Portrait backgrounds can make or break a painting. In this guest post, Alain Picard shares four simple but powerful principles for creating backgrounds that truly support the portrait.
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.
When an artist turns her gaze towards fire, something magical happens. In this guest post, Beth Tockey Williams shares how she captures the flicker, glow, and elusive dance of flames in pastel — from the first spark to the final trail of smoke.
When artist Terrilynn Dubreuil lost her mother, she turned to her pastels to make sense of the grief. In this moving story, she shares how painting became both tribute and transformation — revealing the profound power of art to heal and express what words cannot.
Cory Goulet dives into her process of intuitive abstraction, where bold marks, colour, and courage meet discipline and practice. Discover how she balances chaos and harmony, lets intuition lead, and creates work that is both spontaneous and deeply intentional.
In this guest post, Kira Ru-djen pulls back the curtain on her pastel practice — from blind sketches to bold colour and skeletal forms full of character. Whether painting figures, landscapes, or her beloved “skelebuddies,” her process reveals the deep connection between improvisation, intention, and joy.
Guest Susan Kuznitsky shares how she approaches complex subjects in pastel—from crowded café interiors to a crowd of grandchildren (yes, really!). Through years of experience, she’s learned how to simplify without sacrificing richness, and how to suggest detail without overworking it. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too much going on in a scene, this is the read that’ll help!
Colette Odya Smith shares honest, inspiring lessons from her own art journey—full of growth, reinvention, and being your own teacher.
Suzanne Godbout shares her still life painting process, inspiration, and pastel techniques for capturing light, texture, and emotion from life.
Marie Tippets explores the beauty of still life art, revealing how simplicity and clear storytelling can transform ordinary subjects into captivating masterpieces.
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