Pastel Society of NC

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Landscape Pastel Demo

Salt Marsh at Fort Fisher, NC
pastel demonstration by PSNC member Kathryn Wilson, artbykathrynwilson.com

This is a demo of a painting I did while visiting Fort Fisher, North Carolina. The scene is early in the morning, just as the sun was rising and coming above the horizon, but below a bank of clouds. Scenic and tranquil, it really spoke to me of calm and peace.

Underpainting: I wanted a long panoramic format for this painting as the scene before me warranted a view that took in the hummock islands of this salt marsh. I used a sanded pastel paper and saturated watercolors to make this painting sing.

Roughing In: After thoroughly drying the underpainting with a hair dryer, I started to rough in the big blocks of color, but still letting the underpainting show through.

Local Color: Overlaying some of the local color – meaning the basic colors that I want to use for my painting.

Adding Lights: I continued to add more color – lights and darks – to further develop the painting, adding greens and yellows to the trees on the islands and adding some light yellows at the horizon line.

Working on the Water: I wasn’t totally happy with the composition, so I added a river of water going back to the horizon. I also was not happy with the way the water was turning out, so at this stage, I brushed out the water around the marsh grass with a wet brush and it darkened those shadows down and I liked those darks!

Adding the Lights to the Sky and Clouds: I further developed the clouds and the sunlight peeking out from behind the island on the left. I’ve found that instead of using my fingers to blend some edges, I like to use a Colorshaper instead. (see image below) These are rubber-tipped tools that are very flexible and can be used with a delicate touch to achieve lost or soft edges.

Final Version: I finished with an overall going over with lighter touches of yellow and gold everywhere, including the clouds.

Upcoming Zoom Presentations for 2023

Programs are on the second Saturday of each month, usually from 10am to noon (US Eastern Time).

For details of upcoming programs visit our programs schedule page.

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Shows / Workshops

7th Annual PURE COLOR: Online International Juried Exhibition of Pastel Paintings 2023

Online Show Opens September 1st
Pure Color 2023 Virtual Reception: video of winner announcements

Light Up Your Still Life with Pan Pastels - Pastel Mini-Workshop

Join award-winning artist, Laurie Basham, in a 3-hour mini-workshop on Saturday, September 9th (1-4pm) where she will share her floral painting process. $50
See more details and sign up on Eventbrite

View all upcoming shows.

Recent News / Announcements

If you are a current PSNC member and want to share your news, fill out the form here.

In Memoriam: Betty Hendrix

“Tiny Summer Sunsets” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman on Zoom

Member Spotlight, Janet Burgess

“Layering the Light” Pastel Workshop, with Rita Kirkman

Member Spotlight, Betty Hendrix

Member News, Jeri Greenberg

Eat and Art Workshops with Emily Thompson

Member News, Patricia Savage: 30 Year Retrospective

PASTELS-OPEN STUDIO Explore and Expand your Pastel Horizons

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