The Pastel Journal

Pastel Journal covers topics of interest to working pastelists as well as those who work in pastel as an additional medium along with those who are just experimenting with the medium.

A Lofty Subject

The Pastel Journal

Enduring Brilliance: PSA Honors Excellence in Annual Exhibition • The Pastel Society of America's 52nd Annual Exhibition was a remarkable showcase of its membership's most accomplished works in the medium.

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE • The PSA was thrilled to bestow its top six awards to the following artists for their most impressive pastel works:

A Return Home • After traveling the world, Walter Launt Palmer found creative inspiration on familiar soil.

Sketching for Success • Harness the power of sketching to better visualize concepts and capture inspiration in a finished painting.

Looking UP • BRITISH ARTIST DAVID BRAMMELD USES THE SUBJECT OF TREES TO CREATE INSIGHTFUL PAINTINGS THAT INSPIRE CONTEMPLATION AND AFFIRM THE RELEVANCE OF ART AND NATURE.

FOR THE LOVE OF Trees & Wild Places • A LIFETIME OF CREATIVE FLUIDITY HAS CULMINATED IN PENELOPE FULLJAMES' ATTRACTION TO THE WOODLANDS.

Drawing Acclaim • The annual Strokes of Genius competition, now in its 16th year, celebrates the best work being done by today's artists in any drawing medium. Although the majority of the entries are created in forms of graphite, charcoal or ink, the showcase also includes artwork in colored pencil, pen, marker and pastel. The work in these other media generally add a sprinkle of color to the showcase but, just as often, the palette of the pastels — as you'll see within this selection—remains nuanced or largely monochromatic. Read on to discover the creative stories behind these 11 Strokes of Genius finalists—the work of artists who've learned how to skillfully exploit the many wondrous qualities of pastel as a tool for unique expression.

On a Prickly Road to Success • TEXAS-BASED ARTIST NANCY LILLY'S PASTEL JOURNEY IS MARKED BY RESILIENCE, RELENTLESS EXPERIMENTATION AND A LOVE OF DRAMATIC LIGHT.

demonstration Hypnotic • My art-making process varies with each painting. Sometimes I agonize over what ground I should work on, sometimes I agonize over the drawing. Sometimes I jump in with both feet because I don't want to be constrained. Hypnotic was one of those happy instances in which I just began drawing on a already prepared board without any preliminary workup.

The Beauty of Old Friends • FOR SILJA SALMISTU, A COMMITMENT TO SPONTANEITY AND EXPERIMENTATION ENLIVENS HER FLORAL AND STILL LIFE SUBJECTS.

demonstration Sweet William

Copy From the Best • There's plenty to learn by “stealing” from the masters.

Put a Bird on It • The difference between a passable painting and one that truly makes a statement often depends on the elements an artist adds through creative license. In my pastels, those elements are usually birds.

Artists Marketplace

A Study in Value