Gail Higginbotham

Last Light




















Chop Sticks




















Blue Vase












Assateague Clouds


After a brief reprieve I'm back with an artist feature that I'm sure you will enjoy. I tried to get Gail Higginbotham to contribute around Christmas but she was busy working on updating her website. Lucky for us she wrote me back ready to contribute and had added many new works to her site. Like Susan Bennerstrom, a previous artist featured, she uses Caran D’Arche Neopastels and mainly uses paper towels and fingers to blend. I also think its interesting that she uses printmaking paper. I have personally found it to be a really a great surface for OP. She is an expert at capturing light and shadow and the first Artwork posted above inspired me immensely when I first became interested in OP. She states on her website that she is inspired by Wolf Kahn, Manet and Cezanne. She is a member of the Oil Pastel Society and has received many awards. I personally am excited by her new abstract works and have included one above. Gail is very multi-faceted, painting portraits, figures, still lifes, abstracts and landscapes. Please check out her website www.http://redcedarstudio.com and read below a brief history and experiences she has with OP.
Thank You Gail!



Eight years ago, I purchased my first set of 24 Caran D’Arche Neopastels. Prior to stumbling across this new medium, I enjoyed oils and soft pastels until their dust affected my breathing. After several years, first with Sennelier then Holbein pastels, I have resumed my attraction to Neopastels.

How exciting to receive my order from Dick Blick of 96 Neopastels, to explore the extended color choices offered in my new large set. In my experience, many pastels blended together create a rich depth of color even though I lose track of which colors I applied. My paper choice is Stongehenge printing paper due to it's heavy weight which can withstand my blending and scraping while offering a smooth surface. I have tried thinners and mediums without success and rely primarily on paper towels and fingers for blending. My favorite tool is an old credit card. The thick plastic straight edge is perfect for scraping out mistakes, making straight lines, scratching through colors.

Without the good fortune of studying with other oil pastelists in my area, I am self taught. I find oil pastel a wonderful versatile medium for winding my way through realism into abstraction. I also enjoy oil pastels for their easy portability. I like my work matted; the white mat adds a dimension to a piece. I have been known to cut artwork into several pieces if not satisfied with the initial product.