Archives

Siletz Bay October Morning

Oct17
“Siletz Bay, October Morning” 9.5″ x 12.5″, Schmincke soft pastels on Sennelier 170lb pastel card, 2026

This piece was inspired by the changing landscape of Siletz Bay on an October morning of plein air painting on the fourth floor balcony of my hotel room. I delight at the sight of faint clouds of pastel dust floating away on the breeze. It was moody and misty as the day began. The lighting shifted quickly towards sunshine, sparkling off the surface of the water. I did my best to keep up.

The pastel card is wonderful as a pastel surface, but the coarser grit (compared to Ampersand Pastelbord) really tears through the pastels themselves.

The Drain

Oct14
“The Drain” 9.5″ x 12.5″, Schmincke soft pastels on Sennelier 170lb pastel card, 2026

Something seemed to pull me into the studio tonight, like a powerful current near a sinkhole or enormous drain.

This was painted using Schmincke soft pastels, and Henri Roche (the “Feu d’artifice” were used in the sky). This combination of pastels and paper is lovely to work with, and the specific coarseness of the page gives a peculiar smoothness to the sensation of each stroke.

Autumn Afternoon

Oct11
“Autumn Afternoon” 11″ x 14″”, Schmincke soft pastels on Ampersand Pastelbord, 2026

A walk on a crisp autumn afternoon inspired this piece. The breeze was chilly, the leaves rustled, showing off their fall colors. It was a beautiful sparkling moment.

Photographed in full sunlight. (Not recommended for long-term placement.)

This piece takes advantage of the vibrant hues of fall in my selection of Schmincke pastels. It is available for sale.

A Pond in the Slough

Oct10
“A Pond in the Slough” 9.5″ x 12.5″, Sennelier soft pastels on Sennelier 170lb pastel card, 2026

Inspired by treks across various savannahs and sloughs in Oregon, and particularly a recent visit to Basket Slough, looking down from the hillside towards a number of ponds and small lakes.

This piece was done using a selection of Schmincke pastels which recently entered my rotation. I’m very pleased with them.

This piece is available for sale.

Nightlight

Oct5
“Nightlight” 9.5″ x 12.5″, Sennelier soft pastels on Sennelier 170lb pastel card, 2026

This one was inspired by nights camping in the forests of Oregon, surrounded by silent sentinels and quiet nocturnal creatures. Safe and snug at camp, just the string of colored lights to dispel the darkness.

This was painted on Sennelier pastel card, which is new for me (I like it, and my very first piece was done on a sample of it, but I couldn’t find a local source at the time). The pastels are Schmincke, from Germany. Quite nice to work with.

September Sunrise

Sep27
“September Sunrise”, 9.5″ x 12.5″, Sennelier soft pastels on Sennelier 170lb pastel card, 2026

Inspired by a recent sunrise, seen in McMinnville, Oregon. I find sunrises give me a sense of hope. I’ve been needing them a lot more lately. This is available for sale.

This piece is my largest pastel to-date, and is also on a different surface; Sennelier pastel card. I did my very first pastel on a small sample and I was very pleased with the results. I like the coarseness of the grit on this card stock. It holds pigment well. More delightfully than the texture and tooth of the card stock, I really like how well it stays flat (unlike the Claire Fontaine Pastelmat, which reliably curls).

When All Other Lights Go Out

Sep22
“When All Other Lights Go Out” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026

Inspired by the daily meditation practice that helps me “fight off the darkness”. This is a piece about peace, and finding a path.

I used a combination of Sennelier and Blue Earth pastels, as well as a bit of glow powder and gold dust to bring a soft luminous highlight to the silhouetted figure.

July

Sep22
“July” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026

Inspired by the dread and destruction of western wildfires during dry summer months. This piece is painted using Blue Earth, Sennelier, and Henr Roche pastels, on Claire Fontaine Pastelmat.

Siltez Bay Low Tide

Sep22
“Siletz Bay Low Tide” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026

I took a couple days on the coast to paint. I am fascinated by the tide coming and going from Siletz Bay. The most challenging detail is tearing myself away from the view long enough to paint at all.

This piece was done using Blue Earth and Sennelier soft pastels, on Claire Fontaine Pastelmat.

Skyline Sunset

Sep10

“Skyline Sunset” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026

This piece was inspired by a quiet moment looking over a quantity of sunset images in various urban areas that were shared with me (or taken by me) over recent years. Rather than a copy of any one of those, this piece seeks to capture a certain quality of cities and sunrises.

This piece was painted using Blue Earth, Sennelier, and Henri Roche pastels, and is available for sale.