Hello Nancy, Wow so happy to hear you are excited (haha and distracted from all those To Do’s)!! After doing the blog I have also realized that I would like to see more of the washes shine through so we are on the same page!! I don’t think I mentioned it but I have asthma and use an air filter attached to my easel by Artistair.com. It helps with the fine particals.
Enjoy and paint on!!
Best,
Allison

Hello Lynn, I invested early on in Schminke pastels and although I have tried some of the newer manufacturers, I still find them to be one of the creamiest (haha not sure that’s a word). I had split a set of the Unison Portrait 72 piece with another artist years ago and have noticed how much I like the muted purples and blues so I have been collecting those. I cannot live without Terry Ludwigs Maggie Price Grays! I bought two complete boxes to have one on the studio table and one for my plein air box!! Now that’s love!! I do get annoyed when I can’t buy individual sticks so I have kind of ruled out certain ones for that reason but the exception is Ludwig because I work with every single one of those.
I have curated the pastels on my studio table so I could clearly see the gaps of color and it was one of the best things I have done. It stopped me from buying sets where I repeated colors and it filled in those gaps (which I am still working toward).
As for how long it takes to complete a painting, I would guestimate a couple of days but I work on many at one time. It keeps the work fresh and I create more work. I often create oil color charts to work from and cover pastels on the table that are not on the chart to creat a limited palette so several pieces can be done from the same set up. Yep you could say I am a bit OCD about the process but I have learned alot!
Thank you again for your kind words and your interest!
Allison

Thanks Judy! It was my pleasure and I appreciate Gail asking me to contribute!!
Warmly,
Allison

OMG! THANK YOU!!!

Thank you so much for your kind words Carol Ann!! That is crazy high praise knowing how much I admire many of the artists that have contributed to this blog! I truly hope the information is helpful. Feel free to break the rules and make pastels your own!!
Thank you again,
Allison

Thank you Cynthia! It is annoying when we our bodies don’t keep up with our will but I must say you are an inspiration! We all get stuck now and then but as you say, Gail has created such a rich and diverse collection of artists and their work as well as her own accomplished approach that you can always pop in to get inspired.
Paint on!
Best,
Allison

Hello Wendy, I am so pleased you are inspired and thank you!! In retrospect, I had forgotten how delicate the layers watercolor can be and hope I can let them shine through more often. I can certainly overwork the pastel at times!!
Thanks again!
Allison

Thank you Ruth! I have some of the spent stalks in my studio that still have a bit of the silk strands on them! They are still calling to me!

Hello Mo!! Oh my goodness you are so kind! Thank you so much!! I may not have mentioned that I have also been a plein air painter for 35 years. I started when my kids were small to get me out of the house and I never stopped. It was one of the major outlets that kept me sane while being a stay-at-home Mom. I do think it is important to draw/paint from life and that doesn’t necessarily mean plein air but can be on a piece of paper at the kitchen table!
Paint On!!
Warm regards,
Allison

Hello Kamlesh! The gesso has a texture to it that remains when it dries. If it’s too gritty you can actually sand it down a bit. You can work on top of it with pastel and repeat the process! Hope this is helpful and thanks for asking!
Best,
Allison