The end of another month has rolled around and it’s time to inspire you with January’s Pastel Delights!

As always, the decisions were TOUGH, maybe even more so because of the 3/5 challenges being posted on various pastel Facebook groups over the past month. In case you are unfamiliar with this challenge, it means a nominated artist posts three paintings a day for five days. So you can see that there was even more work than normal to view and then choose from. I began with over 50 choices! Some got dropped because I didn’t have all the info necessary (that made it somewhat easier although there were a few choices I hated to lose!). Once I got the pool of images down to 20, it took me quite a bit of time, of rotating through the images again and again, to whittle the choice down to the mandatory 10 (it was almost 11 this time!).

My choices are totally subjective. Some artists are well known, some emerging. I chose the pieces that made me look and look again, and that made some part of my being vibrate.

So, enough talking, let’s get on with the show.

 

Pastel Delight: Alain Picard, "Evelyn," pastel, 11 x 19 in
Alain Picard, “Evelyn,” pastel, 11 x 19 in

I was absolutely charmed by this pastel of a young girl. I love the way Alain captured her sweet expression and the many colours in her skin. I also like his technique of blocking in the dress and the headdress (vegetation of some sort? makes me think of corn). The background is very simple and uses some of the colours from her skin and hair (purples and dark browns). Click here to see more of Alain’s work.

 

Pastel delights: Alan Flattmann, "Rainy Twilight at the Cathedral," pastel, 30 x 24 in
Alan Flattmann, “Rainy Twilight at the Cathedral,” pastel, 30 x 24 in

Alan is well known for his work portraying the French Quarter of New Orleans which he has been painting for 50 years. This pastel is of the St Louis Cathedral, a subject he has painted many times. In this version, Alan manages to capture both the architecture of the place and the mood of the  approaching evening, when the sky is still light but the warm lights have come on. The light is reflected in the wet pavement and the lights themselves are haloed by the damp air. The sky gives the feeling both of heavy clouds and sheets of rain. See more of Alan’s work at his website.

 

Pastel Delights: Corry Kooy, "Little Girl Playing," Sennelier pastel, 19.7 x 25.6 in
Corry Kooy, “Little Girl Playing,” Sennelier pastel, 19.7 x 25.6 in

I was totally taken with this piece when I saw it. Like Joan Eardley’s pastels of tenement kids, this pastel has a wonderful immediacy and energy. I love the colours and the blocky application of pastel used to describe a young girl in motion. Click here to see more of Corry’s work.

 

Pastel delights: Diana Fechenbach, "Canyon Rocks," pastel, 12 x 10 in
Diana Fechenbach, “Canyon Rocks,” pastel, 12 x 10 in

A beautiful rendering of rocks and look at the many colours that Diane used! The colours appear mostly in the areas of reflected light and areas of rock that face outward but are not directly hit by the sun. And look at the way she creates the same effect in the distant set of rocks but with values closer together, simpler shapes and greyed colours. The whole is a wonderful study of lights and darks and of shape patterns. This is a great example of how understanding values can open the door to colour! (And, be truthful, would you have thought of painting a pile of rocks?) See more of Diane’s work here.

 

Pastel Delight: Dori Cheseborough Dewberry, Demo, pastel, 9 x 9 in
Dori Cheseborough Dewberry, Demo, pastel, 9 x 9 in

When you’re demoing in front of a class or an audience, you’re under time pressure to produce work that you can feel good about and that teaches those who are watching something about pastels and how they work. When I saw this piece, I was appreciative of it as a demo but also as a completed work. There is a wonderful sense of light, of movement, of things (weather, light, people) changing, of place, of a mood. Interestingly, Dori’s colour choices remind me of those of Diane’s above. Check out Dori’s website for more of her work.

 

Pastel delights: Jennifer Buckley McCall, "Golden Shore, Golden Isles," pastel on MiTientes Touch paper, 11 x 14 in
Jennifer Buckley McCall, “Golden Shore, Golden Isles,” pastel on MiTientes Touch paper, 11 x 14 in

Just sea and sky, this evocative pastel gives me a feeling of being there. I can almost smell the sea, feel the salty air, hear the waves and perhaps even a distant roll of thunder. Jennifer used a simple complimentary colour scheme of yellow and purple effectively that’s for sure. There’s something about the colours and energy and line in this piece that remind me of Sargent’s watercolours.

 

pastel delights: Lysiane Lagauzere, "Cache-Cache Avec la Lumiere (Hide and Seek with the Light)", pastel on pastelcard, 23.6 x 15.7 in
Lysiane Lagauzere, “Cache-Cache Avec la Lumiere (Hide and Seek with the Light)”, pastel on pastelcard, 23.6 x 15.7 in

I was totally beguiled by this piece what more can I say? It has a magical quality about it. Is it of this world or another reality? I find myself wanting to be there, and wondering where ‘there’ is. You can see more of Lysiane’s work here.

 

pastel delight: Marc R. Hanson, "Beaver Work," pastel on Ampersand pastelbord, 16 x 20 in
Marc R. Hanson, “Beaver Work,” pastel on Ampersand pastelbord, 16 x 20 in

Although this painting shows the destruction done by beavers, because of the sombre quality of the work, I can’t help but see it as a metaphor for a larger destruction. Nature’s destruction is one thing but that of human’s is devastating. A difficult subject of water, field and lots of things sticking out of the water, I’m rather in awe of Marc’s ability to capture it. Like Jennifer above, Marc successfully uses a simple colour scheme of compliments – this time blue and orange. You can see more of his work on his website.

 

Pastel delights: Marie Maines, "I69 House/Late Afternoon," pastel, 20 x 20 in
Marie Maines, “I69 House/Late Afternoon,” pastel, 20 x 20 in

The warm glow of this iconic painting belies the sense of a house abandoned. The house remains beautiful in its form even though it is no longer inhabited. I love Marie’s simple design and how she has elevated a particular house to represent the touchstone of ‘house’. The work reminds me of Bill Creevy’s skill with composition, texture, and colour. To achieve the texture, Marie primed gatorbord with a couple of coats of gesso and a couple of coats of pastel gel medium. (The pattern of brush stroke may be random or basket-weave as it is here.) She coated the entire thing with an orange acrylic wash before starting in with soft pastels. Click here to see more of Marie’s work.

 

pastel delight: Stacey R. Swann, "Sur De Soi," pastel and charcoal, 18 x 12 in
Stacey R. Swann, “Sur De Soi,” pastel and charcoal, 18 x 12 in

I was rather taken aback when I saw this pastel. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or disliked it. But one thing was for sure, it got my attention! Over the last little while, it’s grown on me. I’m fascinated by the juxtaposition of the sort of sickly sweet colours used for the human form, the rather awkward position of the hands, the terrific drawing skill and the rough application of saturated blocks of colour in the background that interrupts the body’s boundaries to the bottom of the page. I couldn’t find a website for Stacey but you can find more of her work on her Facebook Page.

 ~~~

So that’s it for another month. I have presented you with my choices, pieces that spoke to me. Such incredible talent and variety of styles out there don’t you think?

I would LOVE to hear what you think of my pastel delights! Please leave a comment and let’s get a conversation going!

I sure do appreciate your company 🙂

Until next time,

~ Gail

 

Related Posts

Subscribe to the HowtoPastel Blog today!

Take a course

Like my Blogs?

Do you like the blog?

Support HowToPastel and help me to keep creating content to instruct, inspire, and motivate you with your pastel painting. Although I’ve been asked, “How much does it cost to subscribe?” HowToPastel will always be free. Your financial support is completely optional but does go a long way in helping with the cost of running this blog. Thank you!

Comments

12 thoughts on “January’s Pastel Delights!”

  1. Hi Gail – just wanted to let you know how special it was for me to have you select my piece for your January top ten. I was especially thrilled to be compared to bill Creevy. He has been one of my pastel heros for a long time!! Thanks again. Marie

  2. Gail, I am honored to be selected with such talent here! What a lovely blog you have devoted to pastel. Thank you very much–I delighted my painting moved you! Sargent is one of my faves and I’m so flattered my work could be likened to one of his! many thanks, Jennifer

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Other Related Posts

Headshot of Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley

Artist. Blogger. Teacher.

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!

Join the mailing list today to receive exclusive tips, resources and inspiration directly from Gail:

Scroll to Top

Welcome Artists!

Online Courses

Pastels 101

Use this link if you bought the course AFTER Sept 2022

Use this link if you bought the course BEFORE Sept 2022

Pastel Painting En Plein Air

Art Membership

IGNITE! Art Making Members

Love Soft Pastels?

Then join 7000+ other subscribers and get my tips, reviews, and resources all about pastels... it's FREE! Just enter your name and email address below.

Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Privacy Policy