I was first drawn to pastel because it was a dry medium that had a long history. Pastels from Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) are still on view today and look just as beautiful as the day she painted them. After all, they are a pure pigment and a binder pressed into a stick, over time do not yellow or crack like other paintings. They also do not require time to dry, and cleanup is relatively easy. Which was wonderful as I had little time or space for painting.

I fell in love with pastels the moment I started to use them. The soft buttery feel of the pastel as it glides over the surface, the wonderful variety of colors, the ability to combine with alcohol to create vivid underpaintings, and the capacity to blend and layer color over color was pure satisfaction and the perfect medium to help me capture the natural beauty I find in my daily life.

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