Online Class: Autumn Leaves in Pastels

Georgia O’Keeffe collected organic souvenirs, from stones and shells to feathers and bones. While at Lake George, she also delighted in gathering leaves that appealed to her for the striking diversity of their shape and coloring. She created twenty-nine leaf pictures between 1922 and 1931, all based on the leaves she collected at Lake George. The leaves reflect the crux of O’Keeffe’s art: the fusion of objectivity and abstraction as a means of expressing her inner emotions. In these works, O’Keeffe transforms the lines and colors of the objective form – a leaf – into an abstract composition.

In this class, participants will start with a brief overview of Georgia’s O’Keeffe’s leaf paintings and will then begin their journey into pastels by defining the large shapes and tones, creating an underpainting with pastel and alcohol, and exploring layering to develop vibrant color and harmony.

Supplies needed for this class:

• Leaves in various sizes, shapes and interesting colors (3-5)
• Uart 12 x 16 Premium Mounted Board, #600
• Soft Pastels
• Kneaded eraser
• Xacto knife
• HB graphite pencil for sketching
• Rubbing Alcohol, Brush and cup for underpainting
• 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
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  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.

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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.
$30; covers the cost of the class, plus a contribution to support educational programs