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Introductory soft pastel workshop

Join artist Lucy O’Doherty for an introductory soft pastel workshop focused on building soft pastels and pastel pencil drawing skills. Through guided demonstrations and one-on-one support, you’ll explore drawing techniques and studio practices suited to this flexible medium. Lucy will share techniques developed throughout her artistic practice, including smooth blending, colour gradients, shading/highlighting, intentional palette choices, and using pastel pencils to capture fine detail.

Participants will have the option to work from a curated still life or interior setup, or bring along their own reference material to explore a landscape or subject of their choice. All skill levels welcome.

This class is suitable for beginners and people aged over 16. Lucy will discuss her approach, why she likes the pastel medium, materials and surfaces, followed by warm-up mark and colour play exercises. You will look at colour relationships and be guided in working on a small study.

Whether you’re new to the pastel medium or returning to your practice, this session offers hands-on guidance in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

Space is limited to a low maximum number of participants, ensuring personal instruction and a meaningful creative experience. Advance booking is required.

About Lucy

Lucy O’Doherty works with oil paint and soft pastels to create dreamlike interpretations of isolated dwellings, landscapes, seascapes, and vacant interiors. Recalling daydreams and places from memory, O’Doherty often focuses on moments of transition—such as twilight or dusk—when the day dissolves into night, or just before the stillness of night is interrupted by the bustle of the day.

Since graduating from the National Art School in Sydney in 2011, she has exhibited regularly at China Heights Gallery in Sydney and has had solo exhibitions in Brisbane and Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. She was the recipient of the prestigious Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in 2016, which led to a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2017.

O’Doherty won the Interior Art Prize at Weswal Gallery in 2025, the Drawing Prize at the Hornsby Art Prize in 2024 and was highly commended in the Pro Hart Outback Prize in 2016. She has collaborated with Australian fashion labels Emma Mulholland on Holiday and Worn, and was commissioned to create a body of work to help promote the educational short film series Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, narrated by Richard Gere.

Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Artist Profile, the Art Gallery of NSW magazine Look, GRAZIA, and Qantas’ in-flight magazine Travel Insider.

Workshop details

• 3 hours duration - workshop includes introduction to Lucy’s work and other pastel artists, warm up exercises & main drawing session, with one on one tuition during the session

• Commencing at 9.30am, Sunday 14 June, at Weswal Gallery, 192 Brisbane Street, Tamworth.

• Materials provided (paint-free) - HB 2b - 6b pencils, A4 drawing paper

• Suggested materials to bring - A3 paper, any textured papers suitable for pastel drawings, papers with ‘tooth’, toned paper, blending stumps, starter set of pastels, pastel pencils, a kneadable eraser and journals.

• Light refreshments provided - please advise of any dietary requirements

• Cost $80per person

• Participants should be aged 16 and over

• We will be indoors - an apron, old shirt, and a hand towel may be useful.

Refund Policy

Cancellations made at least 4 days prior to the event are eligible for a refund, less an administration processing fee. Credit towards other classes, workshops, product sales or events is not available.
Cancellations made within 3 days of the event are not eligible for a refund.

BOOKINGS

Please purchase your spot using the button below.

Any questions or requests please email us info@weswalgallery.com.au or telephone 6762 1772