Presents
Rebecca de Mendonça
Course dates
Course Completed
Profile
Pastels and mixed media
Rebecca de Mendonça’s dynamic pastels capture movement and atmosphere. Her focus is to get energy and life into her work.
Her teaching and painting is the result of a varied career in the arts. Having completed her degree in Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art, she worked on projects ranging from Harrods Food Hall to the Phantom of the Opera and has been commissioned to paint dancers at English National Ballet and actors in West End Shows.
Rebecca now lives in Devon and teaches pastel courses in Britain and Italy.
Her book ‘Pastels for the Absolute Beginner’ was published by Search Press in 2019, and she has written many articles for Leisure Painter and the SAA. She co-founded the New Pastel School in 2013. She is an associate member of the Society of Equestrian Artists and has exhibited with the Pastel Society. Rebecca was a finalist in the Artists and Illustrators ‘Artist of the Year Competition’ 2017, 2018, and 2019, exhibiting at the Mall Galleries in London. To see more of Rebecca’s work, please visit her website at www.rebeccademendonca.co.uk
As well as teaching painting skills and processes, Rebecca inspires students with demonstrations, and encourages everyone to find their own way of working with the medium and developing their skills. Her friendly and generous approach to teaching helps her students to relax and really achieve their potential.
Subject matter varies, Rebecca having had years of experience painting people, portraits, animals, landscapes, still life and architecture. Whatever the subject, Rebecca feels that its life, emotion and energy can be captured with pastels.
Course outline
Rebecca will demonstrate how to capture the architecture and landscape of the beautiful Watermill venues with a combination of materials. Soft pastels, pen and ink, Conte crayons and pastel pencils will be used separately and in combination to achieve lively sketches and finished pieces. She will show how we can vary our materials to suit the subject matter that we are observing and the size of our work.
From landscape and water, to figures and architecture, Rebecca will give informative instruction and demonstrations, showing how she draws and paints with life and atmosphere.
The course will include some en plein air painting, studio-based work and also trips out. Rebecca seeks to offer a new experience of using pastels outside and to introduce the joys of exploring how inspiring another country's landscape and countryside can be. As ever the atmosphere will be relaxed with one-to-one help, demonstrations and lots of lovely food! Rebecca seeks to inspire you all to join her and to try something different.
Praise for Rebecca’s teaching
‘It really was one of the best courses I've ever attended. No, I’ll amend that, it WAS the best. Good company, but above all, I felt Rebecca really cared that we all really achieved something during our time with her.’ JH
‘Your teaching plan is extremely well thought out and balanced; it is highly intensive but you reach out to your students on so many levels, adding layers of experience and competence with every session. The interactive classes had us all totally engaged and we learned so much more from discussing how to finish your picture. You are a professional with a capital ‘P’ and you give of your best in everything that you offer your students in terms of materials, food and of yourself.’ CB
'You took so much time and always with such good humour to make me feel a worthy participant. Certainly the best instructional workshop I have attended stretching from the North of Scotland to Penzance! CR
Praise for the previous pastel course at the Watermill
We both had a fantastic time at the Watermill. I really didn't know what to expect from such a holiday, I have to say it exceeded my expectations! From the minute we arrived we were made to feel very welcome, our room ' Botticelli' was lovely (especially the bed), the food was first class, location was just so peaceful, the company fun and the pastel tuition was just outstanding. I've learned a huge amount and now all I have to do is put it into practice! VJ
Thanks for a magic week. The memories linger long. K O’R