Sonoma Community Center

Enriching lives through education and the arts — for Sonoma Valley and beyond

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Painting Pastel – Combined Experience levels

Monday, March 17 from 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM

$265 for 8 weeks

Age

18+

Class Details

Schedule

Beginning Level: March 17 – May 12, 2025
Experienced Level: March 31 – May 12, 2025
Exception: No class April 14
2:00 – 4:30 PM

Instructor

Deborah Donahower

Location

Room 208, Print Studio

276 East Napa Street
Sonoma, CA 95476

Ages

Adults

Skill Levels

Tags
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Not sure which level is right for you? Click here.

Registration Cost

Beginner Level: $265 for 8 weeks

Experienced Level: $200 for 6 weeks

Register Here Financial Aid

About the class

This class runs with combined experience levels. The first two weeks of the course are attended by beginning level students only, to learn how to create a sketch and apply the pastels. Weeks 3 – 8 will be available to all students, beginning and experienced skill levels.

This class will introduce students to basic techniques of using soft pastels as they work alongside the instructor to create landscapes, still lifes, animals and flowers. Learn to layer colors to create luminous, painterly effects. Beginners are guided as they work on the image provided each week; more experienced students may choose to work on an image of their choice. No prior experience is required. Please see the supply list to learn what materials are needed for this class.

About the instructor

Deborah Donahower

Instructor / Artist

Deborah Donahower received her B.A. Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in Studio Art, with an emphasis in Ceramics and Printmaking.
 She has taught for the Hudson River Museum, in Yonkers, New York; the Branson School in Marin; and was the owner/director of Pottery Design Center in Los Angeles and Wisteria Studio in Marin. 
She taught ceramics, mosaics and pastels for 10 years through Napa Valley College Community Education Department, and at various elementary schools in the valley. She has won several Best of Show awards and blue ribbons at the Napa County Fair; and had a pastel painting accepted to the National Juried Show at the Sonoma Arts Guild in 2017 and 2019. Currently, she is teaching ceramics and pastels at the Sonoma Community Center, and at three elementary schools (after school art) in Napa, as well as adult art classes in Napa. She has been teaching art to adults and children for 43 years and it is her passion to empower budding artists with the basic foundation skills in art, and help them bloom into their own creativity and personal style.

    Class FAQ

    All Memberships(Excluding the $50/year tier) receive 10% off any purchase above $40. You should have received your discount code in your membership confirmation email.

    If you have any questions regarding the use of your code, you can contact Sean Baskin at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org or call the office at (707)938-4626.

    Not a member? View more information about our monthly and yearly plans here.

    The Sonoma Community Center is committed to creating an accessible learning environment. If you require any special considerations(medical, physical, learning) please share them with Sean Baskin, Program Associate, by emailing him at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org so that he can forward them to the relevant Program Director and Instructor.

    • All Levels
    • Welcomes participants from beginning through advanced. Instructor provides a balanced and flexible curriculum suitable for participants with any level of experience.
    • Beginning
    • Participant has little to no experience with this medium and needs or expects guidance at every step during the class. Participant wants to learn about materials, techniques, and vocabulary of the medium.
    • Intermediate
    • Participant is comfortable with the medium and expects both guidance and time to work alone with the medium.
    • Advanced
    • Participant is very confident with all aspects of the medium. Participant is self-motivated; ready to experiment and develop their artistic voice.
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    We ask that you notify us at least 10 business days in advance of a class if you need to cancel your registration. You may cancel by phone or email and we will gladly offer you a refund or credit toward a future class. If you cancel with less than 10 business days notice, we will not be able to provide a full refund. A flat cancellation fee of $15 will be charged to cover the transaction fee.

    Sometimes, the Sonoma Community Center has to cancel a class due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster or health emergency. If this happens and we do not offer a reschedule date, you will be refunded 100% of your registration fee, or credit towards a future class. If we are able to offer a reschedule date but you are unable to make the new date, we will gladly offer credit towards a future class.

    Late additions to any program, class, or workshop that has already begun will be allowed on a per-case basis depending upon the Program Director & instructors approval. Late additions will have to pay the full registration cost of the class, along with any materials fees, and will not be prorated for the time missed. You may reach out to the program directors directly, or the Program Associate Sean Baskin at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org to request a late addition.

    We are always looking for new instructors. You can find more information about the process here, or fill out the form directly here.

    You can view our full class policies and guidelines here.

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