For the Love of Colour
I have been fascinated by colour for as long as I can remember. Beautiful colours, vibrant ones or soothing are surprising and fun.
1987
The Beginning
Unison Colour was founded by artist John Hersey who, after many years of not finding a pastel he was happy with, decided to make his own. After years of experimenting, the Unison Colour Soft pastel that you know and love today, was created.
But before we go any further...
Why not make yourself a cuppa, and watch our beautiful 8 minute film, which will take you on an intimate tour of Unison Colour HQ, while hearing from Kate Hersey, who tells us about the humble beginnings of Unison Colour, and son Dan, on moving onwards into the future.Â
Play Video
John Hersey
John Hersey was born in 1925. He was a student at the Byam Shaw School of art in London where he won a Rome Scholarship and lived in Italy for several years. On returning to the UK he ran his own business ‘Fine Art Photography’ while continuing with his own work. Over the years he became more and more interested in and passionate about colour.
John had always found inspiration in the clarity of light and subtlety of colour in Northumberland, and in 1980 he moved with Kate and their 4 children to an Old Rectory in the Northumberland National Park.
Colour Vision
The project began when John decided that the manufactured pastels available on the market broke easily, were not consistent in texture and did not mirror his colour vision. For several years he worked on methods of production, colour sequences and the texture of his pigment mixtures.
In 1987 he decided to offer the results to fellow pastellists. He and Kate took the original range of colour sets (then just 117 pastels!), and the kitchen dresser, to an art materials show in London. To their surprise there was an immediate interest.
Signs of Growth
To start with, the pastels were all made in the coach house and the top spare bedroom in the house was used for packing and storage. Eventually, as sales expanded in the USA, things became easier and they were able to construct another workshop and a packing room.
For John, it was a mission to create a world of colour.
In the Heart of Northumberland
Unison Colour is still based in the beautiful Tarset Valley in the Northumberland National Park, and the newly unveiled Northumberland International Dark Sky Park.
Each year nearly half a million handmade soft pastels are made in the workshops and Coach House at Thorneyburn Old Rectory. From here the pastels are sent out to artists all over the world.
Colourful Chronicles
An Artist’s Experience: 5 Day Pastel Challenge with Nina Squire, by Sara Lawrence
Home schooling is tough, so having an opportunity to take my 16 year-old daughter away from her screen to do something creative wasn’t a hard sell!
An Artist’s Experience: 5 Day Pastel Challenge with Nina Squire, by Susan Brooke
It’s fair to say that my artistic endeavours have been in a state of deep hibernation for more than a year so when my friend suggested doing this challenge with her, I thought maybe this is what I need.
An Artist’s Experience: 5 Day Pastel Challenge with Nina Squire, by Mary Waterfall
I am so glad I did this challenge, and I would urge anyone, however nervous to sign up to any future ones, I certainly will.