At this quiet time, before the New Year begins, I thought it would be interesting to look back at five top stories from 2022. Pastel Today started at the beginning of June this year. Where has the time gone??
The first of our five top stories is my very first post – Addicted to Soft Pastels! As you can imagine, it talks about our drug of choice and just what it is that keeps us using it lol! I also share when and how I first started using soft pastels. You’ll also find all the info on our Ambassador programme. I hope you’ll participate next year and have a chance at having your work featured in Pastel Today!
Next, we have one that deals in dust – Pastel Dust – 9 Practical Ways To Deal With It. Yup, pastel dust. When you’re working with soft pastels, the reality is that there’s going to be dust. Pastels are dry pigments held together by a binder and formed into a stick that’s then applied to a surface, usually paper. Soooo there’s gonna be pastel dust fallout! The main health concern around pastel dust is inhalation so it’s important to take proper precautions. This post suggests nine ways to cope with pastel dust so that you can minimize its effects on your health, environment, and work.
I love that the post, Thérèse Schwartze – A Close Look At Her Portrait of Paul Gabriël, is so popular!! Thérèse Schwartze (1851-1918) was a Dutch artist, a woman artist, who made a great living as a painter. I’m talking millionaire great. Extraordinary! In this article, I take a close look at her pastel portrait of Paul Gabriël.
The post on Pan Pastel – A Collection Of Resources, brings together a curated collection of resources on Pan Pastel – everything you need to know about this way of applying pastel. Although I don’t use them myself, I had a number of requests to talk about these pastels.
Our fifth top post, Nancie King Mertz – Her Favourite Stick of Pastel, is one in which Nancie talks about the pastel stick she wouldn’t be without. This was one in a series where each of the Pastel Today Advisory Board members answered the same question: What pastel stick (colour and brand) can you not do without? Why is it so important to have it in your palette? The answers aware all fascinating…and different! (To read them all, just search for the term “favourite stick” on the Pastel Today website)
In each post, you’ll usually find a second story but I won’t spoil the surprise!! Were you surprised by which stories emerged as the five top stories?
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Pastel Society of Colorado Call For Entry
You still have time to enter the PSC online show, Expressions, but don’t delay! The deadline to enter is 8 January 2023! The juror and judge is Lyn Asselta. You can download the prospectus HERE. The show is open to members and non-members, so get painting and entering!!
Hope you enjoyed reading or rereading our five top stories of 2022.
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Happy Boxing Day! And happy last day of Hanukkah!
Gail
