"When light hits opaque pastel it bounces back immediately, creating a wonderful vibration." ~ quote by Gail Boyle
We are here to share ideas relating to pastels: technique, papers, framing, shows, etc. We promote pastel painting as a serious medium, worthy of top gallery representation. Our goal is to inspire pastelists worldwide to think outside the box, and use pastel to it's highest potential in style, technique, skill, composition and subject matter.
"Tricia", pastel on paper © 2007 Clayton J Beck III
"Three Redheads" pastel by Kathleen Cavender
"Thom Yorke" pastel on newsprint by Ian Harris
"Gothic Garden", Pastel, 18 x 24" 2003 by Mary J. Sheridan
"Emma" Pastel on Art Spectrum colorfix paper, 18 x 26" by David Wells
"Unpromise" pastel on paper.28"x38" 2007 by Xiaoqing Ding
"Tangerines" 3.5 X 8" Pastel on Kitty Wallis sanded paper by Erik Drudwyn
Oil pastel, collage, and drawing (detail) by Ainhoa
"Drive My Car" Pastel on Kitty Wallis sanded paper 30 x 50" 2006 by
Alice McMahon White
"Marilyn Monroe" pastel by John Lund
Pastel and ink, by Stephanie Natiello
"September", 9 x 24" pastel by Tina McConchie
"Untitled" Pastel on paper 28" x 34" 2007 by
Nina Smart
Pastel on paper, 15 x 22" by Art God
"Bass Player, Geri Allen Trio" - monochrome pastel on watercolor paper 35cm x30cm by Cathy McShannon
Left: "Flower Girl", Pastel on Canson, 19 x 25"
Right: "Ignacio", Pastel on Velour, 9.4 x 12.6"
Both by C. Robles
Untitled, 1.5m x 1m, oil pastel on paper by David Edgar
"Self Portrait", 16 x 20", acrylic, pastel, oil pastel on canvas, by
RJ
"Where Birds Fly" pastel on prepared sanded board 18"x24" by David Patterson
"Afternoon Repast" pastel 40 x 12.5" by Darren
"Pastel Sea", 16 x 20", pastel on Canson paper by David Edwards
"Sundays" 9 x 12" Pastel on board by John Mills
"Serval Eye", pastel on velour by Patrick Hedges
"Entrance to the Blueberry Farm", 14 x 18" pastel on Art Spectrum paper by
Mary Buergin
"Chile Finale" pastel on Arches paper by Kent
"Hand of Creation" 20 x 24" pastel on Canson paper by Mark Seibold Artist/Astronomer
Inspired and ..ed accurately from live observation of the sun through an h-alpha solar research grade telescope. Abstract of the sunspot #960 and artists left hand.
I'd like to meet:
All artists working in pastel with a fresh approach, and those looking to grow as a pastel painter. Collectors who appreciate pastel paintings.
Information about the Pastel Medium
Pastels are pure powdered pigment which is ground into a paste with a small amount of gum binder and then rolled into sticks. (Not a chalk) The infinite variety of colours in the pastel palette range from soft and subtle to bold and brilliant. It has no liquid binder that may cause other media to darken, fade, yellow, crack or blister with time. Pastels from the 16th century exist today as fresh as the day they were painted.An artwork is created by stroking the sticks of dry pigment across an abrasive ground, embedding the colour in the "tooth" of the paper, sandboard or canvas. If the ground is completely covered with Pastel, the work is considered a pastel painting; leaving much of the ground exposed produces a pastel sketch. Techniques vary with individual artists. Pastel can be blended or used with visible strokes. The medium is favored by many artists because it allows a spontaneous approach. There is no drying time, and no allowances to be made for a change in colour due to drying.Edgar Degas, am impressionist painter was the most prolific user of pastel, and its champion. His protégé, Mary Cassatt introduced pastel and the impressionist style to her friends in Philadelphia and Washington, and thus to the United States.
Care of Pastel Paintings
As with all works of art, pastel paintings require a few simple steps for their preservation and enjoyment. Frame the painting under but spaced away from the glass. Hang away from direct or brightly sunlit areas. Provide an environment with low humidity and consistent temperature control.(This article adapted from pastel description published by the Pastel Society of America.)
"The Snow Tree" 61cm x 69cm (25" x 27") Pastel on Ingres Board by Anne Sudworth
"First Kiss", pastel on card, 28 x 22" by
Val
"HORN" pastel on paper, 22"x18" by
Ruth Lull
"Cherries in Bag" Pastel on La Carte, 15 x 18" by Merethe Torbergsen
"Onions", 9 x 8 1/2" Conte and pastel pencil on Canson paper by Melissa Fallon
Music:
The Blues, Green Day, Moody Blues
Movies:
The Green Mile, Clockwork Orange, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Pink Panther
Heroes:
Famous Pastel Painters of the Past: Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Eugene Delcroix, Maurice Quentin de la Tour, Jean-Baptist-Simeion Chardin, Mary Cassatt, Jean-Francois Millet, Berthe Morisot, Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch, James McNeil Whistler, Jean-Etienne Liotard, Rosalba Carriera, Leonardo Da Vinci.
