The Pastel Journal

Pastel Journal covers topics of interest to working pastelists as well as those who work in pastel as an additional medium along with those who are just experimenting with the medium.

How Does It Feel?

The Pastel Journal

Ellen Eagle's Accolades Soar • The Butler Institute of American Art has recognized acclaimed pastelist Ellen Eagle as a Legacy Artist for its 2025 collection.

Use Everything You've Got … Including Restraint • Colette Odya Smith shares nine painting approaches designed to help you achieve the artistic expression you desire.

An Artfully Cultivated Life • In the Studio offers a glimpse of the Long Island summer digs of William Merritt Chase.

What Lies Beneath • Working on a colored ground will enhance your pastel painting, but choosing the best surface color for your piece can be tricky. Consider these factors when it comes to selecting and prepping the substrate for your next work of art.

A Bonded Pair • Incorporate encaustic wax into your pastels to unify your paintings and expand your creative expression.

IMAGINATION COLLABORATION

THE Lyrical LANDSCAPE • Sometimes a painting can grab a viewer’s attention-quite effectively—with a shock-and-awe approach that uses arresting content, explosive color, monumental size, mind-blowing realism or any number of other techniques to make a statement. Other times, a work possesses a poetic quality that may be more nuanced, but is equally breathtaking. These five artists generally take the second approach to achieve their creative goals, capturing the sublime beauty of the landscape in lyrical pastels.

Joy, Splendor & Speed • THE LANDSCAPES OF RICHARD SUCKLING EXPLODE WITH COLOR AND LIGHT, DELIVERED IN A FLURRY OF HIGH ENERGY MARK-MAKING.

FAMILIAR QUESTIONS, FRESH ANSWERS • PLEIN AIR ARTIST MARZ DOERFLINGER IMMERSES HERSELF IN LANDSCAPES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS, BLENDING ABSTRACTION, COLOR AND LAYERS TO CREATE WORKS THAT CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF NATURE.

A SUBLIME BEAUTY • THROUGH EXPRESSIVELY COLORFUL INTERPRETATIONS THAT HE REFERS TO AS EMOTIONAL REALISM, MARK IVAN COLE LYRICALLY PORTRAYS THE POETRY OF PLACE.

A SOFT TOUCH • THROUGH VIBRANT COLOR, RICH LAYERING AND EXPRESSIVE MARK-MAKING, DAWN LIMBERT BRINGS LONDON-AREA LANDSCAPES TO LIFE.

COMING INTO BLOOM • OLENA DUCHÊNE DRAWS ON HER BACKGROUND AS BOTH ENGINEER AND FINE ARTIST TO CREATE STILL LIFE FLORALS THAT EXPRESS A SENSE OF HER STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE.

The Art of Focus • Four talented artists reveal their approach to navigating creativity.

Putting Euphoria on Paper