The Pastel Journal Summer 2024

When it comes to finding artistic inspiration in the natural world, there appears to be a chicken-and-egg question to entertain: Does a landscape painter, for instance, develop a deep bond with nature because of the many hours spent outdoors in careful observation of the miraculous effects of light and atmosphere? Or, conversely, is it that a person who already enjoys a strong connection to the wonders of nature—and who has a keen eye for its visual delights—is just naturally drawn to landscape painting? A similar question could be asked of the wildlife artist. Is a birder, for instance, who has great enthusiasm for the variation of shape, color and feather pattern seen across the bird world, naturally led to pursue an artistic response? Or, is it an artistic excitement about…

It was with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Terry Ludwig, founder of Terry Ludwig Pastels, on February 20th. He was 82. A beloved figure in the pastel community, he will always be treasured for having created a line of soft, velvety handcrafted pastels. Ludwig attended the American Academy of Art, in Chicago, where he studied—among other things—the fundamentals and visual effects of color theory. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of artists and the arts community. Known for his humor, generous spirit and eagerness to share knowledge and expertise, Ludwig enjoyed the respect and appreciation of artists the world over. Here's a small sampling of those voices: “What a light he was! How kind, how generous, how wonderful to all whose lives he touched and made…

For much of his career, Jean-François Millet (1814–75) displayed an unwavering interest in French farm life. The subject was essential to Millet's being; he was born into a farming community in Gruchy, Normandy, and was diverted from his studies to assist his father with haymaking, plowing and sowing. When he was nearly 20 years old, Millet went to Cherbourg to study with several artists, and then received a stipend to study in Paris. For several years he moved between these two cities and Le Havre, finally settling in Barbizon, in 1849, where he and his wife, Catherine, raised their family. It is with the Barbizon painters— artists like Théodore Rousseau and Charles-François Daubigny—that Millet is most closely associated. Unlike his colleagues, who were primarily landscape painters, Millet focused on the…

Undulating, cresting and curving at the ocean's edge, sand dunes mimic the moving water just beyond them. In fact, the dunes are also moving, just not as quickly or obviously as the waves. While this makes them more cooperative painting subjects, they still pose their own challenges. Low-lying sundrenched grass and sand might, at first glance, seem like a tough climb, but here are my tips that have made the dunes one of my favorite ongoing painting subjects. PHOTO REFERENCES Since I don't live at the ocean, I often rely on photo references when I'm painting. While they're a powerful tool for catching compositional fodder, they're far less reliable for color and value. (They make sand shadows too dark and blue, and sunny areas too flat and white). Painting from…

Years ago, I was working on a pastel of a detailed, solitary seashell on which I'd already invested a great deal of time. My cat, who'd often sit beside me at my drawing table, sneezed on the paper. The shell was spared, but not the surrounding background area. As I blotted the Sennelier La Carte surface, the tooth of the paper dissolved, exposing a smooth cardstock beneath. In an attempt to salvage the piece, I dissolved and stripped away the remaining pastel background around the shell using a wet brush, Q-Tips and paper towels. The “de-toothed” area turned out to be the perfect surface on which to add gold leaf for a shimmering effect. The inspiration to pair gold leaf with pastel came from a Japanese screen that I owned.…

Oh, how I long to cultivate an innocence that will allow each day to unfold as wonderful and new—as suggested in the Italian song, Per la Prima Volta (For the First Time). As an artist, I've come to understand that nurturing this sense of naiveté allows me to savor shadow, light, scents and patterns—and to hold on to that spirit like a physical sensation. Once I recognized this attitude as a creative goal for my art, I began to see an emerging problem in my landscapes: It seemed I had begun to “know” too much. I started to notice certain techniques and patterns arising, which contributed to an element of predictability. That realization launched my recent foray into florals—a subject I've returned to after many years of dormancy. Fresh Encounters…