“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” 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.
“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.
“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).
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.
“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” 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.
I enjoy a beautiful sunrise. Happily, there are so many!
“Summer Sunrise, McMinnville, June 2026″ – 5″ x 7”, pastel on pastelbord
This June sunrise is done on Ampersand Pastelbord, using Blue Earth soft pastels. It captures the western horizon on a colorful morning, seen from a local trail.
This piece is available for sale. If interested, please contact me by email.
I spent a couple days painting on the coast on the southern edge of Lincoln City, Oregon, in June. The view from the window of my room was lovely. I watched the tide come and go for hours.
“Sunrise View From the Ester Lee in June” 5″ x 7″ pastel on pastelbord
“Storm Rolling In, June at the Ester Lee” 5″ x 7″ pastel on pastelbord
Both of these pieces are available for sale (please email me if interested). These were painted en plein air from the open windows of a room at the Ester Lee Hotel, using Sennelier and Henri Roche pastels on Ampersand Pastelbord.
I have been finding myself more inspired lately – ocean views, forest trails, expanses of fields in full bloom, and so many beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Time is a finite resource, it passes. Unused minutes get lost along the way. My last new pastel (or painting in any medium) was November 30th of 2024. That seems a very long time ago, though I’ve had at least one other very long period without new creative work.
I delighted myself with clearing the clutter from my studio and getting my workspace set up once again, over the past week. It feels functional, and the work feels satisfying. Maybe that’s enough?
There are a lot of ways to work. Large, small, at an easel, on the floor – what matters most is to do it in the way that feels most natural to the artist doing the work.
I haven’t had the use of my studio for the time between July 1st of 2024 until quite recently – yesterday, actually, call it not quite two years. I happily sat down at my tabletop easel this morning, and did the first piece of new work in a long time. I have mixed feelings about it, which does not surprise me a bit. I’ve had plenty to inspire me over this past two years, and finally sitting down to do something about it feels a bit…strange. I’ll get over it. lol
“Sunrise Reflections” 5″ x 7″ pastel on pastelboard, 2026
Instead of giving up after one piece, I sat with my thoughts and an assortment of photographs from recent hikes and visits to hidden coastal places. After spending some time refreshing my recollections of a particular favorite spot, I got back to work.
“Road’s End” , 7″ x 9.5″, pastel on Pastelmat
It feels good to be painting again. I cue up a new playlist. More to come…
