As well as several free videos on YouTube, I have now released my fourth video for sale through Pulsar Productions.
Link :https://www.pulsarproductions.com/artists/tricia-reust
This is a series of twelve sessions. it includes my pared down compositional techniques derived from geometric design.
I hope it proves useful !
I completed the pastel on canvas “Bay of Fires Evening”, one of the works created from my recent trip to Tasmania.
The canvas is an old acrylic work, and was covered in Black Art Spectrum Pastel Primer and textured with combs while this layer was still wet.
Mostly I used hard pastels, laying them on the side and dry-brushing in order to have the lovely black lines of texture remain.
Finally completed this demonstration piece from a “Using Drawings on Canvas” workshop –
“Ancient Notes”. I love using my drawings on canvas and sharing how to do this archivally.
When I do a work for myself, as apart from a demonstration or teaching piece, I begin my defining my concept. This work began as a desire to comment on the many people in our world fleeing war and strife and seeking assistance from others. I wanted the ground to infer desert; I wanted a strong symbol of wealth – not only material but spiritual; and I needed to find a way of representing a multitude of streaming people. I decided on one of my blue and white jars with a lid, as a central motif of a container full of desirable offerings. The lid of course – fear often keeps the lid on our being generous in response to need.
Now came the decisions about composition. I decided pastel would give the easiest method of contrast between texture in fabric and smoothness in the ceramic surface. Adding pumice to primer would make the paper very rough and give a tangible feeling of sand. A placement of the jar according to the golden mean would give me lots of opportunity to create directions in the fabric leading the eye to the jar, and an almost square format (because I already had a used empty frame ready for a new work!). The hardest motif was in searching for something to represent people. After many scribbles in my visual diary I settled on marks like curved dashes with dots at the head.
Only now could I begin on the creating of the work, with my concept defined and all my compositional decisions made.
1. I mixed dry pumice into wet Art Spectrum pastel primer (Soft Umber in colour) and applied over an old pastel work on rough watercolour paper. I distributed the pumice unevenly over the surface.
2. I used the same wide old bristle brush to add texture marks, patting it in some areas to leave raised marks, and adding directional marks.
3. Using soft pastel I placed the basic composition, ensuring the highlights on the fabric all led to the jar.
4. I then covered the surface with more soft pastel to establish a base and to begin to refine the drawing. I was really happy with the texture – even though representing fabric folds, I wanted a visual and tactile reference to sandy parched earth.
5. I used a flat bristle brush to push water into the layers of black, purple and ultramarine blue, so that there would be flat areas in the shadows. Wet pastel would flow better into the recesses of the texture marks.
6. When this dried, I continued to place soft pastel. The rough texture was a bit hard on the old fingers! I began to draw in the linear marks with dots – symbols of an untidy mass of humanity reaching towards a sealed receptacle of available nourishment.
7. I darkened the dots on the marks closer to the jar. Using the new Art Spectrum soft square pastels, I placed a blue white over all the fabric area, deliberately creating cross flows in the fabric directions and catching the tips of the pumice texture marks. I placed touches of Red Gold around the fabric close to the jar.
8. I worked more on the jar, using a new AS soft square orange white for the highlights, and using a blue white for heavier accents in the fabric. “Open Up!” 47.5 h by 46 w cms.
My instructional video on using acrylic inks is now rleased on Youtube.
Here is the link:
I hope you enjoy watching it and that it helps you on your art journey!
Last two days of the PSA Annual Awards Exhibition, at the Auditorium Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens.
Pastel demonstrations to see (with 3 Master Pastellists Betty Sutton, Penelope Gilbert-Ng and myself) and our newest Accomplished Pastellist, Karen Christiansen.
The awards were nnounced and presetnaed last night – I was fortunate to receive the Bella Award (1st in People) with “Homeless”
A still life on an old canvas, created with oil pastel.
1. Over an old painting, I placed tissue paper with Atelier Binder Medium, and painted with red acrylic. When dry, I covered the surface with a layer of Art Spectrum clear pastel primer.
2. I drew in the basic composition with a dark blue oil pastel.
3. This photo shows the basic placement of underpainting colours.
4. The first spray of varnish ha set the oil pastels into the canvas, and changed some if the lighter colours. They will need more layers of the same colour oil pastel, as more colours are also introduced to the work.
5. Ready for a final spray.
6. Although not a good photo, this shows the brilliance that can be achieved with oil pastel on canvas. 61 w by 46 h cms ( 24 by 18 inches).
Another work from the PSA Zoom demonstrating “Using Pastel on Canvas”.
1. On a small canvas, I covered an old painting with modelling compound, textured the surface, and when dry, placed an Atelier Red Gold acrylic wash. I then layered this with AS clear pastel primer. I drew in the birds and twigs with a white pastel pencil, and then continued the drawing with pastel pencils. This was the stage at which I presented the work at the Zoom.
2. During the Zoom demo, I added some more dark blue pastel pencil twigs, then turquoise highlights on the birds and twigs with Art Spectrum Extra Soft Square pastels as these are minimally affected by the wet spray varnish. This is the finished work – an 8 by 10 inch canvas – 21 by 26 cms. Thank you to Christine Hammond who chased wrens all around Tasmania with me for these photos.
What will end up on here tomorrow?
I have collaged tissue papers, snake skin, textured papers and music onto the AS board for the pastel demonstration tomorrow at the Old Fire Station Gallery, 395 Oxley Avenue in Redcliffe – 10.30 to 12.30 – free to the public on the first day of the Master and Accomplished Pastellists Exhibition. Not to be missed, this is a gathering of works from Master pastellists all over Australia and one from New Zealand. 1st through 26th November 2023 – gallery phone (07) 3284 0852 Hours Wed-Sun 10am – 3pm
Packed full of information, at $35 my books are a great Christmas gift for the artist in your life.
Phone ahead at the store for the new hours (07) 3869 2444
Available on my website www.triciareust.com.au at the same price plus postage and handling.