November Demo Recap and Resources

Hello,  Foxboro Art Association! As promised here is a blog summary of the demonstration I did for your November meeting. This post is a long one, but it's jam-packed with good source information about a bunch of topics discussed at the meeting.

Please feel free to contact me with a comment on this blog or by emailing kimweineck@gmail.com should you have further questions. It would be my pleasure to help. 

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RECAP OF STUDIES CREATED AT THE DEMO

The nearly two-hour demo concentrated on four different surfaces and somehow I quickly was able to sketch four (!) paintings to show just how varied these surfaces can be.

Sennelier's Pastel Card is my favorite and so it was my opener. I created this landscape with two hay bales on dry-mounted charcoal colored Pastel Card. I find the paper, with its cork tooth, grabs color vibrantly.

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Hay Bales
original pastel, 12x16"
Sennelier Pastel Card

The next surface was Canson Mi-Teintes paper, which has two distinct sides. The 'right' side (with the Canson watermark) offers a zillion small circular 'nubbies' on it which I am constantly feeling the need to eradicate. I have a hard time with this paper on the 'right' side, but this paper keeps you 'true' and the effect of it can be soft and beautiful.

A member made the observation that this piece looked like it had a netting over the entire surface - the exact 'nubbies' I'm describing! Yes, I think you're right on!

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Marsh Light
original pastel, 12x16"
Canson Mi-Teintes paper, RIGHT side

If you turn this Canson Mi-Teintes paper over to the 'wrong side, an entirely different effect is achieved. No 'nubbies' are there. It's smoother and, for my way of working, I enjoy myself more as I am not fighting the paper the entire time I'm painting. The pastel pigment sits nicely on the paper, simple as that. 

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Hay Bales
original pastel, 12x16"
Canson Mi-Teintes paper, WRONG side

To finish up the demo, I painted this incredibly dull start of a pastel which needs so much work I nearly didn't post it here. For the purposes of being accurate, I'm including it, pride be damned!

PastelMat by Clairefontaine is a relatively new surface which is so mind-boggling in its ability to accept more and more pastel and yet confounds because it has no tooth or grit to grab the pigment. The paper I had was white, and a lot is still showing through. More work to be done, but those in attendance got to see how one works on the surface. 

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Marsh Stream
original pastel, 12x16"
PastelMat

My goal is to finish up what I can on these and post when they're completed. I hope I can keep on this positive flow of energy since the demonstration this week and get to them soon! Please cut me some slack on these studies. They were done in great haste and aren't refined yet.

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RESOURCES AND QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
People asked me some wonderful, pertinent questions about materials. Keep in mind that this is my opinion. Please experiment and enjoy your own process of discovery! I'm reluctant to use the word 'best' here, but in my opinion, that's what they are!

The plein air set

The best go-to set of pastels for plein-air:
Sennelier's 80 half-stick set for Plein Air

The best paper for plein-air:
Sennelier's Pastel Card pad in either size available

The best fixative to protect your pastel and not have too much dulling of color:
Lascaux fixatif

The pastels I used for the demonstration:
Sennelier (so beautiful with Sennelier Pastel Card), Unison (loved these with the PastelMat surface), Terry Ludwig, Nupastel, and Girault.

The best sources for on-line ordering of pastel supplies:
Dakota Art Pastels
Dick Blick
Jerry's Art A Rama
Terry Ludwig

Please find me online at kimmorinweineck.blogspot.com and follow my blog, should you like.
I'm also at Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing as the Gallery Director. I'd be delighted to see you there.

What a wonderful experience it was to test myself for this demo. The crowd was wonderful with amazingly on-point questions and such encouraging comments.

Thank you to Foxboro Art Association for having me!