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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Peninsula Gallery
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Friday, 26 September 2025
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At my last workshop, someone leaned in, all secretive, and whispered: “I don’t want to share my paintings until they’re… you know… perfect.” And I had to laugh — in a nice way but also with a raised eyebrow — because if
More Editions...
When Plans Go Sideways…..
Thursday, 13 August 2015
When plans go sideways, what to do? You write a blog post about it. I had a plan. Really I did. And it was a good one. Shoot video, edit, upload to YouTube, and write a post. No problem right? Wrong! I shot the videos alright but the problem came when I tried to upload
IAPS – A Whale Of A Time!
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Settling back into real life after a fabulous time at the 2015 International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What to tell you about it?? Well, for the first time, I was totally on the Vendor side of the Convention – I didn’t register as a participant (for one, it sold
Improve Your Paintings With The Power Of Negative Space
Sunday, 17 September 2017
I’m writing this sitting in Frankfurt airport as I travel home from my 7-day Croatia workshop. Teaching this workshop got me thinking a lot about negative space – both its power as a visual device and as a tool to aid in the creation of a painting. My demo and lesson on the last day
Moving Towards Abstraction – Four Ideas
Friday, 2 May 2025
A playful pastel demo turned into a surprising lesson on moving toward abstraction. Learn the simple process, see the studies, and discover tips to loosen up your art.
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A Mahlstick – The Easiest Upgrade for Your Studio
Discover how to use a mahlstick for pastel painting—what it is, how to make one, and why this old-school tool is still a game-changer.
Christine Debrosky-Working Hand In Hand
Christine Debrosky shares her thoughts on how her plein air work influences and informs her studio work, and vice versa.
Pastel Demo At Opus A Marvellous Experience!
Opus Art Store Pastel Demo Wow, did I ever have a fun day on Sunday doing my pastel demo!! I can’t
How I Use Colour Under White
Recently, in my neck of the woods, we were treated to a lot of snow! Many artists took the opportunity to
Choosing a Colour Palette for Travelling
Friday, 24 May 2019
What’s a Low Key Painting?
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
It’s the Doing That Matters – Plein Air Painting With Mum
Friday, 4 July 2025
Ambiguity In Art – How It Can Benefit Your Own Work
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Painting the Unfamiliar – Scary and Confirming
Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Change Things Up When Painting En Plein Air
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
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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!!