Mini & Mighty Color

Seasonal Inspirations & Spring Edition Workshop at Piano Nobile

Images: Poppies II, oil pastel on paper, 4x4 inches (available) (L); Teresa teaching at Piano Nobile (R)

Spring in Seattle reminds me of the creative process – it sometimes comes in fits and starts, it tricks you multiple times into thinking it’s all done, but really there are a few surprises around the bend. It’s all darkness, and then suddenly, it’s actually light out before 7a.m., energy is up! The flat, gray light of winter yields to yellow-green shafts of light in the afternoon and the floral rainbow that starts with daffodils, tulips, and bluebells starts the season's rolling show.

This spring, as the blooms pop up, I’m called to grab my oil pastels and capture those fleeting moments. I work quickly and translate the rainbow hues of the season into small drawings.

I've shared my process while teaching the Bold Landscape Miniatures workshop at Studio Piano Nobile a few times now, and every session reminds me why I love this medium so much — for artists or especially for people who think they "can't draw" or “cant’ paint.” Oil pastels are somewhat in between drawing and painting, and are very forgiving and immediate in a way that oil paint isn't. There's no drying time, no solvents, no setup anxiety. You press color into paper, you blend it with your finger or a rolled paper tool, and color alchemy happens. It’s fun just putting color onto paper, everything else is optional. Color alchemy and serendipity mix and surprises happen.

Next Oil Pastel Workshop - Spring Edition

For the next workshop on April 30th, we're leaning into the season. Think wildflowers, meadow edges, spring garden landscapes — the loose, impressionistic way that spring looks when you catch it out of the corner of your eye. We'll work from landscape photographs as our inspiration but the goal isn't photographic accuracy. The goal is to get the feeling of the scene — color shapes and contrasts that express light on petals, on a sunny hillside, or through the early spring trees.

Here's what you'll walk away with: 2-4 original mini oil pastel drawings on fine art paper, your own oil pastel kit to keep working at home, and — I hope — a genuine sense of surprise at what your hands and brain can do.

No prior art experience necessary. This workshop is genuinely beginner-friendly. I've watched people walk in convinced they have zero artistic ability and walk out with artwork  they're proud of. The medium offers a way into art making that is very accessible.

Details:

• Date: Thursday, April 30, 6–9pm

• Location: Studio Piano Nobile, 6615 Dayton Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 (Lower brick building at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, free adjacent parking available in the lower lot)

• Cost: $130 (includes all materials, light refreshments, and an oil pastel kit to take home)

• Register: Bold Landscape Miniatures — Spring Edition

  
  

Space is limited, workshops are small by design, which means you actually get time and attention. If you've been looking for a low-pressure, high-fun spring evening out, this is it. Bring a friend or two!

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Looking ahead: I'll also have new paintings on view at Lighthouse Coffee Roasters in May — luminous waterscapes contrasting muted peach-pink and jewel tones of transitional light over the water. More on that soon.