As an artist with a passion for pastels, I’ve spent years dedicated to this medium, crafting pastel art kits during lockdown and leading regular pastel art workshops. However, the time came when I craved a change.
I wanted to revisit the fundamentals of art to strengthen my self-taught foundation, something I now teach in my online academy.
This desire led me to explore new mediums and establish a consistent art practice, which is crucial for growth. I developed a daily sketchbook habit which I used not only for observation but also to discover what draws me to certain subjects/compositions. Using a sketchbook daily enabled me to get rid of perfectionism and embrace experimentation! Drawing the same subject multiple times is a great way to help with observation – keep it easy and grab something from the kitchen. I love the shape and colour of this pepper.
For over a year, I immersed myself in charcoal, pen, and oil paints, delving deeply into the basics of perspective and observation, along with a plethora of other core principles. Studying at The Realist Academy in Warrington, UK and L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Angers, France, igniting a fascination with portraiture. The foundational techniques truly transformed my artwork taking me to a completely different level. I began to observe form using quick marks, perfect for when time is short.
Throughout this period, I drew inspiration from the old masters, I started to notice some stunning pastel portraits. I even discovered a beautiful pastel portrait in an old family sketchbook dated 1908!
Finding time to dive back into pastels was definitely a challenge, I’m a ‘shiny object’ person and find inspiration just about everywhere!
But everyone has 24 hours in a day (16 after we’ve slept!) and how we allocate that time is down to us. There are things we have to do, our non-negotiables, such as eating, bathroom breaks, work etc. and there are things we choose to do. We can find time in the things we choose to do by reorganising or swapping out activities. To get into a regular art practice we utilise the little unexpected timeslots such as waiting for dinner to cook – the key is to make it easy for ourselves! So have a sketchbook and pastels nearby, the joy of pastels is there no cleaning up to do and they are always ready to go!
I repurposed an old Unison Colour box as my ‘portable palette,’ filling it with portrait colours for a life class – if you have a life class near you I would totally recommend attending, nothing beats drawing from life – I had seen the class was running and put it in my calendar to ensure I didn’t forget or organise anything else at the same time, I made it a non-negotiable!
I had forgotten the sheer joy of working with pastels – the vibrant colours, the simplicity of not having to mix paints, and, yes, achieving the occasional unintentional muddy hue (it happens to the best of us!). The tactile pleasure of pastel on paper is unparalleled. I can see through my bold use of colours that my confidence in my abilities has grown and now I’m ready to embrace a new pastel era.
I fully intend to create themed box palettes for cityscapes and landscapes and venture out into the wilds!
Although I may start with my garden – baby steps, making this easy…
It’s incredible to see the difference a break can make, whether it’s a week or longer.
If you’ve been exploring other mediums or simply engaged in other activities, I encourage you to reconnect with your pastels.
You might just see them in a new light and rediscover the magic they hold!
