Artist creating pastel artwork at Pastel Society of Victoria event.

We conduct regular Workshops throughout the year

Our demonstrators & tutors are international, interstate and local artists who are experts in their chosen medium. Workshops usually run over 1, 2 or 3 days and are a wonderful way to improve your skills and well worth the investment of your time.

How to Book

For most workshops, this is a 2-Step process.

STEP 1. Fill out the relevant workshop Registration Form & remember to click on the Submit button for your registration to go through.

STEP 2. Pay online for the relevant workshop by selecting either the ‘Member’ or Non-member’ option from the drop-down box. Then click on the ‘Add to cart’ button for that workshop and go through the secure payment process.

Places will only be held once fees are paid.

Workshop Payments & Refund Policy

When enrolling in a PSVA Workshop we require full payment. Please note that $50.00 of the Workshop fee is non-refundable. The balance of the fee will be refunded if you cancel at least 7 days prior to the Workshop, but only if your place is filled.

When enrolling in a PSVA Paint Away Retreat, see the Information Brochure for the Payments information and Refund Policy

The Workshop Coordinator, in consultation with the President and/or Treasurer, has the discretion to alter the above policy should extenuating circumstances apply.

To enquire about available places or further information, contact our Workshop Coordinator

Workshops & Paint Away|Retreats : Kerrie Carter via email at workshop@vicpastel.com.au

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Artists creating pastel artworks during a workshop at The Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia.

Simplifying a Complex Subject and Dapplied Light – in Soft Pastel

2-Day Workshop

20 & 21 June 2026

Susan Kuznitsky (PSA, NWPS, CPP, PSWC-DP, IAPS MC) is an internationally recognised artist and educator whose career spans decades of professional painting and teaching across the USA and internationally.

Born in Chicago, Susan trained at the American Academy of Art before working as a professional portrait artist. Her artistic journey was profoundly influenced by Master Artist Albert Handell, under whom she refined her pastel and oil techniques and developed her distinctive teaching approach.

Inspired by the Impressionists and driven by a lifelong pursuit of light, atmosphere and emotional expression, Susan’s work captures the lyrical rhythm of nature and human experience. Today, she continues to teach workshops and classes both in-person and online, sharing her passion, technical mastery, and deeply personal artistic philosophy with students worldwide.

Susan believes painting is a language of its own — one that communicates beauty, mood, and meaning beyond words.

Ferntree Gully Community Arts Centre,  1010 Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156

Join award-winning artist Susan Kuznitsky for a two-day workshop. The focus will be on capturing the light. No matter the season or the subject, it is the light that draws us in. Whether you are a landscape painter or figurative painter you will benefit from this highly popular workshop. We will be focusing on different aspects of colour as well as different approaches to the underpainting. You will have the option to paint along from the same image or work from your own reference. There will be time for personal and constructive feedback during the course.

This workshop is appropriate for all levels of skill. Each day will begin with demo.

Learn about:

  • Colour and Relativity – how colour is influenced by the colour around it.
  • Painting ‘white’ – how to create colourful whites in your paintings.
  • Chroma – how to use the power of strong colour without over doing it.

More things to be covered:

  • The power of the underpainting
  • Working from photos – what to leave in and what to leave out
  • Drawing tips – line, rhythm, negative shapes
  • Gridding your reference photo
  • Lost and found edges
  • Colour and value
  • Mark making
  • Organizing your pastels in studio and for plein air
Susan Kuznitsky | Information Brochure

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Susan Kuznitsky | Registration Form

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Online Payment

Choose the relevant payment option below from the drop-down box, before clicking on the ‘Add to cart’ button

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PAST WORKSHOPS

Portraits in Soft Pastel

28 February and 1 March 2026

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Lyn Diefenbach | Information Brochure

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Dynamic Still Life & Landscapes

3 & 4 May 2025

Pastel painting of boats and houses in Victoria, Australia, showcasing local scenery and vibrant col.

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Maxwell Wilks Workshop | Information Brochure

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Painting Florals & Fruit in Soft Pastel

31 May and 1 June 2025

Vibrant floral pastel painting and a portrait of a woman artist from the Pastel Society of Victoria.

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Stephie Clark Workshop | Information Brochure

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Crashing Waves & Rocky Shorelines

5 and 6 July 2025

Pastel seascape painting of waves crashing on rocks at the beach.

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Gwendolin Lewis Workshop | Information Brochure

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Unlocking the Mysteries of Pastel

2 and 3 August 2025

Artist creating a pastel landscape painting in an art studio.

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Unlocking the Mysteries of Pastel 2025 | Information Brochure