Dates: Thursdays, February 19 & 26, 2026
Time: 11:30 am-1:30 pm Pacific Time, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm Eastern Time, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm UK Time
Level: All levels welcome
Medium: All mediums welcome – Debora will work in pastel
Discover how Notans can transform your approach to abstraction and open the door to more dynamic compositions, stronger value structures, and expressive mark making. In this two-session workshop, artists working in any medium will explore how simplifying value patterns leads to more compelling, contemporary abstract work. Across both sessions, you’ll use your own photographs as the starting point. We’ll begin by creating Notans to identify essential shapes and value relationships, then move into developing a series of compositional thumbnail sketches. You’ll learn how to render these sketches in color using pastel on paper—an adaptable process you can apply to acrylics, oils, watercolor, or mixed media.
Debora will demonstrate in soft pastel and guide you through:
• Creating Notans from your photos to reveal abstract potential and strengthen visual impact
• Developing thumbnail sketches for composition and value clarity
• Exploring color freely, without the constraints of realism
• Reversing values in your Notans to spark unexpected, exciting interpretations
• Expressive mark-making to bring energy and individuality to the surface
• Underpainting techniques using fluid acrylics or inks
• Working on pastel ground and understanding surface considerations
• Pastel application and layering for depth and movement
• Strategies for finishing a piece with confidence and clarityYou will leave with new tools for abstraction, a deeper understanding of value as the backbone of your work, and a series of studies ready to inspire future paintings in any medium.
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