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Jo is always glad to hear from fellow artists and art lovers. |
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Jo is always glad to hear from fellow artists and art lovers. |
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What is Pastel? |
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| Pastel is pure pigment... | |
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...the
same pigment used in making all fine art paints. It is the most
permanent of all media, when applied to conservation ground and properly
framed. Pastel has no liquid binder that may cause other media to darken,
fade, yellow, crack or blister with time. Pastels from the 16th
century exist today, as fresh the day they were painted. No restoration
needed, ever! Pastel does not at all refer to pale colors, as the word is commonly used in cosmetic and fashion terminology. The name Pastel comes from the French word "pastische" because the pure, powdered pigment is ground into a paste, with a small amount of gum binder, and then rolled into sticks. The infinite variety of colors in the Pastel palette range from soft and subtle to bold and brilliant. An artwork is created by stroking the sticks of dry pigment across an abrasive ground, embedding the color in the "tooth" of the paper, sandboard or canvas. If the ground is completely covered with Pastel, the work is considered a Pastel painting; leaving much of the ground exposed produces a Pastel sketch. Techniques vary with individual artists. Pastel can be blended or used with visible strokes. The medium is favored by many artists because it allows a spontaneous approach. There is no drying time, and no allowances to be made for change in color due to drying. A particle of Pastel pigment, suspended in gum tragacanth, seen under a microscope, looks like a diamond with many facets. Therefore, Pastel paintings reflect light like a prism. No other medium has the same power of color or stability. Pastel does not oxidize with the passage of time. Historically, Pastel can be traced back to the 16th century. Its invention is attributed to the German painter Johann Thiele. A Venetian woman artist, Rosalba Carriera was the first to make consistent use of Pastel. Chardin did portraits with an open stroke, while LaTour preferred the blended finish. Thereafter a galaxy of famous artists...Watteau, Copley, Delacroix, Millet, Manet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Vuillard, Bonnard, Glackens, Whistler, Hassam, William Merritt Chase...just to list the more familiar names, used Pastel as finished work rather than preliminary sketch. Edgar Degas was the most prolific user of Pastel, and its champion. His protégé, Mary Cassatt introduced the Impressionists and Pastel to her friends in Philadelphia and Washington, and thus to the United States. In the spring of 1983, Sotheby Parke Bemet sold at auction two Degas Pastels for more than $3,000,000 each! Both Pastels were painted about 1880. Today, Pastel paintings have the stature of oil and watercolor as a major fine art medium. Many of our most renowned living artists have distinguished themselves in Pastel, and enriched the art world with this beautiful medium. Note: Pastels must never be confused with colored chalk. Chalk is a limestone substance impregnated with dyes. Pastel is sometimes combined with watercolor, gouache, acrylic, charcoal, or pencil in a "mixed-media" painting, but it is incompatible with oil paint.
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Jo Geenen 2584 Touchmark Ct. Appleton, WI 54914 (920) 734-7825 jogeenen@new.rr.com | home | the artist | portfolio | awards | pastel | contact | request info | links | Web site design by Bella Lumina |
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The artwork displayed on these pages is protected under international copyright law, and all copyrights are reserved by the artist. Reproduction or retransmission of these images without the consent of the artist is strictly prohibited. Copyright © 1998-99 Joan Geenen. All Rights Reserved. Last updated June 2000 |