Pastel Art

2d ago

A morning walk last week inspired my newest pastel landscape

Elizabeth Gomes Art Human-Made Art

"When Spring Walks Softly" 12"x9" soft pastel over a thin gouache underpainting that I used to map out my composition and warms and cools. I don't draw first, just start painting but almost always use some variety of underpainting, usually a simple, light application of hard pastels that I then fix with rubbing alcohol. But I'm finding irregularly thick spots of gouache add a little tooth to my surface and I'm liking that. Any other thoughts on underpainting?

Iryna Belova-Smorzh

4d ago

My first post in this community 🫣

Peonies - what do you think?..

1w ago

Stories in Wood

“Cracks in My Heart”

I’ve been creating a series of pastel paintings inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of each of the post tops along a hiking trail. Each ring tells a story of the life of the tree. The way that they open to show themselves as they age and decay, yet somehow remain creators of beauty moves me deeply. May I also open and show my inner beauty as I age.

Anuradha Shee Human-Made Art

1w ago

Serenity in fort & feather

Anuradha Shee Human-Made Art

From the House Sparrow series. These busy bodies always brings a smile on my face. They can make an absolutely quiet space beam with life. Dry pastel work on 300 gsm paper.

2w ago

Gaayer bodhu (village bride) a pastel work on paper

JbEbert Art Human-Made Art

Indian brides cover their head with the saree. The 'ghoomta' is commonly seen amongst the rural brides but gradually it is becoming a fashion statement in the trendy cities too.

2w ago

Sisters

These two lively girls were photographed together for chemistry, and separately. I combined references to develop this image. 12x16 pastel on linen

2w ago

When a Painting Titles Itself

I'm giving away a print of this soft pastel this week and while preparing socials posts and emails for the giveaway, I remembered lightly sketching these yuccas in with a pastel pencil and thinking, "the flower stalks are like those royal guards at Buckingham Palace--these are seriously standing guard over both land and sky. That thought helped direct the painting's progress and dictated the composition of the clouds in relation to the land. Nice when they title themselves, isn't it?! "Standing Guard" is a real place in the high desert, way out in far West Texas ranch country.

Dawn E Miranda Human-Made Art

2w ago

Maybe not quite a worm's eye view of bluebonnets, but a different way to show them

As a Texas landscape painter, it's almost a sin not to paint bluebonnets, but I try to find different ways to show these beauties. While "normal" bluebonnets are a foot tall or less, the Big Bend desert variety grow up to four feet tall, making them show-stoppers. Here, while an entire mesa was covered with blue, I chose to show only a cluster shooting into the sky in the immediate foreground. I lay on my belly to take my reference photo-- but only after carefully checking for snakes, scorpions and hidden cactus. It's hard work, but somebody's gotta do it! "Tall Texas Blues" is one of my first bluebonnet landscapes, a 9" x 12" soft pastel (on Kitty Wallis Museum Grade paper, an old standby I no longer use because they quit manufacturing it).

3w ago

Turbulence

Inspired by a wave. Pan Pastel on Spectrum Colourfix - great surface for pans.

JbEbert Art Human-Made Art

3w ago

Painting Water and Trees and Nature's Energy "Water Lace" 9x12 pastel

I sent this 2006 pastel out in today's newsletter with a story explaining why I've never showed it before. Everything I paint today has a little splash of this painting in it-- this was my first painting done entirely on location, and in doing this plein air, I learned that passion is more important than perfection!

3w ago

Goldens in the snow

A composite of my photos and the customers' references of all their pups over the years. Past and present together. A great idea for the long time dog owner.

Mary Planding Human-Made Art

3w ago

Pure Gold [soft pastel, 8"x16"]

Having spent most of my life living along the Monterey Bay in California, the most extraordinary sunsets simply take your breath away. Most of the time there's a fog bank that hovers off the coast, which rolls in on time so we don't need air conditioning all summer long. But occasionally there's a day when the the fog stays away long enough for the sun to drench the sky and cliffs in the most incredible imaginable colors. Pure Gold captures that one evening many years ago that left me spellbound. How about you?

Linnie Aikens Human-Made Art

3w ago

Commission work: bringing an experience to visual life!

My director and her husband took a trip to Glacier Nat'l Park, and fell in love with this view of Two Medicine where they stopped to take a photo. Painting it in pastels was to way to go =)!

3w ago

Favorite Sanctuaries: Woodland walks and Exotic Gardens

1/3

Santa Barbara walks along the bluffs, and a foggy walk through Lotusland, Montecito. I know my perspective isn't perfect, and while I know how, can teach it, I always seem to ignore it in my focus on conveying a feeling. 3 Chalk Pastels 30"x24" each.

JbEbert Art Human-Made Art

3w ago

Sisters

A commission of two sisters. I photographed then together and separately and blended references to get this composition.

Dawn E Miranda Human-Made Art

3w ago

Pan Pastel - Thunder at the Shoreline

3w ago

Commissioned art, bringing delight to client and grandson

I did 2 similar paintings since my client couldn't decide between landscape or square, so she told me to do both!

3w ago

Early work

My 3 beautiful daughters have always been a source of inspiration! As my work in pastels has progressed more recently, I am less fearful of employing color and looser, more expressive strokes.... always a work in progress.