Online Class: Sunflowers in Pastels

  • Tuesday, May 21 - Friday, May 3
  • 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM MT
  • Online

Space is limited, registration required. Please email contact@gokm.org or call 505-946-1000 for assistance with event registration.

Join us to create your own beautiful sunflower painting using soft pastels!

Class will begin with a brief overview of Georgia O’Keeffe’s sunflower paintings. Then, instructor Deborah Shea will show participants how to use soft pastels and alcohol to create an under-painting, how to define large shapes and tones, and how to layer pastels to develop vibrant color and harmony for a radiant sunflower work.

Supplies needed for this class:

A beautiful sunflower (a real flower is best) or a photograph of a sunflower to reference during class
Uart 12 x 16 Premium Mounted Board, #600 and scrap pastel paper
Soft Pastels (not oil)
Kneaded eraser
Xacto knife
HB graphite pencil for sketching
Rubbing Alcohol, Brush and cup for under-painting
Pastel pencils in various colors for detail work
White charcoal pencil
Mask (always wear for pastel work!)
Paper towel for tapping off dust
Winsor & Newton Artguard Barrier Cream
Fixative for the finished drawing
Hand wipes


This class is suitable for youth ages 12 and up. Children are welcome to participate alongside their adults.

Space is limited, reservations required.

This program will take place via the video conferencing app – ZOOM. Details for accessing the Zoom meeting will be with your receipt upon registering and again sent via email the day prior. Please register in advance in order to access the program.

Note that all program times are in Mountain Time.

About the Instructor:
Deborah Shea was born and raised in San Francisco. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Design at UC Davis, where she studied with Wayne Thiebaud and Roland Peterson. A San Francisco Native, Deb spent over 20 years as a creative director, designer, and illustrator before becoming a full-time fine artist in 2017. She prefers to work in large-scale paintings, drawing the viewer in to experience her art. She has won numerous awards in juried and solo exhibitions and was one of seven artists chosen for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Exhibition for 2023 in Redwood City, California. She conducts pastel workshops and courses at Filoli, Pacific Art League, The Society of West Coast Artists, and her studio at Art Bias in San Carlos, California. Deb is pursuing her MFA at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She currently resides in Redwood City, California.

This class is being offered on a sliding scale.
$10; minimal fee.
$20; covers the cost of the class.

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