Creative retreats, painting vacations & art getaways
Dawn Vander Stoep
September 21 - 26, 2025
Structure to Abstract: A PanPastel Creative Journey
Medium: PanPastel
Level: All Levels
Location: Studio
Status: Open for Enrollment
Deposit is $450, balance due 30 days before arrival
Day Student Tuition: $1144 + Materials fee
Inn-Stay Package*: $2,380 - $3,220 + Materials fee
*Your Inn-Stay Retreat Package includes:
Workshop Tuition, lodging, dinner 2 nights (welcome and farewell), breakfast and lunch each day, daily snack breaks, unlimited coffee, tea & seltzer.
For your independent dinners, there are many restaurants with a wide variety of cuisines and price points, within comfortable walking distance of the Inn, plus Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s.
Click here for Sample Daily Agenda.
You can choose a room to yourself (single occupancy) or double your fun, bring a friend and split a room (double occupancy).
To learn more about your options or to register, click the Register Now button.
Rates & Enrollment
About This Workshop
Discover the Possibilities of PanPastel with Dawn Vander Stoep
Let me take you on an exciting journey to explore the unlimited possibilities of creating with PanPastel! In this immersive workshop, Structure to Abstract: A PanPastel Creative Journey, I’ll share the creative process I’ve developed over seven years of working with this remarkable medium. Together, we’ll explore essential steps to unlock your creativity through simplified composition, value, color, and layering. My goal is to demystify soft pastels, helping you feel confident, inspired, and ready to explore this magical medium long after the retreat ends.
What You'll Learn
This workshop offers a unique combination of demonstration and hands-on instruction. I will guide you step by step, sharing techniques and insights to help you discover your creative voice. Here’s what you can expect:
PanPastel Essentials: Learn how the medium works, how to mix colors effectively, and how to use the tools for smooth, expressive application.
Supplies That Inspire: Discover the importance of high-quality materials to ensure a positive and enjoyable experience.
Simplified Composition: Learn how to use composition as a guide to making creative decisions with ease.
Abstract & Whimsical Mark-Making: Experience the freedom of blending structure with abstraction to create unique artwork. Discover the synergy of incorporating pastel pencils to add intricate details and expressive marks, elevating your creative possibilities.
The Power of Value: Understand how working with light and dark can transform your paintings into something truly dynamic.
Layering & Color Harmony: Build depth while learning techniques to create cohesive and harmonious color palettes.
A Creative Process Designed for Play & Exploration
I will be demonstrating the techniques above and will guide you through the full process, starting with a drawing (line art provided) and transferring it onto pastel paper. From there, I’ll guide you through using that initial structure and then breaking it down into abstract forms. This process will encourage play and experimentation, allowing you to develop whimsical mark-making and a personal connection to your artwork. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to use PanPastel, a variety of techniques to continue exploring at home, and the confidence to create your own inspired pieces.
About Dawn Vander Stoep
Dawn Vander Stoep is a professional soft pastel artist and instructor with over two decades of artistic experience. Seven years ago, she discovered the transformative possibilities of PanPastel, a medium that revolutionized her creative journey. Today, she is passionate about sharing this magical medium with artists of all levels, helping them unlock their creative potential and build confidence in their work.
As the creator of a thriving YouTube livestream channel, Dawn has cultivated a positive and supportive community of artists worldwide. Her teaching style focuses on demystifying soft pastels through approachable techniques, step-by-step instruction, and a deep understanding of the creative process. Through her self-paced online classes and workshops, Dawn strives to make art accessible, fun, and empowering.
Dawn’s artwork celebrates connection, harmony, and the beauty of light and color. Her background in Graphic Design, Mixed Media, and other creative disciplines influences her unique approach to PanPastel, blending structure, abstraction, and expressive mark-making to inspire students to explore their own artistic voices.
As a full-time artist based in Milwaukie, Oregon, Dawn’s work is collected internationally, and her teaching continues to inspire and support artists on their creative journeys.
Materials
Sample Agenda
Will I receive a confirmation in the email?
You will receive an email confirmation and, as time gets closer, more email full of info and goodies.
Here is the payment schedule:
$450 deposit is due at the time of registration.
Remaining balance is due 30 days before your retreat start date
Pay in Full at time of registration and save $100 (does not apply to Day Student package)
Holiday Discount! Register by January 2nd and receive $100 off any Inn-Stay package (does not apply to Day Student package). Code HOLIDAY.
Please read our full cancellation policy HERE
2025 Workshops Now Open for Registration
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