Pastel Podcast Episode 10: Brenda Boylan

Lessons from a Master Pastelist

Brenda Boylan brings a joyful, practical, and deeply human approach to pastel painting. From a design career that included early work on Air Jordan graphics to a full-time studio life filled with workshops, gallery shows, and plein air events, Brenda’s path shows how curiosity, technical skill, and community combine to build a lasting artistic practice.

From Design to Pastel: a creative throughline

Brenda’s beginnings in commercial design gave her a strong foundation in composition, color, and visual problem solving. She kept creating outside of her job—taking weekend classes in clay, oil, and watercolor—until pastel found her. A local pastel instructor introduced her to the medium and Brenda quickly adapted the immediacy and directness of pastel into a powerful, expressive language.

Why pastel? The medium’s advantages

Pastel is tactile, immediate, and forgiving in ways many other media are not. Brenda describes it as a medium where your hands are “right in it”—you work directly with pigment, shaping marks with edges, sides, and pressure in real time. That immediacy encourages looseness and expression while still allowing for solid realism when needed.

Essential pastel techniques and practices

Whether you are new to pastel or want to refine your approach, Brenda recommends experimenting broadly to learn what the medium can do.

Basic mark-making

• Use the side of a pastel for broad, flat marks.
• Use the edge for sharp lines and detail.
• Vary pressure to move from whisper-quiet glazes to bold strokes.

Layering, value, and color

Build value and color relationships gradually. Work from general shapes and values toward refined color temperature and edge control. Brenda recommends practicing color swatches regularly—learning which pigments you rely on most so you can simplify your field kit when working plein air.

Practical studio experiments

• Create textured supports by applying pastel ground to rigid board—adjust water levels to vary tooth.
• Mount sanded or textured pastel paper to gator board using double-sided adhesive sheets to prevent buckling.
• Make your own pastels by crushing leftover sticks, combining with a little distilled water, and working the mixture in a mortar until it reaches a clay-like consistency (wear gloves and practice proper handling).

Making pastels from leftovers: a simple method

Brenda turns broken bits and dust into usable sticks. The core steps:

1. Collect broken pastel pieces by color.
2. Crush them thoroughly in a mortar until mostly powder.
3. Add small amounts of distilled water and blend until the mixture has a clay-like consistency.
4. Form and dry into new sticks or press into molds.

Distilled water is key to avoid contaminants. Gloves and care with dust are important for safety.

Framing and preservation: choices that matter

Presentation and preservation become more important as work gains exposure. Brenda emphasizes professional framing strategies and explains two common approaches:

Passe-partout and traditional spacing

Traditional framing uses a spacer or fillet to keep a gap between the painting surface and the glazing. This prevents contact and preserves delicate pastel layers while still allowing a framed, finished look.

Glass-on-top (museum acrylic) sealing

Another option is mounting the pastel directly against museum-quality, anti-reflective acrylic and sealing the edges with acid-free archival tape before installing the fillet and frame. This approach can virtually eliminate micro-movement and dust shifting because the surface is held snugly against the glazing, creating an almost airtight “bubble.” It raises presentation cost but greatly reduces pastel loss or static movement.

Practical framing tips

• Use archival, acid-free materials for backing and tape.
• Practice mat cutting and bevel techniques—proper mat work avoids nicks and improves final presentation.
• Consider museum-grade acrylic for important work, combined with careful sealing and a fillet to cover taping edges.

Plein air painting and community: career-building tools

Plein air events were central to Brenda’s visibility. Painting outside with other artists speeds learning and creates relationships that lead to opportunities—galleries, invitational events, and word of mouth. Painting on location also enforces fast decision-making and helps you trust bold choices.

 Tips for effective plein air practice

• Use a timer or phone buzzer to limit the urge to overwork a piece.
• Paint multiple studies in a day—morning, midday, and late afternoon—to understand how light shifts and how to capture essentials quickly.
• Focus on capturing value and structure first; color and detail come later.

Overcoming blocks and refining work

Creative plateaus happen to everyone. Brenda keeps unfinished paintings in “timeout,” rotates between works, and uses several practical strategies to reset the composition and recover clarity.

Ways to rescue a struggling painting

• Turn the work upside down or flip the image on a phone to get a fresh compositional read.
• Convert the image to black and white or increase contrast to evaluate value relationships independently from color.
• Set a painting aside and start something new—return with fresh eyes.

““Be patient with yourself. If you don’t like something you created, it is a learning lesson.” — Brenda Boylan”

Teaching, learning, and mindset

When Brenda teaches workshops she focuses on design fundamentals, lowering students’ anxieties, and giving the same concept multiple presentations so the lesson lands. Learning pastel is like learning a new language—regular practice, repetition, and immersion with other artists accelerates fluency.

 Classroom priorities Brenda emphasizes

• Relaxation and laughter to lower guards and free expression.
• Repeated exposure to concepts presented in different ways.
• A balance of technical skill and encouragement to find personal voice.

Practical career advice for emerging pastelists

Brenda’s path highlights a mix of craft and community: hone technical skills, enter competitions and plein air events, build friendships within the art world, and show consistency in your medium of choice. Galleries and organizations notice artists who show up, produce work, and actively participate in the community.

Quick checklist: what to try this week

• Make a small set of color swatches to understand your palette.
• Try making one or two pastels from leftover bits using distilled water and a mortar.
• Paint one short plein air study using a timer—limit yourself to 60–90 minutes.
• Flip a struggling work upside down or convert it to black and white to test composition.

Final encouragement

Pastel rewards curiosity and risk. Whether you pursue realism, loosen into impressionism, or build a hybrid voice, daily practice, community, and patience carry the work forward. Treat failed paintings as lessons, frame with intention, and regularly push your boundaries—Brenda’s journey shows that consistent engagement with the medium and with other artists creates momentum, opportunities, and a deeply satisfying life in art.

Remember: experiment, protect your work with archival framing, and be kind to your creative process. The next breakthrough often comes after the patience and persistence you put in today.

Related Links from this episode of the Pastel Podcast:

• Brenda’s Website
• J. Luda Pastels
• Gondola Pastels
• Dakota Art Pastels
• International Association of Pastel Societies
• Pastel Today free e-newsletter
• Pastel Live Online Conference