Pastel Art

Made it into the Pastel Society of America's monthly Showcase for Self Portrait! I'm so stoked!

The Return - 2026

Soft pastel on paper

12x9

Created from memory of a gentle Old Willow Tree in New Brunswick, Canada. For many seasons I would view the Sun passing through these large tree stocks, along with the subtle changes in atmosphere.

New pastel from my photo taken at Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario. Lmk what you think of it.

A new piece I just finished. Haven't come up with.a name just yet. The blue is a little intense in this pic and some of the lighter values are blown out. Have to work on getting a better picture. Soft pastel, 8x11.25 in

I thought I'd share a beautiful online soft pastel art show with you. I'm one of the admins of. Red Rock Pastel Society of Nevada and our member show just went live. There are 146 stunning pieces of art from members across the world. If you love great art and especially soft pastel art, I recommend you take a look at this fabulous show. There are two divisions - Masters and Open. Here's the link ;;>

https://showsubmit.com/gallery/rrpsnv-2026-juried-member-online-exhibition

I just finished this piece this past week.

This is only my second oil pastel and I am still learning how to get a better result with the pastel not smudging.

She's coming along...that carpet took forever and it's still not 'done'!

Have any of you tried the DaVinci dual sided pro panels? One side is ultra smooth and the other side is medium textured. I bought some from Jerry's Artarama. They come in a pack of 2. I bought the largest size they had which was 16 x 20. Both sides are interesting to use. The smooth side is a little tricky in that it isn't as easy to blend the pastels but the finished product was really fun. This piece Quiet Grace was done on the smooth side. I'm working on another one on the medium textured side and I like it much better. It's fun to experiment on new surfaces. I use mostly pan pastels and pencils in my equine art. Give it a try. I still like pastelbord the best though.

I have always worked vertically on a table top easel. I would like to do some progress videos but it would be easier if I was working flat on the table. Hoping to get some people's experiances

"Purple Defiance" 5" x 7" soft pastel on gray Pastelbord

I've been working on my backgrounds in these miniature florals for awhile now and I find I sometimes spend as much time back there as I do on the focal point !

When I introduced this in an email, I wrote this background story;

" Thistles are Scotlland's National Flower because they symbolize resilience and security. (I have a strong Scots heritage.) Legend tells of invading Norsemen sneaking up barefoot on a moonless night to attack a sleeping Scottish army. The invaders stumbled into a wide bed of thistles, and their sudden cries of pain alerted the Scots, who defeated the Norse in a pivotal 13th Century battle. 

So whether you're drawn to thistles because of the folklore and symbolism, or the sheer beauty of their fierce, elaborately architectural forms, they command respect. 

All this must've been thrumming in my subconscious when I decided to paint a thistle last week.

In this new little pastel, I consciously twined toughness into the delicate flower's graceful poise. Multiple layers of pigment suggest the bloom's rich purples and soft lavenders over a hint of yellow accented with orange. Complex color. Thistles are very multi-dimensional flowers. Surrounding forms, hints of leaves and stems, grasses and petals silently weave in and out, supporting and flanking this a small wild thing with its strong, indomitable spirit. 

That might be exactly the kind of energy a room needs to welcome You home. Sanctuary, like beauty, can come armed with thorns, which makes it all the more precious. "

Do you linger in the flower blossom or find yourself moving into the background?

"Dutch Kitchen," soft pastel.

Prelim of new painting. Almost done. Got the sink to do and the usual tweaks. I'm loving this painting!

After doing an extremely detailed and colorful wildlife painting I wanted to do somehting very different. So I did this genre piece. Using limited colors and less detail than most of my work. I enjoyed the relaxing shift. I call it Rain in the window. Pan pastels and pastel pencils on Pastelmat

This artwork was created at my workshop for 2.5 hours (plus 1 hour of home "finishing").
This artwork presents a loose, energetic pastel study of watermelon and orchard fruit set against a deep, smudged ground. Bold swaths of coral-red flesh and emerald rind rest on a lively patterned cloth, while shadowed shapes and bright highlights convey the warmth and sweetness of a summer afternoon. Painterly pastel gestures give the composition a tactile immediacy — you can almost feel the juice and the soft give of ripe fruit. I made this piece as a small, affectionate nod to ordinary moments that comfort us; it holds a gentle, outspoken color that stays with you. Perfect for a kitchen wall, dining nook, or any room that could use a splash of summer.
#wheelchairartist

We spent the spring in the Smoky Mountains where the colors were beautiful. When we first arrive everything was brown but as everything began to sprout I was amazed at the variety of hues in Cades Cove. All the differences made the meadow- just like a variety of folks make the world go around!

Soft pastel on Lux Archival

My store front went live today!!

https://tracyklinesteker.artstorefronts.com/shop-art

Purple Majesty

This was from photo I took in Lucerne, Switzerland. The purple jumped out at me.