I got going with pastels last summer, and since then I have acquired some nice materials. I am indebted to my fellow Alaskan artist and friend Kaye N Goodrich, who kindly gave me an introduction to pastel technique.
I have oil paintings in progress, but this makes a nice change, especially during weeks when time is limited. The preparation time for working with pastels is shorter than for oils. (But the clean-up takes just as long!)
The piece below was inspired by an oil done in a drenching rain at Broad Pass. A virtue of oil paint is that it works fine even when everything is wet. I, on the other hand, got very soggy. Water's Return, 22 x 30, pastel on gessoed watercolor paper.
The second piece comes from colored pencil and oil sketches I made on trips through Broad Pass. The colors there are always vivid. Late Summer Hills, 12 x 15.5, pastel on watercolor paper.
The next item is based on watercolor and ink sketches I made in southern France in 2011. The terrain was hills, olive trees, paths, and vineyards. I loved it and I look forward to working more of my sketches into finished pieces. Windy Path, pastel on watercolor paper, 12 x 15.25.
I am showing you Bed of Nasturtiums, pastel on paper, 11 x 15, for the second time, because I was not happy when I looked back at the photograph I used the first time. This is an improved photo. Though the difference might not be obvious, I feel better about it!
I mentioned I was working in a few new media. This post is all about pastels, and I hope soon to post about my new printmaking projects. I will blog about new oil paintings soon as well. Thanks for your interest!
For more information, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com
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