Landscape and Still Life in Pastel
with Teresa Nicolo
Location – Peter Becker Community. Maplewood Estates, 815 Maplewood Drive, Harleysville, PA 19438. The class is located upstairs in the craft room. Take the stairs (or elevator). When the stairs divide, take the left stairway and turn right at the top (straight ahead off the elevator, passing the stairs). The classroom will be on your left just before the exercise room. For parking, there is a visitor parking lot across the street from the main entrance of Maplewood Estates.
Dates/Time – September 22, 2026 – November 10, 2026, 8 sessions. Tuesday mornings from 9:30am – 12:00 pm. PLEASE NOTE - EACH CLASS IS 2.5 HOURS IN DURATION.
Enroll by August 18 and save on the cost of the full 8-week session!
Course Description:
Teresa invites both beginners and experienced artists on a journey of creative interpretation while discovering the expressive world of soft pastels in this fun relaxed class! Through in-class still life set ups and personal photographic references, students will learn to capture the emotion, and essence of the subject while gaining confidence in your own unique style.
Whether you're refining your technique or just looking for a creative space to paint, this class offers individualized guidance, supportive feedback, and a welcoming environment for artists of all levels.
In addition, Teresa will introduce a variety of artists who are representative of the lessons provided and conduct in-process and final critiques for a helpful synopsis of the student's progress and ideas.
Day 1 of class she will provide a still life set up and do a short demo. You are welcome to paint that or if you prefer, bring your own reference photos in the form of a printed photograph or on an iPad.
If you have any questions about the class, Teresa can be reached at terrynicolo@gmail.com
For questions regarding course registration, please contact Linda Gerhard at email: lingerart@aol.com.
Materials List:
NOTE: Students must bring a table covering to each class.
I'm excited to have you in class. Below is a list of recommended supplies to bring with you. If you already have some materials, feel free to bring what you have. Quality makes a difference, but don't feel the need to purchase the most expensive items- choose what works within your budget.
The room is set up for the use of table easels, which are available for your use. Due to the size of the table easels, I would advise not working any larger than a 16 x 20 paper.
Paper:
As you will discover, there are many varieties of papers and pastels. They all interact differently so I encourage you to experiment with different combinations.
Here are some of my favorites:
- Uart 320 grit is a good paper available by the sheet or by the roll. Buying by the roll allows you to cut the paper to your desired size. It comes in White or Dark.
https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Sanded-UArt
- Pastel Mat is another good one, it comes in several colors and sizes - Available at Dakota Pastels. https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Sanded-PastelMat
Pastels/drawing supplies:
- Vine Charcoal - https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Nitram-Charcoal
- Blenders - https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Blenders
- Sennelier Plein Air soft pastel set - size to fit your budget is a good starter pastel. I recommend getting the half sticks which are less expensive and offer a wide selection.
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/sennelier-standard-soft-pastel-sets. Also available at
https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Sennelier-Half-Sticks
- Prismacolor Nu Pastel set- size to fit your budget. It is a semi hard pastel good for under- painting, glazing and drawing.
I also like Terry Ludwig, however they are more expensive than Sennelier
https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Terry-Ludwig
Please bring these additional items:
- A stiff paint brush
- A rigid smooth surface such as foam board on which to tape or clip your paper. Available at Michael's.
- Clips or painter’s tape to attach your paper to the backing board.
- Glassine, to protect your painting, sold by the roll - https://www.dakotapastels.com/product/misc-glassine
- A towel or plastic table cloth to protect your work surface, pastels are messy.
- A piece of aluminum foil to line the ledge of your easel to collect the dust.
- Wipes to clean your seat and work surface
These are sites I buy from:
Dick Blick
https://www.dickblick.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dick%20Blick&utm_id=4320344&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=4320344&gbraid=0AAAAAD_wX_Ghau6ZT4QzlJs86txrnFVBF&gclid=CjwKCAjwvNfSBhBiEiwAyaGMCSLuCXeWMdUILN5EW6qpVZcB_tPR1uaATrcAJOF94T0eNLIDXxR5GBoC5_UQAvD_BwE
Dakota - https://www.dakotapastels.com/
Jerry'sartarama - https://www.jerrysartarama.com/borden-riley-glassine-neutral-ph-paper-rolls?expa_m=search&expa_st=glassine
All these art supply sites run sales so I recommend getting on their mailing lists to be notified of sales.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an eight-week session consisting of eight, 2.5 hour classes held on Tuesday mornings from 9:30am – 12:00 pm. Begins September 22, 2026, ends November 10, 2026.
Cost: PVAC Member: $200; Non-Member: $216.
PVAC members must be logged-in to receive the member price.
To pay for registration by check, please mail to:
Perk Valley Art Center, PO Box 474, Schwenksville, PA 19473
If you are paying by mail, your check must be received prior to class start date to guarantee your reservation in the class.
CLASS LIMITED TO 9 PARTCIPANTS
Cancellation Policy – Paid registration fees will be refunded only if the instructor cancels the entire 8-week session.
For registration assistance, email the class coordinator, Linda Gerhard – lingerart@aol.com.
