Pastels

Three pastel paintings for you today: the first by Sue Embrey and then two by Richard Hyde.

Sue says, "Here's a quick warm up pastel using on of Karen Margulis' YouTube demos. Very useful to get you going after a break doing lots of embroidery! I used a mountcard offcut in a warm beige with an orange underpainting, Also used fixative to keep the shadows dark."

Sue Embrey - After Karen Margulis

Salt & Pepper - Richard Hyde

Richard writes, "Still Life works best when there is a single light source creating strong shadows. The salt and pepper pots were on the dining room table and I was going to sketch them with graphite pencil. Our table mats have cork backs and I propped them up to create the background and make sure the light only fellow on the subject from one window. I changed my mind about sketching them and opted for pastel. But pastel is definitely not allowed in the house! So I took a photo with my tablet and went out to the studio (grand word for a small room at the back of the garage). I was inventive with colour for the shadows.

Last year we spent a week at Pembrey with its wonderful dunes and eight miles of sandy beach. We were on the beach one evening when the sun was low and creating wonderful light effects on the sea and showing up wonderful wind-created patterns in the sand at the base of the dunes. I have attempted this scene in watercolour previously but wanted to try it in pastel."

Evening at Pembrey - Richard Hyde