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
Visit NowMost Recent Edition
Friday, 4 September 2026
4 Comments
A Pondering Chair may not seem like an essential piece of studio equipment, but it can change the way you look at your work. A place to sit, step back, and simply ponder can help you see more clearly, slow down, and resist the urge to keep fixing.
More Editions...
Sandra Burshell – The Beauty Of Colour, Light, And Atmosphere In Her Roomscapes
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
It’s my great pleasure to have Sandra Burshell as guest blogger. I’ve featured Burshell’s work twice in my monthly round-ups – the first time was a figure (click here to see it), and this past June, I included her interior, “What Could Have Been.” I’ve always been intrigued by the way Sandra Burshell applies pastel,
March’s Notable Pastels
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
I can’t believe the first quarter of the year has gone. Anyone else think those three months went by in a flash?? Well, yup, it’s the beginning of April so it’s time for me to choose ten notable pastels from the many I collected over March. These are paintings that either reached out and grabbed
Édouard Manet’s Pastel Painting – “George Moore” – Audacious And Enduring
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
There’s a pastel painting I’ve always loved – it’s Édouard Manet’s “George Moore”. I was reminded of it today when, searching my book shelf for something else, I came across a book, Édouard Manet Pastels by John Rewald published in 1947. This book is particularly special to me as it first belonged to my grandfather
Alain Voinot – Illuminating The Landscape On Black Paper
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
I am delighted to have Alain Voinot from France as my guest blogger this month. I featured one of his pieces back in March and have always been astounded how he uses black (or dark) paper as his support for landscapes. A particular skill is needed to work on black. Yes, it shows up bright colours wonderfully, but what about light, subtle, or landscape colours? I’ve
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What Draws You to a Scene? This Is What Pulled Me In.
Sometimes it’s not the whole scene that makes you want to paint — it’s one gesture, one shadow shape, one small visual surprise. Here’s what drew me to this scene and how that shaped the painting.
Silja Salmistu – Tackling The Darkness In The Nursery
Every October for the last four years, I’ve run a 31-pastels-in-31-days Challenge in my HowToPastel Facebook group. It’s awesome to see
Alan Flattmann offers the secret (or not so secret) to becoming a successful artist
While I was at the 2013 IAPS Convention, I had the pleasure of meeting the New Orleans gentleman artist and author,
5 Lessons Learnt From The Loss Of My Tech Guy
WARNING: This blog post is text heavy, visual light! A few weeks ago, my tech guy Terry Bower, died unexpectedly.
Simplifying a Scene – How To Focus On What Matters Most
Friday, 6 September 2024
Experimenting with Canson Touch and Richard Diebenkorn
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
A country road in Jamaica painted in pastel
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Pastel Demo At Opus A Marvellous Experience!
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
High Key Painting – What IS That??
Friday, 10 October 2014
The Making Of “Black Hats” – From Concept To IAPS Exhibition
Friday, 31 March 2023
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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!!