Following Your Artistic Path
'The point is to stay on your path, find what excites you, see where it goes and hopefully enjoy the journey that never ends.'
Soft Pastel Stories
Colourful Chronicles
Learn new techniques, hear artist's stories, and stay up to date on Soft Pastel News.
5 Day Pastel Challenge with Nina Squire
Unison Colour and Associate Artist, Nina Squire, are excited to announce the next 5 Day Pastel Challenge starting 9am (UK time) Monday 1st February, running for 5 consecutive days.Over the course of the 5 days Nina will challenge you to create ‘Old Harry’- a mixed landscape of skies, sea and beach with the iconic Dorset landmark…
Take it Outside (and your comfort level)!
I am always amazed at how many pastel artists have always wanted to paint “en plein air” (out in the open air) but were hesitant to try.
Starting out with Soft Pastels
With so many art materials available to us out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. My “safe” zone for many years was graphite and coloured pencil but even with those, now that I know more, I realise I was only using them to a tiny fraction of their potential.
Reinventing The Lady of Shalott
We all need inspiration to work, something that captivates us and sets off fireworks in our soul. For me it will be nature, clouds, skies, reflections, which are all my daily recharge.
Finding your Mojo, when all creative ideas desert you
For many of us, art is a refuge, a place of comfort. It is something we turn to at all points in our life, a place to escape to. For some, it’s vital as it pays the mortgage whilst for others it equals in importance as a therapy for anxiety and depression.
When Pastels Equal Freedom
I spent my childhood drawing cartoons, but never really imagined I could do much more artistically. I chose music classes over art and chose environmental education over music when it came time to choose a career.
Reclaiming a Failed Pastel Painting
Neva does a bit of recycling with old artwork that didn't make the cut. She goes through the process, step by step, of washing off the old pigment, and utilising the remaining marks, which are almost artwork in themselves!
A Figurative Approach to Abstraction
Although I am primarily a figurative artist, I have had an admiration and fondness for Abstract art. The main problem, and I would think not uncommon amongst figurative artists, is that I have had great trouble producing a piece of Abstract Art with which I am entirely happy.
My Painting Journey with Pastels
While appreciating art as a viewer, I remember sitting, for what it looks to me hours and hours, modelling for my mother’s paintings while my brothers were playing.
Bailey: The Artist’s Experience
3 Artists write about their experiences of taking part in the 5 Day Pastel Challenge, painting their own version of 'Bailey' by Sue Kerrigan-Harris.
Exploration
The dictionary defines a journey as an act of traveling from one place to another. This would seem to imply a start and an endpoint. For me, as an artist, there really is no ending to my travels.
