About
the blog for soft pastel art lovers
Inspired by my love of pastels and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about them the How to Pastel Blog has tips & tricks, reviews, step-by-step progressions, guest bloggers, and a great community on Facebook.
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A bit about me
I am very lucky to have been born and brought up in Jamaica, a land of beauty and complexity, of warmth and coolness, of vibrancy and tension. Many say that my Caribbean upbringing influenced my palette and I think they may be right. I do know that it shaped my worldview. Check out these sites to learn more about me and my work.
My Art Practice
Gail Sibley
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Art School
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Peninsula Gallery
Visit NowMost Recent Edition
Friday, 29 May 2026
6 Comments
Surrounded by lush mountains, tropical flowers, and sparkling Costa Rican views, I chose to paint…a bathroom. Follow the progression of A Slice of Blue Loo and discover why the subjects that seem ordinary, odd, or unexpected may be exactly the ones worth trusting.
More Editions...
Painting Summer Greens In Soft Pastels
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
I just finished teaching a five-day plein air workshop at MISSA (Metchosin International Summer School of Arts). I had amazing students who painted diligently every day. One of their challenges was painting summer greens! Snuggled into a corner of the Pacific Northwest, the location of this art retreat is top heavy with trees both evergreen
Felicity House – A Spillage From Head, Hand, And Heart
Wednesday, 22 August 2018
As we know (especially if you’ve read my monthly roundups), pastel can be applied in soooo many ways. One of these methods is applying pastel in a more linear way. And one of the artists I greatly admire who uses this style is Felicity House. I’ve featured her work in previous roundups – Nov 2015
Edgar Degas – Ballet Rehearsal Onstage x 2!
Friday, 6 September 2019
While researching another project, I came across two paintings by Edgar Degas – one in oil, one in pastel – on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website. I was so taken by these pieces that I had to bring them to you! They have slightly different titles but are basically the same painting of a
Emily Christoff Flowers – Find Your Path By Painting What You Love
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Sometimes it takes a crisis to allow your unique creative soul to emerge – the part of you that’s ALL you, not someone else’s expectation or belief of who you are. Someone who found their true creative path in this way is Emily Christoff Flowers. I came across her work not too long ago and featured “Listening to Maynard Ferguson” in my March roundup. I was totally taken with the piece
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Julie Freeman – Infusing Life into Every Detail
Julie Freeman, hyperrealist in soft pastels, shares her work and process as well as the evolution of her artist identity and creative expression.
Plein air painting on Salt Spring – A Visit to the Vineyards
A couple of weeks ago, I went to visit my Mum and Dad on Salt Spring. It had been a while
Chaos of Light And Shadow – Painting En Plein Air In Mexico
In this post, I want to share with you a piece I did where I tried to sort out the chaos
‘Leave It And Love It!’ Exclaims Jen Evenhus
Bold colour. Confident strokes. Clear value pattern. Strong design. These are all phrases I would use when describing work by Jen
How Breaking The Rules Can Overcome Blank Canvas Syndrome
Thursday, 30 March 2017
Painting Figures In Conversation – Quiet Moments From The Beach
Friday, 6 February 2026
Seeing With An Artist’s Eye – Aren’t We The Lucky Ones?!
Saturday, 8 August 2020
Plein Air Painting Of Trees…And More Trees!
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Using Charcoal with Soft Pastels – A Surprising Solution
Friday, 11 April 2025
Trust Your Impulse!
Friday, 29 November 2019
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6 thoughts on “About”
Gail! Just got turned on to your website by a fellow artist from Wellington, Ontario… both of us former presidents of the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada. I work primarily in pastel and it will always be my medium of choice! I could never give them up! Being a landscape artist for years, I would now like to change things up a bit and try abstract. I was inspired by your article about the progression of your abstract painting…it’s given me the courage to take that (for me) giant leap and go ahead with an image I’ve had in my mind for a long time. Thank you! I look forward to future e-mails! Your’s is one of the best Pastel websites I’ve come across. Look forward to receiving your emails.
Kathryn
Thank you for writing Kathryn, and for your enthusiasm! It comes over loud and clear 🙂 I am wondering which article on abstraction you are referring to. Perhaps you can add a comment directly on the blog? Good luck with your leap. I know how difficult it is to make. It’s ongoing risk-taking that’s for sure! Please let me know how it goes.
Look forward to hearing more from you
I just read your article in the April issue of “Pastel Journal”. Thank you so much. I felt as if you were speaking directly to me. I am going to tear it out and tape it to my studio wall.
Marcia
Marcia, that’s the best reward a writer/artist could hear!! Thank you for letting me know. (As yet, I still haven’t received my copy!)
Hi Gail. I’m really excited and pleased to have discovered your website. I live in southern Australia and I started painting with pastels a few years ago (self taught) , but went a bit stale after doing a couple of workshops- mostly because the pastel artists here who I came across seem to be very conventional and felt that I wasn’t learning much. I’ve been working in oils since and enjoyed it- as I’ve realised, it’s similar in many ways. You showcase so many exciting works – use of colour, composition etc. , and your quick tips are helping me rethink how to approach my work. Looking forward to hearing more about your workshop in Tasmania, or perhaps one in Europe in a couple of years’ time.
Hi Judi,
Thanks for writing such a lovely introduction to yourself and your work. Certainly oils are similar to pastels in the way one builds a painting. Interesting that! I’m glad though that my blog may bring you back to the pastel side 😀 Even if not, so much of what’s here can be applied to the other media available for painting.
I look forward to having you in one of my workshops whether in Tasmania or Europe!!