August 13-18, 2023 & May 12-17, 2024

Soft Pastels - Landscapes and Seascapes

Gareth Jones is a Welsh artist, but has lived in North Norfolk and is familiar with and loves the area.

Trained at Flintshire and Loughborough Art colleges, he followed a long and successful career in Graphic Design and Illustration.  Art, in some form or other, has been a constant element and passion in his life since childhood, and in 2010 he chose to follow his dream and become a full time artist and tutor.

Gareth’s reputation has grown rapidly, and his work has appeared in many noted galleries across England and Wales and also features in many private collections.  A very successful one man show titled ‘Making Waves’ was based at the NWT Cley reserve in Norfolk.  In March 2015 he was elected as a full Member of the prestigious East Anglian Group of Marine Artists and in 2021 he was made a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America - a great honour. Gareth has exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Show at the Mall Galleries, London.

The coast and countryside provides Gareth’s main inspiration, with seascapes becoming his speciality.  Working almost exclusively now in soft pastel, he finds the intensity of colour coupled with the immediacy it offers makes it an extremely pleasurable and exciting medium.

Gareth’s friendly and informal style of teaching guarantees that his workshops are extremely enjoyable;  his passion for the medium and his skill in putting over technique inspires beginners and more experienced artists alike to produce work they can be proud of.  Watching Gareth as he paints his demos is a treat in itself, and his courses for Big Sky Art - come highly recommended.

Course content:

Gareth will be demonstrating every day, sharing his knowledge and passion for the wonderful medium of soft pastel.  Days will be mostly spent in the studio but preceded with trips outdoors for reference gathering and inspiration, covering both seascapes and landscapes.

 Gareth's style is very relaxed, yet richly informative with the emphasis on fun and enjoyment.  He is confident that, whatever your level of experience with soft pastel, that you will leave the course brimming with enthusiasm, a shared love of his medium - and also some exciting work!  Advice on materials to bring will be provided in advance.

Visit Gareth’s Website