Pastel Podcast Episode 15: Lon Brauer

What If? The Experimental Mind of Pastel Artist Lon Brauer

What happens when a fine arts graduate, commercial photographer, and lifelong oil painter picks up a pastel stick for the first time — and gets signature status three months later? That’s Lon Brauer’s story. Based in St. Louis, Lon spent 20 years behind a camera before returning to full-time painting when the photography industry went digital. Today, he’s known for “expressive realism”: bold, abstract mark-making wrapped around representational subjects. He’s been painting in pastel for just 18 months — invited to demo at the Plein Air Convention by Skye Fallon — and has already racked up Pastel Society signature status and Plein Air Salon wins. In this episode, Lon joins hosts Kari Stober and Lisa Skelly for a wide-ranging conversation about process, freedom, and why asking “what if?” is the most powerful tool in any artist’s kit.

Key Topics Covered

• From biology lab to fine arts degree at Washington University in St. Louis — and why both mattered
• 20 years as a commercial photographer: how it shaped his eye and kept painting alive on the side
• Transitioning to full-time painting when digital disrupted the photography industry (~2000)
• How his abstract expressionist training (de Kooning, Pollock, Rauschenberg) shaped his “expressive realism” style
• How a single call from Skye Fallon launched his pastel career — 18 months ago
• Getting Pastel Society signature status just 3 months into working with the medium
• Pastel technique: dark underpainting + alcohol wash, working dark to light on Canson Velvet
• Why pastel feels like “being a five-year-old again” — and why that’s a good thing
• Teaching tip: paint the same subject 10 times in a row to build intuitive muscle memory
• The art of staying authentic vs. painting for judges and buyers at plein air events
• Surfaces: Canson Velvet, UART 400, gessoed plywood, and yes — hardware store sandpaper
• The ongoing question: can you seal a pastel so it doesn’t need glass?
• Inspiration outside plein air: Robert Henri, Golden Age illustrators (Harvey Dunn, Dean Cornwell), 1960s greats (Gary Kelly, Bernie Fuchs, Mark English), Brad Holland, graphic novelists
• Building a career through plein air events: pricing, perseverance, and the Door County story

Timestamps

0:00 – Welcome & host updates: Lisa’s workshop with Rosemary & Co. in England; Kari heading to the IAPS Convention

4:00 – Introducing Lon Brauer: expressive realist, commercial photographer turned painter, 18-month pastelist

5:30 – Biology, art school, and landing in a photography darkroom straight out of college

10:00 – Transitioning from photography to full-time painting when digital took over

14:00 – Expressive realism: how abstract expressionist training at Washington U shaped his style

19:00 – How Skye Fallon’s invitation launched his pastel career — and getting signature status in 3 months

24:00 – “Being a five-year-old again”: the freedom and joy of the pastel medium

28:00 – Pastel technique breakdown: dark underpainting, alcohol wash, working dark to light

33:00 – Teaching philosophy: paint the same subject 10 times to build intuition

38:00 – Authenticity vs. the pressure to please judges and buyers at plein air events

43:00 – Favorite surfaces and the great hardware store sandpaper experiment

48:00 – Sealing pastels: can you skip the glass? A conversation worth having

55:00 – Looking outside plein air for inspiration: illustrators, graphic novels, sculpture, textiles

62:00 – Building your brand through plein air events: pricing, showing up, and perseverance

68:00 – Upcoming events and final advice: experiment, ask “what if?”, enjoy the journey

Resources & Links

• Lon Brauer’s website: LonBrauer.com.com
• Instructional videos from Lon: PaintTube.tv
• IAPS (International Association of Pastel Societies): iapspastel.org — find a member society near you
• Lisa Skelly: lisaskellyfineart.com
• The Pastel Podcast: thepastelspodcast.com
• Pastel Today Newsletter: Sponsor of the Pastel Podcast

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Until next time — stay vibrant!