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.
"I am truly grateful for the work put into this newsletter. The content is always inspiring and helpful in my own journey with pastels"
- HTP Blog Subscriber
Have a look around!
Check out the Welcome Video!
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
Visit NowMy Art School
Art School
Visit NowOnline Gallery
Peninsula Gallery
Visit NowMost Recent Edition
Friday, 24 July 2026
4 Comments
When I heard about David Hockney’s bedside note, I smiled. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Why would one of the world’s most prolific artists need a reminder to get up and work? The more I sat with that question, the more I realised the note wasn’t about motivation at all. It was about something much deeper.
More Editions...
Florence Rodway – Little Known Today Yet Successful Portraitist In Her Time
Thursday, 3 November 2016
Tasmania, that island off the south east of Australia that many of us have heard of but really know nothing about including the fact that it produced painter Florence Rodway (1881-1971). I think Papeeta was the first piece I saw by Florence Rodway and I was stunned by how beautiful, textured, and contemporary it looked.
Michael Freeman On Surviving the Competitions Rollercoaster
Friday, 19 December 2025
Entering art competitions can be exciting, daunting, and deeply personal. In this guest post, Michael Freeman shares thoughtful, experience-based insights into navigating the competitions landscape — from deciding whether competitions are right for you, to improving your chances of acceptance, and handling disappointment when things don’t go your way. Grounded, honest, and practical, his reflections help artists approach competitions with clarity, resilience, and a stronger sense of self.
My Painting Is Finished! Or Is It?
Friday, 7 October 2022
Another painting in my Gallery Goers series is done! It’s such a great feeling when you think a painting is finished. But then I came back a few days later. Something wasn’t quite right. I hadn’t noticed it while working on the piece – too close to it physically, mentally, and emotionally. I needed some
Playing With Colour To Create Unique and Bold Paintings
Friday, 7 April 2023
Tired of dull and lifeless paintings? Learn the art of playing with colour. I’ll show you how I transform a dull reference into something bold through colour exaggeration and imagination…and letting go!
Join HowToPastel’s journey in everything pastel. Subscribe today!
Grief And Art – Using Art-Making To Deal With My Sadness And Anger
WARNING: This is a very personal blog post. In it, grief and art come together. Yesterday I was shocked and stunned: I
Why Is It So Hard to Start Painting?
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?
Bill Creevy offers advice on dealing with artist’s block
Bill Creevy’s Advice Oh my gosh, I thought I’d already posted this blog and video but found it sitting in drafts.
Christine Swann – Getting The ‘Right’ Skintone
I’ve followed this artist since I first saw her work quite a few years ago. I wrote about one of her
Value Dominance! How it Can Make (or Break) Your Painting
Friday, 12 March 2021
Find Something To Paint En Plein Air Every Time!
Friday, 24 March 2023
A Heart for You on This Valentine’s Day!
Friday, 14 February 2014
Using Charcoal with Soft Pastels – A Surprising Solution
Friday, 11 April 2025
Adding Figures To Your Landscape
Saturday, 10 June 2023
![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)
Pastel Portrait Step by Step – Painting Flo
Friday, 18 July 2025
Subscribe and always get the latest edition
Looking for more?
Instant access to the training you want!
That’s right! I’ve created an art school for people looking for more resources, tools, courses, and information to improve their soft pastel painting! Click the link to check it out.
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!!