Oil Pastel

2011-05-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

This blog is no longer active. I hope to get back to it someday. Please enjoy the interviews with the great artists here. I hope it helps!

Julia

Gail Higginbotham

2008-03-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Diane Fliehler

2008-02-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't label the following work by fellow classmate Diane Fliehler as student work. Although she hasn't shown her work professionally I have had the privilege of viewing a large part of her collection and she is one of the best oil pastelist around. Diane is on the brink that talented artists get to when they are ready to burst on the scene and start professionally showing their work. She originally was a student of George Shipperley. Under his tutelage she learned how to use oil pastel in an expressive, immediate way. I have been painting beside her in three classes taught by Carol Zack, who has been one of her biggest fans. Using bold color and scraping techniques she has been known to create quite a stir, attacking the canvas in an aggressive manner. She has contributed a paragraph or two on how she first became interested in OP that I posted below her work. Thanks Diane! Please enjoy the works by this fresh abstract colorist.

My husband and I were attending an art event and we both greatly admired George Shipperley's work in oil pastel. We were surprised to discover that he was teaching at a local art school. I signed up immediately and since then have considered myself fortunate to study with a very talented artist as well as, a gifted teacher. I have grown much as an artist with George's constant encouragement for which I am truly grateful.

I feel I am just now on the brink of discovery. I'm not sure what I will discover and hope that I will always feel this way.

I apply Holbein Oil Pastels to the surface (usually matt board) and use Liquin and Tupenoid mediums. With a razor blade, I scrape through many layers of oil pastel and find myself surprised by the results. I react to what I see before me, sometimes adding more oil pastel or more medium. I paint with the razor blade as though it is a palette knife. I enjoy my interaction with the oil pastels letting them take the lead. Sometimes, this dance is serendipity.

Diane Fliehler

Student Artwork by Susan Bell

2008-02-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

I have coerced my fellow classmate Susan Bell to let me post a few of her paintings from our OP class together. I think I will try and get more student work on this blog. I think its beneficial to see progress and get a little insight into how each individual approaches Oil Pastel. What better way to learn, through the journey of others. Susan's work in OP is getting better all the time and its fun too see how we progress together. I also asked her to write a little about her experience. I have posted it below. Thanks Susan!

River

Apostle Island Sheds

Flowers

Several years ago I had a couple of surgeries close to one another and was cooped up in the house. I started to paint with oils and acrylics on canvas, very large and abstract works. After a couple of years of experimenting, I decided that I needed some instruction. There was an oil pastel class offered at a school near my home, so I signed up. I've learned quite a bit in the last six months in this medium. I'm still trying to find my way with the materials. I'm trying every kind of paper that I can lay my hands on, and finding myself grabbing the Holbein pastels over the others right now, they seem to layer on really well. What I enjoy the most is seeing what the other students in the class are doing with their pastels, it is a real learning experience! I've seen people do amazing work with oil pastels. I'm inspired and motivated by what I see, so I believe that I'll continue to work in this medium for some time to come.
Susan B

Stephanie Neely

2008-01-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

Cinnabar

Oil Pastel
Stephanie Neely

This time of year many of us start longing for spring and warm weather. It's especially hard for those of us living in the Midwest and upper east coast. When digit's stay in the 20's we long for green grass and perhaps a fresh blooming flower. So It's a pleasure to view Stephanie Neely's beautiful ripe roses in Oil Pastel. Her technique is realistic but very painterly. Some of her work has the look of having been painted in oil and some pieces look as though they were done in watercolor. She uses Senneliers so this could contribute to the more painted look because they are softer and creamier than most OP's. I contacted the artist and she was very gracious and wrote a couple paragraphs about her OP journey (posted below). She also wanted me to feature her flowers on my post because as she said, "They are really the culmination of my journey as an artist and represent my true love in art and in life (aside from my dear husband, of course)". That was fine by me because these were the paintings that I wanted to feature! Her other work is just as masterful. She is a Signature member of The Oil Pastel Society and has won awards and been represented by several galleries. Please check out here website here. I was really impressed with her artist's statement because she does such a good job at articulating her journey of painting and becoming the artist she is.

Heirloom Roses

Communion
First Prize Winner
Creative Catalyst Productions Summer Show of 2005, Private Collection

Oil Pastel was probably the last medium I thought I would ever use to create art. I used soft pastels for awhile but could not tolerate the dust, so I went back to watercolor and colored pencil. I was a practicing landscape architect and land surveyor prior to my current career as an attorney, so I am very tight in my drafting and final product. Pencils are really well suited to that goal, but I found that I could not get the rich finish that I wanted. My journey to oil pastels really began as the result of a craft project which called for the use of crayons. I thought that oil pastels might substitute well (they didn't) but it exposed me to the medium and its possibilities.

I use Senneliers exclusively. I have tried almost everything else but Senneliers are perfect for the way I paint. I love the rich colors and buttery texture. If I could have one art wish, it would be for an expanded palette of Sennelier oil pastels. My experience with application of color has been similar to that of Susan Bennerstrom, I often mix many colors to get just the right one (then I forget what I did and am forced to reinvent the wheel). I paint on 140 lb Arch Cold Pressed watercolor paper which I cut off the large rolls. Flowers and plant forms are my preferred subject matter. This may harken back to my days as a landscape designer. I live in North Carolina and make frequent pilgrimages with camera in hand to the arboretum of my alma mater, North Carolina State University, and to the Stowe Botanical Gardens outside Charlotte to capture images for painting. I also planted a large rose garden in the back yard last summer which is the source of many hours of pleasure as well as plants for painting.

The work of Joseph Raffael is my inspiration. I wish I could talk to him about his work because I feel such a kinship with him.

Thank you Stephanie for contributing!
Please feel free to make any comments or contributions to this post.

2008-01-01T23:45:00.000-08:00

Red Pair
Oil Pastel on Panel

Susan Bennerstrom

I contacted Susan Bennerstrom recently and asked her if she would contribute a few paragraphs on what brand of OP she uses (and why) and maybe tell me a little more about her technique. She was so great and sent me this bit of info. I'm very happy to share this with you. Thank You Susan!
.....................................................................................................................................................................
It's weird, I keep buying more and more Holbeins and Senneliers because of the great range of gorgeous colors, but always end up using Caran d'Ache Neopastels almost exclusively, and the H's and S's sit there and gather dust. The Neopastels have a very limited color range, so I am forced to mix my own colors on the paper (or gessoed panel), often using as many as 10 crayons to get the color I want. I like that a lot -- it's more interesting, even though it turns out to be almost impossible to replicate a color since I don't keep track of what I've used.

Neopastels differ from Senneliers in that they are much less oily (and somewhat less oily than Holbeins), and therefore easier to control. They are "dryer," and that quality lends itself well to the kind of paintings I make, with defined edges and an overall smoothness in some areas. So Neopastels are my workhorses, and I occasionally use Senneliers and Holbeins for texture, details, and spots of color at the end. It's disastrous when I try to use them for the base layers -- they scoot around and don't adhere properly and goop up in little globs.

I rarely use mediums to mix and smooth out the oil pastels. I prefer instead to really load the pastels onto the paper (or panel) so that the pastels themselves do their own mixing. Those little rubber-ended tools ("clay shapers") are great for mixing in detailed areas, and my own fingers are the best mixing/smoothing tools. But I have found the very best technique for my way of working is to not be shy about how much pastel I put on the paper -- the more I put on, the richer and more subtle the colors get, and the more painterly the surface.

I hope this information helps!
all best,
Susan

Susan Bennerstrom

2007-12-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

I admit that I buy a new Edward Hopper calendar every year. I have always been attracted to that spare, atmospheric and rich tonal quality. Susan Bennerstrom style is similar but I would say it has a more intimate quality. I just discovered her work about a month ago during a Internet search for anything related to Oil Pastel. I have to say my heart skipped a beat. This was a connection I was looking for in OP. I didn't think it was possible to create such realism from an OP stick. I have seen many impressionistic and abstract artist making great use of the medium but not many painting in realism. So, it was exciting to see her style. I also thought it would interesting to post this after George Shipperley as it shows a completely different and contrasting style (even down to pastel brand preference). It really does emphasise OP's versatility.
Such Beautiful paintings. She breaks down her work into categories. Stairways, Windows, Beds, Architecture and Light and Outdoors. What really impresses me is how she can create a reflective polished surface with OP as in the painting Studio Hall #4, or how she rarely uses mediums to blend the paint, just Colour Shapers and fingers. She has a very impressive history of exhibitions, teaching and awards. Please checkout her website here. Which, by the way, is an impressively designed site. Also stay tuned for more from this painter. I contacted her and she wrote a few paragraphs about OP that I will post soon!

Studio Hall #4

Medicine

Black Stairs

George Shipperley on Pastel Brands

2007-12-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Plateau
Oil Pastel
George Shipperley

I recently contacted Oil Pastelist George Shipperley to ask him to share what OP's he prefers. It's always interesting and enlightening to find out how successful artists approach their work and what kind of materials and mediums they use. He was kind enough to send a few paragraphs that I posted below.........

Regarding your request as to which oil pastel brands I prefer, the following are my preferences.

1. Holbein (best quality) they make a less expensive pastel also, but ALWAYS buy the better.

This is my favorite because of the large selection of colors and user-friendly consistency. The colors have depth and richness unlike any less expensive brand. They also last longer because they’re not too soft. It is very important to keep in mind that an inexpensive oil pastel will not provide what you the artist are capable of doing, but a quality product will fulfill that requirement. We want depth of color and richness of color, not the look of crayons which is what you get with the cheaper brands. Holbein also works wonderfully with a medium.

2. Sennelier (both the regular and the Jumbo size) the regular are much creamier than Holbein but extra rich in pigmentation with a smaller selection of colors. It is important to realize you should not apply Holbein over Sennelier but Sennelier over Holbein. Sennelier is so much creamier and works beautifully as a last layer. Of course you can use it exclusively also.

The jumbo size is incredible because it lasts longer and is less creamy. Great for large pieces and a good color selection.

You will find that all three of these suggestions are more expensive than any other oil pastel brand, but the opportunities and results will be rewarding, and that's what were after. Someone once told me to paint like you’re a millionaire and by that she meant when you cut material costs you also are cutting yourself out of a quality piece of work. LIFT THAT RESTRICTION AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR CAPABILITIES. This is one time we should not cut costs.

Thanks Mr. Shipperley.
What OP brands do you prefer? I recently found an amazing artist who only uses Caran d' Ache NeoPastels but the work is very much realism. I think it depends on your style of painting in OP. Maybe Op's with a Little more waxy filler is better for blending (with a turp?) in a realistic style. I don't know for sure but I'm going to find out!

George Shipperley

2007-12-06T15:39:00.001-08:00

Cherry Blossoms in Door County

October Warmth

Winter Green

I first heard about George Shipperley in my Introductory OP class. Many great things were being said about his work and passion for Oil Pastel. In my conversations about OP with other artists in the Chicago area his name would invariably come up. He has a great influence on my current OP teacher and that influence spills out into her teaching. After I saw his work I immediately knew why. This is an artist who paints with a fresh and vibrant style. His paintings convey great feeling and sense of place. One can see the immediacy in which they were created. I had a hard time deciding which paintings to post here. Mr. Shipperley was so kind to give me permission to do so and is very enthusiastic about promoting and representing oil pastel so please check out his website here to view his online galleries. Make sure to read his artist statement. It is really inspiring and is a testimony of a true artist. I hope I get the opportunity to take a class or workshop with him. He teaches at The Fine Line in St. Charles IL. I'm working on getting an interview set up with him that I will post here. So stay tuned! What do you think of this Artist?

Second Painting

2007-12-04T10:39:00.001-08:00

Tiffany Quail

This bird is cooked! At least for now. I don't consider this to be done but I have to put it away for a while. I just thought I would share with you. The ability to be able to rework OP by scraping back and layering over can be a blessing and a curse. I did this on Museum Board
and basically started off by drawing a light outline and then filling in with shapes. After my dark shapes were finished I started the detail. It was so challenging trying to interpret feathers and ruffles in a painterly impressionist way. I'm having the most trouble with the middle body, trying to connect it to the rest of the piece. I do feel that I'm learning more about how I want to approach painting with OP and this bird is just one more step in the right direction. Please feel free to give me any suggestions.

Maureen Mckee

2007-12-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

Prairie Path Peddler

Lake Lecco

Sunflower's

I first saw Maureen McKee’s art hanging at the Dupage Art League in Wheaton, IL. She had won 2nd place for the painting Prairie Path Peddler. As with most paintings, seeing it in person is so much different and of course, better than online. At first I thought is was soft pastel. I was so impressed with her use of color, bold strokes and the elegant and expressive quality of her lines. She describes her own style as abstract naturalism. She has won many juried awards and is a member of The Oil Pastel Society, The West Suburban Artists Guild, and the Chicago Artist's Coalition. Please check out her website here
What do you think of this talented Oil Pastelist?

Oil Pastel papers and surfaces

2007-11-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

For the beginner the type of paper or surface you decide to paint on is something you just have to experiment with. Because of the OP's versatility (you can paint on paper, wood, glass) it opens up a lot of surface possibilities. In my first painting it was suggested to me to try printmaking papers. I really liked the way the OP absorbed into the surface and allowed me to build up layers while retaining vibrancy. I have been experimenting with different weights and brands of these papers and find myself favoring the heavier ones. Some OP artists like smooth surfaces such as Arches hot press watercolor paper or smooth illustration board. This is a great option for smoothing out the pastel such as one would do in portraits and fine detail. It all depends on how you want to approach your painting. I realized quickly that I like to paint more aggressively and really layer the color up to a point of thick impasto. So as a result I keep seeking out heavier papers to hold the OP. I'm also starting to discover that I should be moving toward a paper that has a toothier surface. I really like the effect of scumbling in OP and can imagine it would be even more pronounced with a rougher paper. Ultimately you will have to decide what surfaces suit your style of painting. I just bought a piece of Colourfix paper and have yet to try it out. What paper or surface do you like best? I'm open to suggestions! Below I'm going to list some papers that offer different qualities that that are desirable for oil pastel.

Pastel Paper (a good site to research and buy these papers is online @ Dakota Art Pastels)
Printmaking Papers (you might have to search a little harder for these. Try camera shops)
Mat board-acid free
Illustration Board
Colourfix ( these are coated papers that you can get in many colors)
Wallis Sanded Paper
Watercolor Paper
Museum Board

Contemporary Fauve Artist

2007-11-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

Just a quick notice to let you know about a great OP artist I found on the web. Jane Aukshunas paintings are so vibrant and colorful. In the artist statement on her website she says her work is inspired by the European Artists "The Fauves" which include Gauguin and Matisse. Check out her website here

Happy Holiday!

2007-11-21T22:24:00.001-08:00

I hope you enjoy the works of my latest featured artist. I plan to do a short interview with Mr. Berridge in the future along with more features from other amazing oil pastel artists. So stayed tuned for that. Hopefully, I will finish my 2nd oil pastel over the weekend and will post it here asap. I'm actually painting two simultaneously. So we will see which one makes it first. Soon, I would like to talk about surfaces and would love to get some feedback on what other OP artists are using.

Julia

David Berridge

2007-11-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

The Hills of Warren, Arizona with Valerie

Cypress Creek

Shadow'd Grasses

I'm very pleased to be able to feature the work of an artist who I find so talented and inspiring. David Berridge placed 1st in the Oil Pastel Society's 2005 show and has published works in the July 2005 issue of "The Artists Magazine" and the October 2005 issue of "American Artist". He is a self taught artist who began his artistic endeavors 30 years ago. His latest work is a homage to early California Impressionists. The recent paintings show rich, earthy sepia and gold tones, dramatic landscapes and the depth and skill of artists from that movement. Mr. Berridge states on his website "I want viewers to have more than a pleasing image to look at. I want them to experience what I felt in the creation of the work". I think he does. His work is a great example of how the oil pastel lends itself to creating that wonderful rich and broken color. He was kind enough to send me an example of his process and we see that he lays down his initial drawing in sepia. Ive included that here along with a couple of my favorites. Please visit his website here.

Carol Zack

2007-11-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Relaxing at The Biltmore
Oil Pastel 2007
Artist's private collection

Carol Zack is a Chicago area artist who works in OP's. Her work is vibrant, painterly and shows the versatility of the medium. She states on her website that she is "inspired by the Impressionist artists with their spontaneous use of broken color" and it's clearly evident in her use of color and bold expressive strokes. She has a special and unique technique that she employs in some of her work that incorporates torn tissue paper with oil pastel layered on top. It gives her pieces an exciting, colorful textured look. Carol is also an instructor in the Chicago area and teaches at the Fine Line in St. Charles IL and at the DuPage Art League in Wheaton, IL. Please check out her website.

Oil Pastel Brands

2007-11-18T20:34:00.001-08:00

After my initial introduction to various brands of OP's it was very clear that the front runners were Sennelier and Holbein. Sennelier was the first oil pastel ever made. Pablo Picasso and Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier in 1947 with the idea of designing a pastel that they could use directly on the canvas without it being primed. Picasso particularly wanted to be able to use it on any surface such as wood, metal, paper, etc. The Sennelier has a texture more like a dry lipstick and I find it's best for blending, realism or final touches. The Holbein is drier in texture and acts more like a soft pastel. It's easy to put this square stick on it's side and apply color in bold strokes. I personally prefer the Holbein. At least that's how I feel at the moment. I'm still in the newbie stage with these sticks. It most definitely is something each artist will have to experiment with and work out for themselves.

First oil pastel

2007-11-16T14:06:00.001-08:00

Herrick Park 2007
Printmaking paper

Although there are some things I like about this painting, in general I am very unsatisfied with it. It really was just a learning process, teaching me what the OP can do. First I created a dark underpainting using the resin gel, then working from a digital photo I had taken from a local forest preserve I started applying color. I just started making marks, scratching into the pastel and scumbling to add texture. The tree was the part that gave me the most trouble. I reworked it countless times. But..... that just shows you the OP versatility. How many mediums can you rework until your satisfied. There are some restrictions to this but in general a very flexible medium.

Underpainting

2007-11-15T23:51:00.001-08:00

One of the first things I learned in my oil pastel class introduction was how to create the under painting. There are various ways to go about an under painting in oil pastel but the easiest and most immediate is to block in shapes with color, use the side of the crayon and apply the color all over the surface. Next, use a non-toxic product called "Res-n-Gel" available at most art supply stores. Take a clean paper towel and just rub in a small amount over your blocks of colors and eventually it will all smooth out and create a wash effect. The colors should dulled or grayed down at this stage so you can apply brighter colors on top. I find it's very important to use your darks at this stage because in this medium you usually want to work from dark to light. I have seen some artists use turpenoids to create under paintings and washes. They seem to really break down and smooth out the OP's, but they are toxic. I personally think that the Res-n-Gel does what it needs to without the toxic effect.

Welcome

2007-11-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. My intentions are to discuss every aspect of the "oil pastel" and try and bring as much information about it to one place. If that's what your searching for I hope this blog will be of value to you. I plan on including paintings of my own along the way in an effort to show technique and hopefully my own personal progression. I also anticipate gleaning advice from more advanced oil pastel artists through interviews, links to other blogs, websites and authors.

A few words On Oil Pastel from Susan Bennerstrom

2007-01-02T01:00:00.000-08:00