Colette Odya-Smith presented a workshop for the Arkansas Pastel Society in November 2025.
During the workshop, Colette shared a perspective that resonated with many artists in the room: “Artists have a superpower – the ability to see something before it happens.”
She also spoke about her preference for working in a square format, explaining that “It’s easier to break the rules in a square.” To create texture in specific areas of a painting, she layers pastel with fixative in alternating layers, but does not use fixative as a final finish.
Colette also mentioned that she will be teaching a workshop in Door County, Wisconsin, in August, which sounds like a great way to beat the heat of an Arkansas summer.
Mertz Encouraged Participants to “Paint What Scares You”
Nancie King Mertz presented a three-day workshop for the Arkansas Pastel Society on November 12–14, 2024. She also presented a demonstration for the Society’s regular Tuesday night meeting, which was available to view via Zoom.
The theme for the workshop was“Paint What Scares You.” Each participant was free to focus on whatever that meant for them.
Workshops like this are a valuable part of the Arkansas Pastel Society’s programming. They give members the chance to learn from accomplished artists, exchange ideas with fellow painters, and spend focused time developing their work in a supportive environment.
Thank you to Nancie King Mertz for sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with APS members during this inspiring three-day event.
Tom Christopher led a three-day landscape workshop for APS members in conjunction with the Arkansas Pastel Society’s 10th National Exhibition, Reflections in Pastel. Tom also served as juror and judge for the exhibition and presented the program at the November APS meeting, where he demonstrated a landscape painting.
During the workshop, participants observed Tom demonstrating his techniques and then applied them to their own paintings. Tom works on Gatorboard, which accepts water better than regular foam core, and prepares the surface with gesso to create a textured underpainting, often tinting the gesso with acrylic paint in a complementary color. He may also use watered-down semi-gloss acrylic house paint applied with a 1½-inch brush, taping off areas such as the sky where texture is not desired.
Tom travels light, carrying a small box of Terry Ludwig pastels that he considers his workhorse set. He applies pastel with a very light touch, using the flat side of the stick for most passages and the edge when a sharper line is needed. He often pats the surface with a paper towel and typically paints the sky last so it can be adjusted to work with the rest of the painting. The only time he uses fixative is to darken an area. For sketching, Tom uses a carpenter’s pencil, which provides a broad line and is inexpensive and easy to find at home improvement stores.
Participants enjoyed learning Tom’s techniques and experimenting with them in their own paintings.
Arkansas Pastel Society Workshops
APS members regularly have the opportunity to learn from visiting artists through demonstrations, workshops, and programs.
Charles Peer presented a workshop for the Arkansas Pastel Society in November of 2022. Below is a slideshow with photos from day one. Thanks to the Argentina Public Library for providing space.
Arkansas Pastel Society 