When I first saw the Wave series, I was blown away! (You can read what I had to say in one of my round-ups.) Who was the artist I wondered? Turns out it’s Jessica Masters. This year, I met Jessica at the ICAN Conference and was delighted by her warm personality, her work, and her generous nature. I decided then and there that I wanted her as a guest on HowToPastel. I’m delighted to present this artist to you!
Don’t know Jessica’s work? Here’s a teaser!
Before I hand the blog over to Jessica, here’s a wee bit about her.
Jessica Masters Bio
Jessica Masters lives in Guelph, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children. Jessica is represented by several galleries in Ontario and shows her work regularly in solo and group exhibitions. In 2016 and 2018 she was a presenter at the ICAN pastel conference, and she has won several awards for her pastel work including two from the Pastel Artists of Canada. Jessica teaches workshops in pastel and oil paint. Check out her website to see more.
Now hereeeee’s Jessica!
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Throughout my Fine
I had a print professor named Walter Bachinski who was also a pastel artist. His work was colourful, inventive, and Matisse-like. I was intrigued. At the time, it didn’t occur to me that my love of the greys in charcoal would have a connection to the colours in pastel.
Then one day I was with my mother looking at art supplies, and I found a box of neutral coloured Yarka pastels. There were 8 sticks in a range of greys, blues, browns, black and white. I loved the delicate colours, but I didn’t buy them. Later that day my mother presented me with the pastels, saying she clearly saw the connection I had to them. She was right. It was an instant click with exactly the right type of pastel – hard sticks with subtle colours.
The colour palette and hard form of my first box of pastels was just a small shift from the monochromatic world of charcoal and printmaking, but this experiment into pastels would prove to be a defining moment, one that would shape the next 20 years of my art making. Like many pastel artists that I’ve connected with over the years, this medium has a spell over me, and that first moment of discovery will never be forgotten.
My early work had no rules or restrictions. I didn’t know any existed. I didn’t know about sanded papers or other brands of pastel. I simply drew from my experience with charcoal and printmaking and used my favourite heavy rag paper called BFK Rives as my substrate. My subject was simple; just forms of colour with mark-making throughout. These early images were about atmosphere and impressions and I see now, in reflection, that I was feeling my way through this new medium.
Finding Colour and Inspiration
When I started adding more colour to my small box of greys, I was introduced to softer pastels, primarily Schmincke. The softer pastels took some getting used to, they seemed to move more quickly on the paper than the harder pastels, but using them added a lot to my work. The wider selection of colours and the purer pigments gave me more accurate rendering. I was able to move the colour around more easily, layer colours, and work bigger.
My work has always reflected what is going on around me; it’s how I process life. In my early days, I stayed home with my kids. The activities of parenting influenced my work. Being outside regularly to play in parks and fields, long drives to get the kids to nap, and reading children’s books exposed me to colours and landscapes that began appearing in my work. I started to see colours for what they were instead of painting what I thought I saw. This was a breakthrough moment that allowed me to take more risks. Skies became yellow and purple instead of just blue or grey.
As I began to understand how to use colour, my subject started to change. What were abstracted landscapes started to take on a more rendered
I studied Albert Handell’s book carefully. I was inspired by his uses of colour for skies and shadows, and how he used broken colour and light. Handell used primarily Schmincke pastels in his book. I found that I could purchase the same brand locally, and this was how I began to slowly build my collection.
From the time that I began really introducing colour, I have been working consistently to develop my skills for drawing, colour use, and technique. I have taken workshops in painting with Ian Roberts and Tony Bianco. Both instructors (and their information) came at exactly the right time in my career. These two workshops helped move things forward for me, not just as an artist, but also for my own teaching career.
Over the years, I have taken on my many subjects, including landscapes, water and figurative work. I’ve been inspired by the coastal landscape in Maine, where we have spent several summer vacations. In my earlier work, I was trying to master the landscape in its colour, form, and complexity, whereas now I work to evoke a sense of nostalgia and memory in my viewer. I focus largely on the quality of the light in a scene because as I feel that the light creates an atmosphere and feeling that connects us to our memories.
In many ways, it’s been a full-circle return to my starting efforts with pastels. Then, I was working to create an atmosphere, only now I understand form and colour to express it a new way. I still value the greys. I think colour needs the contrast of grey to reach its full expression. My pastel collection is now much bigger than before and though I do have a lot of colour, I still put significant effort into building the atmospheric colours of blues and greys.
The Wave Series
Most recently I have been painting large-scale waves with dramatic black backgrounds. This body of work started in 2016 after I taught a workshop on How to Paint Wavesat the 2016 ICAN Conference. The research to present at the conference coupled with an invitation to participate in an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) in a show titled, ‘When We Were’, furthered my confidence in painting water.
The AGG show ran alongside another exhibition titled, ‘Landmade,’ which featured works by Lawren Harris and Tom Thompson. Running these exhibitions in parallel showed how contemporary painters are handling landscape as compared to the styles and approaches used in the past.
For me this was a moment to push my subject and my medium. I wanted large and impactful images that were in contrast to the ‘delicate’ nature of pastel as a medium. I wanted to show how pastel could be handled on a large scale with a contemporary subject. The three pieces shown here are 40 x 60 in.
Process in the Wave Series
My goal is to paint the atmosphere and capture the feeling of the
I have chosen a black background to create contrast in the piece. My goal was to make the work all about the wave and how it made the viewer feel – so the horizon and sky needed to disappear.
I start by coating my paper with Golden pastel ground. The Golden ground surface is really toothy and I rely on this to hold all of my layers. I then put in the black background so that I understand the darkest value and have something to measure my lightest values against.
From here I use the pastel in washes, blocking in my big shapes that will hold the smaller details and building up the layers of colours that I see. I am loose and painterly here because I know how flexible and forgiving pastel is. There are many colours used at this point and I view this as a crucial stage for how the rest of the piece will turn out. If I get this part wrong I will wash things out and start again.
I use lots of different pastel brands and favour Diane Townsend, Terry Ludwig, and Schmincke. As I work, I am thinking about form, value, and colour temperature the most. These are the painting tools that can give the most impact in a piece.
I make sure from the start that I have identified my darkest and lightest points and I work within those boundaries. I want my work to be painterly and loose while still being recognizable. As I come close to the end of a piece I gravitate to Girault and Roche pastels for finishing touches. These pastels help me tip colours warmer or cooler. This is very important for achieving the level of rendering and visual impact that I want.
Teaching
I work full time as an artist and have taught workshops in oil painting and pastel for the past five years. I love teaching because I am always surrounded by people who love what they are doing and who want to learn. One of the most important messages I tell my students is that when you are learning to use pastel there are no real rules, just options.
I preface each demonstration with, “this is how I use them, but it’s not the only way.” My goal is to provide a starting point and show the possibilities of this medium from which they will develop their own style. Everything we do in pastel is about a response to something: subject, paper surface, type of pastel etc. There are so many variables. Learning that you can make choices and make mistakes will give you the freedom to explore and develop your own working methods without fear.
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Wow. I mean WOW!! Aren’t those powerful paintings?! And imagine seeing the large pieces in the real!
We want to hear from you! Do you have any comments or questions for Jessica Masters? Do you have a favourite? Let us know by leaving a comment 🙂
Until next time!
Gail
88 thoughts on “Jessica Masters – High Impact With The Delicacy Of Pastels”
I can really relate to Jessica’s early experience with charcoal. It was when I was on my foundation course in Art and Design and struggling with my life drawing, that somebody advised me to throw away my pencil, cover my paper with charcoal, and start drawing with an eraser. What a moment that turned out to be! Can I ask Jessica whether her Wave series is under glass, it’s difficult to tell. And if not, how does she stabilise the pastel?
Yes, that’s what I did in life drawing at art school too Diane. Loved it!
Great question. And I’ll hand it over to Jessica.
Fabulous work! It makes me feel as if I am in the water next to those waves. Very powerful!
Yes!!! I know what you mean Susan!
Hi Diane,
Yes, I always frame my pastels with glass. For the largest pieces shown hanging in the gallery I used art glass to stop reflection, but normally I use regular glass. Thanks for your comment.
Jessica
“Beautiful work” is an understatement to describe Jessica’s paintings. Since I am always drawn to figures, I love her beach scenes..but those waves! Amazing! I am just now discovering charcoal in my portrait class, and I enjoy playing with it. But I still look forward to adding color. More exploration needed. 🙂
Thanks Ruth! Yes, I love figures too but as you say, “those waves!”
Glad you’ve discovered charcoal, a medium I also love.
Keep going and exploring and see what happens!
Thank-you Ruth for your lovely comments. Here’s a tip to adding colour to your charcoal work slowly, start with just putting colour at your focal point. It will gradually introduce you to working with colour and add impact to your work.
Thanks again!
WOW! Is exactly right. I love this wave series. Her comments are very informative. Does she ever teach in the US? My question is the same as above – does she put those large works under glass or have some over way to keep it stable and protect it?
🙂
Anne I hand your questions over to Jessica!
Hi Anne,
Thanks for your kind comments. I currently don’t teach in the U.S. but I am open to any ideas about it. And yes, I always frame my pastel work with glass. Normally I just use regular glass but on the larger pieces I have used art glass to stop reflection.
Cheers!
Jessica
Wonderful work. I can almost feel the water – it is very dynamic. I like Jeanne Rosier Smith’s waves as well. I assume Jessica is aware of her work. It is different. Jessica’s waves are a little more whimsical and foamy. I like the way all the focus in on the wave due to the black sky. It’s how the beach is more mysterious at night.
– Dennis Blanchard
Thanks for your comment Dennis! Thanks for bringing up the comparison with Jeanne Rosier Smith (who also wrote a guest blog which you can read by clicking here.
I agree with you about all the emphasis put on the waves in Jessica’s work. And yes, it is like that at night at the beach! (I say this as I return home from teaching in Naples, Florida!)
Thank-you Dennis!
I love your response to the work. I have seen Jeanne Rosier Smiths work and I like the way she handles this subject, its great work.
Jessica
I’m fascinated by and envious of the learning processes that artists have gone through. I had only one year of art in high school, just in watercolours with a ‘teacher’ who had but one rule – never put yellow and pink together! I only started drawing/painting when we retired and moved to rural France and I joined a local art group to meet people. Now I’m hooked and use several mediums. I love your blogs Gail and your guest blogggers too, you all make me wish I had discovered art decades ago.
Your experience with art early on is echoed by many Mary-Anne. I’m so happy you’ve joined a local group and that my blogs are useful to you!!
You are doing it now and that’s what counts. You just need to paint a lot to make up the time! 🙂
(And rural France seems like heaven!)
Awesome, one question . What do you use to get the beautiful dark background.
Greeeeeat question Paul!!
Hi Paul,
I sometimes use pastel but in the bigger pieces I use paint.
Jessica
Lovely stuff! Really like looking at the works in progress because it’s so interesting to see what’s underneath the surface! Thanks for featuring Jessica, Gail. You know all the best pastel artists.
So happy to hear you enjoyed Jessica’s post Marie. And I agree with you, there’s nothing like seeing the progression of a painting!!
Loved the blog and the paintings!
Wonderful Anne!!
Thanks Anne!
I am really intrigued by the red underwash. Hmmm. I need to rethink what my beginning layers need to be. Thanks so much for the step by step. So love the waves.
Isn’t it wonderful to see that colour underneath? It’s like magic seeing the effect!
Thank you Kathy. I think the strategy behind the early decision in the work (like size and paper colour) might be some of the most important.
This was wonderful to see Jessica’s journey in her progress and how she has mastered her work in pastels.
I also wondered if the final work is covered in glass, are spacers necessary and does she use a fixative spray?
Spraying appears to be a controversial subject with either a definite YES or NO! What is Jessica’s opinion?
And is board with a preparation better to work the magic than sanded paper or just a personal preference?
I’m so glad you enjoyed seeing Jessica’s process Georgiana. Thanks for lots of great questions for her!!
Thank you! I really enjoyed seeing the development from using just charcoal to the gradual introduction of muted colors to using the whole gamut. Beautiful work! I would love to see those huge waves in real life. So, thank you, Gail, and thank you, Jessica!
I’m with you Wendy! I can imagine the power of seeing those large pieces in person and would love to see them too.
And like you, I love seeing the progress of Jessica’s work.
Hi Wendy
Thanks for your comment. I was excited about working at this size for its impact on the viewer. I loved the contrast between this “‘delicate” medium with a powerful subject.
I think Early Work II and Wave 5 are absolutely breathtaking, each in their own ways. Question for Jessica: It appears to me from the photo marked Wave Demo 2 that you build up the wave color and foam in detail simultaneously; is that correct?
Thanks for sharing your favs Jane. And thanks for the question which I’m sure Jessica will be happy to answer!
“There are no rules, just options.” Thank you for my new mantra! —MaryLee
I like your new mantra MaryLee!
It very freeing when you think you can respond to this intuitively and not with a rule book. Thanks for your lovely comment MaryLee.
Jessica
The movement in the waves is hypnotic, the colours strong. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderfully descriptive words Lana!! Thank you!
Thanks for your comments Lana!
I have learned so much from Jessica Masters in so many ways. Workshops , Painting courses, just plain discussing art with her. She is so giving of her knowledge and excitement for art. My wife and I both LOVE her so much.
It is truly interesting to see, in this blog, her progression.
We are so blessed to have such a talented artist in our community of Guelph, ON and area.
John, I had a sneaking suspicion you would appreciate this month’s guest! Thanks for sharing your own wonderful experience with her!! And yes, you are lucky to have her in your area of the country 🙂
John,
That is such a generous and kind comment and the feeling is mutual. I think I’m the lucky one to have such talented and engaging artists to work with and have as friends.
Ah, Gee Whiz, Jessica. I am blushing now. What I said is very true. I am always curious to see wonderful artists work, so I always have a question or two for you. LOL
Just fascinating ! I would really like to take a class with this wonderful artist.
How do I get in touch with her?
No mention was made on how she finishes her pieces. I am finding folks don’t generally want to work in pastels because of framing and display costs ?
Hi Suzanne, I am sure you can contact Jessica through her website.
Perhaps Jessica will say more on how she finishes a piece.
And yes, the need to frame is one of the very few downsides of working in pastel!
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for your lovely comments. You can join my email list by going to my website, jessicamasters.com
As for finishing my work, if I’m preparing for a show I have my work framed. I have a great framer who knows how to handle my work really well. For work that is not grouped with a show I will mat and shrink wrap it for protection. If it’s matted it at least presents the work for the client to see properly. I understand the costs involved and it’s not easy if you produce a lot of work to frame but the work is much more likely to sell if it’s framed. I work in fairly consistant sizing so if a piece doesn’t sell I can switch it out for another the same size.
Wow, once again we hear about another stellar artist. I like this blog as it shows the evolution in the learning process. The wave series are spectacular because of the energy they convey. I literally feel as if I am standing in the surf line as those waves break over me. I do love the landscapes though because that is my attraction. In Storm Sky we know a deluge is overhead! Thanks.
Marsha thanks so much for adding your voice to the commentary on this blog! You are so right about the power of those waves. Thank you too for pointing to the beauty of Jessica’s landscapes 🙂
Thank you Marsha for your lovely comments. It just how I want my viewer to feel. And I know what you mean about the draw of the landscape, I feel it too and pastel is such a great medium to capture it with.
I am enthralled at the vibrance achieved over black and other dark or contrasting colors.
When Jessica says she paints in the black, is that black pastel wash or acrylic or????
Thank you for writing this blog.
Thanks Susan! And I will leave Jessica to answer your great question!
Beautiful, does she mix her black? It’s the blackest ever. What does she use for that?
It IS the blackest ever!! Good question Jackie!
WOW is right! 🙂 I seldom paint in pastels but as I read about the artists you profile in your blog I am usually blown away. Thank you!
Diane it’s my hope that you will succumb to pastels like the rest of us!! 🙂
It’s a very special medium!
These are beautiful. I started working with pastels on roof slates. I had both materials lying around for years and finally paired the two. I like the texture of the slate the background colour. I picked up a few pieces of sanded paper at our local art supply store about a year ago and it has been a magnicent game changer. I’m grateful for Diane”s memory of working without rules and figuring out what different papers and what grade of pastel does what. I’ m all over the place really, and I love it. I appreciate your sharing your techniques as well. I always love it when artists share. More ways for me to play! Thanks.
Wow love the idea of pastels on roof tiles and your obvious joy with experimentation Kelly. Keep at it!!
We are very excited, here in Naples, for your workshops this week! Looking forward to learning from you and having a fun time. See you on Monday morning!
Hi Lynn,thanks for your comment! I’m excited too! See you tomorrow 😀
Wow…one of the best posts yet. Loved her progression from charcoal to soft pastels. Deja vu!
K
Ohhhhh that’s fantastic to hear Kathryn!
And does the “deja vu” comment mean you’ve done this progression from charcoal to pastel too?
Thank you Kathryn. That’s really generous!
I loved Jessica’s water paintings. Actually I related a lot to her early work as well. Fine Art was not my discipline, having a master in the human sciences has led me to a lifetime of studying faces and human form in response to human relationships and nature. The wave action aroused such an emotion of immediacy within me, a calling to experience “the moment”. Hope that my pastel paintings will come to reflect that as well. I have appreciated being witness to some of her work. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your own journey in life Linda. Love your visceral reaction to Jessica’s Waves!
And lucky you being able to see some of Jessica’s work in real life 😀
Hi Diane,
Yes, I always frame my pastel work with glass. For these larger ones shown, I have used Art glass so there is no glare, but generally I use regular glass.
Thanks,
Jessica
Hi Jessica, Your work is beautiful and I enjoyed it all. I especially like the “French Barn”, “Ogunquit” and the “Wave” series.
Thanks for popping in with your favs Carole! Glad you enjoyed the post by Jessica 🙂
Jessica, I saw yours and your moms work at ICAN, how has your work influenced or affected each other’s? How does having a creative family motivate you to keep pushing higher?
GREAT questions Susan! I look forward to Jessica’s answers!
I’ll have to remember that one…no rules, just options, love it! The waves are incredible. Wave #5 especially so. My eye went immediately to the foreground and then to the background and as I was coming around within the wave it was if it were one of those illusions that trick the eye into thinking the images are actually moving when you know they’re not. That wave was moving! I don’t know how you did it but it’s spectacular!
Karol, I LOVE your description of your journey through Jessica’s Wave #5. It does move! Thank you for helping the rest of us see that.
And yes, I think “no rules, just options” is going to be everyone’s new mantra 😀
I found this blog very informative and encouraging. Some of it reflects my own journey with pastels. Experimenting with types of chalks, paper and subject. Returning to art after a 50 year hiatus, at the age of 68, freed me from having to please anyone but myself or play by their rules. Loved her colors and how expressive her play of light and dark. One question though, what is golden pastel ground?
Thanks for your comment Rochelle. I think it’s great that a) you’ve found your way back to art and b) that you’re doing it to please yourself!! That’s the best way to paint!
Happy you enjoyed Jessica’s post. Although I know the answer to your question (:-)), I’ll leave it for Jessica to answer.
What a stellar body of work! Thanks for sharing your process and evolution as an artist. Your waves are so fresh and stunning. I was interested to learn that you create your own surface for the larger sizes, and that your “underpainting” goes over the ground. I always put it underneath the ground and now I look forward to trying it the way you describe. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment Peggy. LOVE that you have found a new way of applying the underpainting 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
Hi Jane,
Yes, you are correct. I work the whole wave all together. I put my largest shapes in first and the build the wave all over in varying degrees. I’m careful not to over work any one area too much at one time.
Thank you, Jessica. Very interesting post.
Hi Georgina,
Thanks for your comments. To answer your questions I always frame with glass and I do use spacers to allow for the work to sit back a bit from the glass. As for whether I spray with fixative??? Well it’s not a definite yes or no for me, it’s a sometimes. Firstly, I only use Spectra fix. Secondly I use quite a rough textured paper so it holds a lot of pastel. If I think I have pushed the limit with the pastel then I tap off the excess, and give it a spritz. If I think there’s enough tooth to hold the pastel then I may mist lightly or not at all (though it seems my framer knows when I haven’t fixed a piece).
It’s so interesting to see someone approaching a subject so familiar to me in a completely different and inspiring way. I love the black and red underneath and it works beautifully and is very moving. Also, Jessica, I was really excited to see the scale of the three large installation waves. I’ve done several 20 x 60’s and you’re inspiring me to work even larger. It’s encouraging to know you’re able to frame and hang something with a full sheet of 40 x 60 glass–in some ways it’s easier than trying to cut it in half. I would love to know how you support the weight of that on the back of the frame–that’s always the challenge for me in framing large pastels. SO exciting to read this, beautiful work!
Jeanne thanks so much for your comment. It’s wonderful to hear from you – both that you inspired by Jessica’s work and your question about framing. We all look forward to Jessica’s reply 😉
Hi Jeanne
What an honour to read your response and thank-you for your generous comments. From a fellow wave painter to another, I think your work is incredible. You capture atmosphere and light so beautifully! To answer your question about framing such large pieces and making sure they are supported, that’s tricky, it’s as much in the handling of them as it is the framing. In my first attempt to transport these pieces, I broke the glass on one. Experience says you need to transport them standing up not lying down. My framer also uses plexiglass spacers instead of foam core for added support since there isn’t a mat. The frames themselves are more substantial to support the weight but the overall key has been to not lay them flat.
Thank you again for your post!
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for your response; I’m so appreciative! First, for your kind words. Second, especially, for your tips on transport–I wouldn’t have thought of that but it’s a great tip and makes perfect sense. Thanks again!
OMG – love that you two are having this conversation here! Thanks Jeanne for the question and Jessica for your answer. Helps us ALL 🙂
Oh, Jessica. I really like the idea of the plexiglass spacers. Also the transporting in a standing position. I had not thought of that. Great tips. Thanks.
It is so good to re-read this blog. I took my first painting lessons with Jessica, at my wife’s insistence. Just yesterday, I signed up for two more classes with her. I have learned so much from her, as she is a truly great teacher and mentor.
John that is so great to hear!! I hope you tell Jessica that you’ve recorded your appreciation of her here 😁