Memories of Home

The paper for this garden painting was under-painted with watercolor. The watercolor added a depth and glow to the finished image. When dry, the pastel was stroked over the watercolor.

The pastels are sticks of pure pigment. The pigment is the same pigment used in oil paints, watercolors, and acrylics, except that it does not have oil, water, or acrylic added to it. It is the pure pigment, pressed into sticks, held together with a little binder. The pigments are very small crystals of color, with facets that reflect the light, much like diamonds do. Learn more about pastel at the website of the International Association of Pastel Societies .

Slowly the image emerged as the pastel was added to the paper. Fine tuning happened along the way, changing the shapes of the flowers, adding more sunshine, even moving the plant better, finished!

But was I finished? I felt another painting of this beautiful scene needed to be created. Hmmmmm.