Liz Haywood-Sullivan – Pastel Painting
Coastal Drama in Pastel

Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 6:30 PM

RAA&M Members: $35 | Non-Members: $45

Pastel is a versatile medium that transcends the boundary between drawing and painting. Pastels are created using the same pigments as in every other medium, but they are almost pure pigment, with the least amount of binder. They tend to retain their color and integrity better than other mediums in that the pigments are the least adulterated, and their color is unparalleled.

In my demonstration I will begin with an underpainting, where pastel is liquefied and moved around with a brush, to create the basis for a painting of waves and rocks. Using dry pastel on top of the underpainting, I will demonstrate the process of color mixing pastel by lightly layering colors of the same value on top of each other to create an unlimited palette. This technique of perceiving value nuance and being able to translate that to color choice is an important key to working successfully in the medium.

Pastel is not fragile or precious. I will show you how responsive and malleable it is, and what fun it can be to create a painting. When working in pastel you can push it around, add layers or other media, wipe it out, and use all sorts of tools to create any number of effects. In my demonstration, I will be painting a portrait of a wave smashing into rocks.

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Liz Haywood-Sullivan has been dedicated to working exclusively in the pastel medium since 1996. Her attraction to the medium is pastel's unique ability to capture light and atmosphere in the landscape. She is a sought-after instructor and judge for pastel societies and arts organizations around the world. Liz is a President Emerita of the International Association of Pastel Societies (2013-2017) and just stepped down from the presidency at North River Arts Society in southeastern Massachusetts (2021-2025).

She is an Eminent Pastelist with IAPS, Master Pastelist at Pastel Society of America, Signature Member of American Impressionist Society, and elected member of the Salmagundi Club. Liz authored the popular book Painting Brilliant Skies and Water in Pastel (Northlight, 2013). Her award-winning pastel paintings have been featured in numerous books and magazine articles, and have appeared in national, international and museum exhibitions and collections worldwide