your skills, this is a foundational class that can truly elevate your art. You’ll come away with a better eye, a stronger process, and a beautiful bird painting that reflects it all.
School of Thoughts In this expressive portrait class, we explore how thoughts swirl like a school of fish—sometimes quiet, sometimes overwhelming—shaping how we feel and create. The water around them represents the emotional current we all navigate, and how learning to trust the flow can transform your art.
This is one of my most in-depth portrait classes yet. You’ll work with a rich complementary palette of ultramarine blues and siennas to build skin tones, luminous shadows, and expressive contrast. I’ll guide you step-by-step through two phases:
• Phase One: map structure, value, and color
• Phase Two: soften, refine, and deepen the emotion
Whether you're newer to portrait work or ready to grow your skills with PanPastel, this class blends color theory, technique, and symbolism into a process that’s both powerful and personal.
This beginner-friendly lesson is the perfect place to start if you’ve been wanting to explore stick pastels—but haven’t known where to begin. You’ll learn how to combine the smooth ease of PanPastel with the texture and depth of soft pastel sticks, using underpainting as a guide to help you stay grounded in value and composition.
Whether you’re new to soft pastels or you’ve collected sticks and haven’t yet built confidence using them, this lesson offers a creative, supportive path forward. You’ll discover how PanPastel and stick pastels can work together beautifully—each bringing something unique to your process.
In this whimsical, collage-inspired lesson, we bring together symbolic elements—flowers, clouds, a crown, and a gentle, soulful face—into one expressive, layered composition. Inspired by my background in altered journaling, this approach invites you to explore visual storytelling through playful structure and intuitive assembly.
We work with a limited, harmonious color palette built around a complementary scheme, showing how to create cohesion and contrast that feels both bold and delicate. I’ll also guide you in using PanPastel to build soft, ethereal moments—especially in areas like the clouds—while balancing that softness with defined line and form to guide the viewer’s eye.
In this peaceful and playful lesson, we’ll create a radiant scene that feels like a sanctuary — a resting place for light, color, and creative growth. Using just 12 PanPastels, I’ll guide you step by step through this beginner-friendly process, showing you how to create harmony through a limited palette and build confidence with layering and value.
Together, we’ll explore the magic of color relationships, simplify complex forms, and learn how light can become a guiding force in your composition. This is a perfect place to start if you’re new to soft pastel — or if you’re looking for a joyful reset to reconnect with your creative spark.
Reimagining Line Art with Black PanPastel and Gold Accents
In this lesson, I’m showing you the exciting possibilities of reimagining line art from a previous full-color painting. I love having one foot in the vibrant world of color and the other in the quiet elegance of black and white with touches of gold. There’s something magical that happens when you limit your palette—it opens new perspectives and helps you see your work in a whole new light.
We’ll use Black PanPastel, erasers, and a few gold details to create depth, contrast, and soft illumination. I’ll guide you through shaping facial features using value, drawing out light with erasers, and adding delicate gold embellishments to bring rhythm and elegance into the piece.
This gentle sea otter became a symbol for me—a quiet messenger reminding me to trust my intuition, move with the current, and return to the healing power of play. In this step-by-step lesson, we’ll explore how incorporating animal symbolism can bring deeper connection and intention into your painting practice. Otters represent emotional fluidity, curiosity, and joy as medicine—qualities that invite us to loosen our grip and create without pressure.
As we build this glowing piece together, you’ll learn how to use complementary color combinations to simplify your palette and strengthen your composition. I’ll show you how to create luminous light effects, explore different types of water textures, and add fun details like floating bubbles. We’ll also focus on using cool and warm tones to build atmosphere, and how value can guide your eye and help bring clarity to your work.
In Floral Play, we’re mixing structure with spontaneity to create a vibrant, expressive bouquet full of movement and life. You’ll get a rare peek behind the scenes as I show you how I built the original line art for this piece—giving you fun drawing techniques you can try in your own way. From there, we’ll let loose with bold strokes, playful mark-making, and juicy layers of color. We’ll also tap into a double complementary color scheme to bring balance and harmony without overthinking it. Most of all, this lesson is about giving yourself permission to explore, take risks, and bring more joy and freedom into your painting process.
In The Composition Within, we’ll explore how building a strong foundation can actually create more freedom in your painting process. I’ll guide you through how I created my own toned paper underpainting and used a value sketch to plan the lighting, helping bring clarity and glow to an otherwise abstract environment. You’ll learn how to use the Cruciform composition as a powerful tool to make confident choices, balancing structure with intuitive mark-making. Through PanPastel and pastel pencils, we’ll bring this radiant rabbit to life—merging thoughtful planning with expressive play, and discovering how composition and value work hand-in-hand to support a vibrant and luminous piece.
Are you ready to embark on a captivating journey with me? In Interconnectivity, we’ll explore how to create luminous, expressive artwork using just four essential tools: black PanPastel, a Sofft Tool applicator, erasers, and mixed media paper. Prepare to be amazed as I unveil the mesmerizing magic that can be achieved with these simple yet powerful materials—trust me, the results are truly breathtaking!
This lesson is a quiet, radiant exploration of value, contrast, and symbolism. Working entirely in black and white, we’ll use thoughtful value placement and eraser techniques to lift light from darkness—bringing this glowing bee and lotus to life and expressing the quiet power of connection through subtle shifts in tone.
Replay Now Available from our Pastel Insider Member live event. Together, we'll explore techniques to create dramatic lighting and depth using PanPastel and pastel pencils.
A Mixed Media Adventure with Black PanPastel.
Ignite your creativity with Simply Magic 2, a step-by-step course where you’ll create a stunning 18x24 whimsical guide infused with your personal Word of the Year. Choose from six hand-drawn inspirational words—or craft your own—and bring deeper meaning to your creative journey.
Dive into the limitless potential of PanPastel and pastel pencils as we craft mesmerizing layers of texture and explore the art of blending abstract elements into your work. This class offers a step-by-step look at my creative process, honed over years, to help you unlock techniques that make your art truly unique. Plus, enjoy the flexibility of using provided line art, so you can focus on painting and let your creativity flow.
Are you ready to embark on a captivating journey with me? Together, we'll explore creating stunning artwork using only five essential tools: black PanPastel, Sofft Tool applicators, erasers, mixed media paper, and the extraordinary gold paint from Golden. So brace yourself for the enchanting results that await you!
In this class, we’ll dive into the magic of soft pastels as we use PanPastel and pastel pencils to create a whimsical bird scene. I’ll guide you step-by-step through blending vibrant colors, adding whimsical details, and using light to bring depth and radiance to your artwork. Together, we’ll explore how value and light can transform your art and bring it to life!
Join me in this soft pastel class as we explore the limitless possibilities of PanPastel and uncover the key steps to unlocking your creativity. Dive into simplified composition, value, and color while learning techniques to make your artwork truly unique. Together, we’ll build luminous layers of light, creating color harmony that makes your painting glow.
In this lesson, I’ll guide you through a comprehensive overview of soft pastels with a focus on PanPastel, sharing insights from my years of experience with this incredible medium. To make the process easy, I’ve included two pre-drawn owl templates—no drawing required! You’ll also learn about the supplies that ensure a positive and rewarding pastel experience. By breaking down the mysteries of this beautiful medium, my goal is to leave you feeling empowered and inspired to create with confidence.
Unlock your imagination and explore a world of vibrant colors and luminous light in this enchanting online class. Using PanPastel and pastel pencils, you’ll learn to create whimsical terrariums—magical worlds of flowers, foliage, and light that symbolize nurturing inner happiness. Dive into my techniques and insights to bring these joyful creations to life!
Join me on a journey to explore the endless potential of pastels as I share the creative process I’ve developed over the past seven years. Inspired by the bumblebee and its connection to nature, this class invites you to capture their energy and spirit in your own artwork. I’m excited to share this meaningful experience with you.
Hybrid Lessons (23+):
Created using an earlier format, these combine members-only videos with one or two public livestream replays. The livestreams show parts of the real-time process, while the private content fills in the structure and steps. Each lesson also includes exclusive original printable line art so you can paint along with me. (Some supply lists are linked in the livestream description—I’m currently updating these.)
Step into the world of Imaginative Portraits, where creativity meets transformation. In this lesson, you’ll witness my own artistic journey—navigating challenges, making adjustments, and finding harmony between the portrait and its imaginative environment. This is one of my more challenging lessons, so I recommend watching it through first before diving in. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable insights into problem-solving, composition, and embracing the unexpected in your art.
Loosen up and explore my signature approach to mark-making and abstraction! In The Joy of Figurative Abstraction, you'll create a luminous figurative piece using PanPastel and pastel pencils, embracing color, texture, and spontaneity.
Discover the magic of color and light in Dreamscapes! In this soft pastel lesson, you’ll learn how to use light as a guide to create depth, contrast, and a glowing atmosphere in your landscape. Through intuitive mark-making and rich layers of PanPastel, you’ll bring a dreamy, imaginative scene to life. Perfect for artists looking to explore bold color choices and expressive techniques.
In this lesson, we’ll dive into the magic of creating glowing light using PanPastel and pastel pencils. You’ll see how subtle shifts in value and contrast can bring depth and atmosphere to your work. Watch as I build up rich layers, blend soft transitions, and add those final crisp details that make the mushrooms feel illuminated from within. This process is all about playing with light and shadow to create a sense of wonder.
Step into a world of vibrant color, intricate patterns, and glowing light as we bring this abstract-inspired bird to life! In this PanPastel and pastel pencil lesson, you’ll explore how to layer rich colors, use stencils for dynamic textures, and create luminosity that makes your artwork shine.
This lesson is a perfect introduction to creating abstract paintings with confidence. We’ll start with the core fundamentals of composition, explore intuitive color choices, and tap into creative decision-making. Using PanPastel, pastel pencils, and stencils, I’ll guide you step by step through the process of building an expressive abstract painting.
Discover how light and shadow work together to transform a flat surface into a beautifully sculpted form. In this lesson, we’ll use the chiaroscuro technique to bring a sense of drama and depth to a striking horse painting. You'll also explore multiple approaches to painting hair, from bold, simple strokes to finely detailed textures, while learning how to harmonize colors for a rich and cohesive final piece.
Explore the power of value in this week’s lesson, Amanita. Using a limited complementary color palette, learn step-by-step how to create depth and light in an imaginative portrait. Includes original line art to help you bring your own version of Amanita to life!
We’re diving into the exciting world of freeform abstract painting together. Using PanPastel, pastel pencils, and stencils, I’ll help make sense of creating an abstract and guide you to loosen up along the way. Discover how to create a solid base layer using stencils and fixative, so you can paint over it without disrupting the base layer—letting the stencil design shine through! It’s such an inspiring and fun technique that I can’t wait to share with you.
This vibrant and whimsical painting brings two owls to life in a magical scene that’s perfect for sparking your creativity. In this lesson, we’ll explore how to create soft mist and atmospheric clouds using PanPastel, while also incorporating the stunning shimmer of Gold PanPastel to add a touch of magic and light.
Discover the magic of mixed media as we combine vibrant, splashy watercolor with the power of soft pastels on UART 600 Sanded Pastel Paper. I’ll guide you step-by-step to layer bold, dynamic colors, add glowing textures, and finish with playful mark-making using pastel pencils. This lesson is all about creating striking details and bringing your owl to life with depth and personality!
Join me in this third creative exploration as we combine watercolor and soft pastel to bring an abstract piece to life. We’ll begin with a vibrant, fluid watercolor underpainting on UART 600 Sanded Pastel Paper, laying the foundation for a glowing, dynamic cruciform composition. Next, I’ll show you how to elevate the piece with soft pastel, layering rich, vibrant colors to create depth. With expressive mark-making, pastel pencil, and stick details, we’ll add texture and light into this joyful piece.
Combine watercolor and soft pastel to bring this imaginative figure to life on UART 600 Sanded Pastel Paper. Start with a vibrant watercolor underpainting, then layer rich colors and soft skin tones with pastel. Add texture, highlights, and personality with expressive mark-making and pastel pencil details for a glowing, dynamic finish!
Discover the connection between the spiritual and natural worlds in this inspiring lesson. Using PanPastel and pastel pencils, I'll guide you step-by-step to create a glowing, symbolic piece featuring animal spirit guides. Explore layering techniques, soft textures, and vibrant hues to bring your artwork to life.
This week’s piece, Muse of Creativity, brings vibrant energy to life with PanPastel and pastel pencils on UART Dark 600 sanded paper. Discover my unique layering technique that starts with a smooth PanPastel underpainting, followed by lively, scribbled textures. I hope this inspires you to explore your own personal mark-making.
Join me as I share with you how I bring The Oracle to life using only Black PanPastel and erasers. Watch as I block in values, create intricate line work with the Mono Zero Pen Eraser, and add light and texture to the full moon and raven. You’ll also discover how I use erasers to create a misty, foggy effect, adding depth and atmosphere to the scene.
Unlock the secrets to creating confident abstracts with Path to Abstract! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to build structure, establish focal points, and bring a glowing light to your work through a balanced composition. Watch as we transform an initial drawing into a vibrant abstract, step by step, making each layer come alive. Perfect for those looking to explore the freedom of abstract with a solid foundation!
Join me as I bring The Enchanted Realm to life! This week, I’ll be drawing inspiration from playful tree frogs and adding a collage vibe with stencils and creative elements. You’ll see how easy it is to experiment with soft pastels as I incorporate pastel pencils and whimsical mark-making, layering to elevate the piece.
Discover the power of light and shadow in Guided By Value, where we explore creating depth and contrast using the magic of black PanPastels, stencils, and erasers. This lesson is all about trusting the creative process and letting value guide your artistic journey.
This week we're creating The Dreamer, a whimsical soft pastel painting. I’ll guide you through establishing structure at the start, then breaking it down as the painting evolves, allowing each element to connect organically. We’ll use pastel pencils for texture and finish with a few pastel sticks for the final touches.
Join me as I bring this whimsical bird to life! I’ll be sharing with you my loose and colorful approach to abstract painting. We are focusing on play and incorporating fun mark-making techniques. I’ll be using PanPastel, pastel pencils, and sticks!
Unlock access to two new step-by-step soft pastel classes/lessons each month, plus original line art to guide your creative process. Each lesson is filmed with care to help you build confidence and grow your skills. Enjoy instant full access to a growing library of 70+ lessons — past, present, and future. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to go deeper, this membership supports your creative journey.