Tim Blackwell – The Quiet Voice That Never Sleeps
Have you ever felt a creative dream quietly waiting in the background? Pastel artist Tim Blackwell shares his return to art, his love of rural scenes, and why he paints from “Heart Speak” rather than “Art Speak.”
Colette Odya Smith shares honest, inspiring lessons from her own art journey—full of growth, reinvention, and being your own teacher.
Guest Susan Kuznitsky shares how she approaches complex subjects in pastel—from crowded café interiors to a crowd of grandchildren (yes, really!). Through years of experience, she’s learned how to simplify without sacrificing richness, and how to suggest detail without overworking it. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too much going on in a scene, this is the read that’ll help!
In this guest post, Kira Ru-djen pulls back the curtain on her pastel practice — from blind sketches to bold colour and skeletal forms full of character. Whether painting figures, landscapes, or her beloved “skelebuddies,” her process reveals the deep connection between improvisation, intention, and joy.
![Gail Sibley, [Not yet titled], Unison Colour pastels and a Sennelier pink on UART 400 mounted on board, 15 1/4 x 11 1/2 in -close up of face](https://www.howtopastel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/11.-Gail-Sibley-Not-yet-titled-Unison-Colour-pastels-and-a-SEnnelier-pink-on-UART-400-mounted-on-board-15-14-x-11-15-in-close-up-of-face-Feature-image.jpg)
Lush scenery, painting, laughter, delicious food, and the joy of stepping outside ordinary life for a while — here’s what made our Costa Rica retreat so memorable.
You want to paint. You mean to paint. And yet somehow you still do not get into the studio. So what’s really going on?
Do you need an art studio in order to paint regularly? Perhaps the better question is: what makes a space support your return to the work?
Sometimes it’s not the whole scene that makes you want to paint — it’s one gesture, one shadow shape, one small visual surprise. Here’s what drew me to this scene and how that shaped the painting.
A disappearing glass edge, reflections in cutlery, glowing leaves, and shadows on a church wall—small moments that reveal how artists learn to see.
A quieter portrait than his famed Pompadour, Maurice-Quentin de La Tour’s pastel of Jean-Charles Garnier rewards close looking — revealing how small, deliberate choices create presence and personality.
Portrait backgrounds can make or break a painting. In this guest post, Alain Picard shares four simple but powerful principles for creating backgrounds that truly support the portrait.
An email arrives. Someone loves your work. Your heart leaps. But not all enquiries are created equal. In this Studio Musing, I unpack a scam message and explore how to tell the difference between flattery and genuine interest.
While painting in La Manzanilla, Mexico, I noticed a quiet thread running through three small pieces — pairs of people together, talking, waiting, simply being. These beach conversations became an exploration of connection, restraint, and the power of suggesting just enough.
My love of pastel and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about pastel inspired the creation of this blog. It has tips, reviews, some opinions:), and all manner of information regarding their use through the years – old and new. Please enjoy!
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