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.
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.
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.
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 unknowns of the future we’re creating right now. Will there come a terrible dark night, silent, on some lost shore, unseen, forgotten?
This piece is painted primarily with Henri Roche pastels. (Applying white over black and maintaining the density and clarity of each requires very pure rich hues.)
This piece is not for sale.
“Seeing Red” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026
Emotions are tricky. Some of them pull us in, until we lose ourself in some small detail.
This piece is painted using a combination of Henri Roche, Blue Earth, and Sennelier soft pastels, and is available for sale.
This piece was inspired by a misty morning hike down an oak lined trail. This piece was done using Blue Earth pastels, listening to Downliners Sekt (an old album, “Statement of Purpose”).
Inspired by a summer morning walk along a trail at the edge of Basket Slough, a stormy sky, and dry grass and meadow flowers. This painting uses Sennelier and Blue Earth pastels.
Inspired by a favorite trail along the Willamette River, and the springtime view at a favorite spot along the way. This piece uses a combination of Henri Roche, Blue Earth, and Sennelier soft pastels.
Inspired by the night-dark clouds of a storm moving in, and rain falling as a misty curtain over distant hills. This piece makes use of Henri Roche’s “Feu d’artifice” selection of dark pigments enhanced with sparkles.
