The Pastel Scribbler

Cover image: Detail from Cley Cottages by Malcolm Jarvis

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Editorial Scribble
Ryan Evans has helped the Scribbler Team with layout for a while, and we are happy to announce that he is now very much part of the team. We really appreciate his fresh and modern layout, which you will see more of in this issue and in the future.

Inside this issue:

We meet the Get Dusty Winter challenge winner Mario Vukelic, who shares how he makes things happen around him. We shall meet Malcolm Jarvis, who won Best Composition, in the next issue.
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Editorial scribble PGE has a new sponsor! Get Dusty Winter Challenge results

PGE members are invited to give special attention to the information in this issue regarding the Annual General Meeting, and the revised Get Dusty rules. When we attend workshops, we do it for different reasons, like learn a style, or get new fresh ideas. Elisabeth Blass writes about one of her workshop experiences, and what she got out of it.
The Scribbler Team This issue is made by: Charlotte Herczfeld, Editor, writing, Ruth Mann, editing, writing, and proof-reading Ryan Evans, layout Contact: scribbler@pastelguild.eu

Get Dusty information

I tend to say that painting is a lifetime journey of learning and discovering. One way to do it is to work from other peoples photos, and challenge oneself to make changes to it and make a painting ones own. See more in You are the boss. Happy painting,

Meet Get Dusty Winner Mario Vukelic

Charlotte Herczfeld
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Workshop experience with Elizabeth Blass

PGE has a new sponsor!

We are pleased to announce that the PGE's new sponsor is Girault Pastels. This means that the Get Dusty challenge prize each month for the next year will be a set of 50 Girault Pastels. white, black or other colours. These pastels are used by many eminent French pastellists and come highly recommended.

You are the boss!

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Creative Bubbles

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PGE update

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These soft pastels, made in France, have a history dating back to 1780. They are very versatile pastels, excellent both for covering large areas and for fine detail work. Using For more information about Girault pastels over 80 pure colours hundreds of shades and visit:- www.pastelsgirault.com tints are created by blending the colours with
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Get Dusty Winter Challenge Results

The winner of the Winter 2012/2012 Get Dusty challenge Free choice is Mario Vukelic, Croatia, and the winner of the award for Best Composition is Malcolm Jarvis, England. Both are awarded prizes.
1st place: Mario Vukelic, Physalis Blue Comment: The strong hues and composition of this painting are initially very compelling, but a longer look proves its not merely made up of color and contrast. The painting delights with charming rhythms, fascinating negative spaces, excellent draftsmanship, useful textures, and a variety of technical approaches, utilizing the strengths of pastel. Subtleties keep the eye circling around this stable yet dynamic composition that stands firmly in space yet invites us to visit each branch in turn. The painterly quality draws on soft and crisp strokes, while grayed colors host the bright orange -blue complement.

Best Composition: Malcolm Jarvis, Cley Cottages Comment: This playful yet expressive composition brings more to our understanding of the artists experience of this little town, utilizing cubism to express different aspects of the place, while synthesizing the whole impression. The harmony and visual continuity of the cottages lets the viewer blithely enjoy the place without getting lost or becoming distracted. An excellent use of color, contrast, and detail draws us into the area of greatest interest, comprised of four creatively overlapped sections, while the shapes all help to thrust or attract the eye toward the center of interest.

2nd place: Katerina Pyatakova, Intuition Comment: This painting is a shape-driven abstraction derived from a strong rendering of reality. It sculpts space, allowing the eye to travel easily over the liquid planes in a dynamic S-shape that suggests the fluidity of the water from the start. The powerful movement of the water is suggested by directional strokes, hard and soft edges and dark and light passages that create height, depth and distance. The artist has made excellent use of translucence and opacity, with a good technical approach to handling pastels, respecting blending and scumbling.

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3rd place: Julie Hodgson, Happy Days Comment: This is beautifully rendered, with accuracy that suggests the artist caught a likeness of each child. The shallow depth of field and clear delineation of the space each one occupies places the two faces on sweet spots on the page, and the gesture suggests the weight of the toddler and the charming relationship between the two. Using not only excellent skin tones but great color reflections, all set on a unifying background color, the artist creates a lively palette, suggesting childlike vibrancy in every aspect.

Finalist: Charlotte Herczfeld, Winter Passage Comment: The lyrical Impressionistic color gives this simple scene a romantic sense, suggesting the ideal amid the real. Theres an admirable focus on the light and how it describes the landscape elements. The artist is not overly enthralled with the man-made bridge, but gives loving attention to the way the light describes the trees, bushes, snow and sky, as well. The composition invites the viewer to meander up into the area of interest and linger, yet creates depth with soft transitions into the distance.

Finalist: Jill Harker, Chance Comment: The most endearing qualities of the breed are evident in this painting, giving an overall sense of the character of this dog. Crisp edges, lovingly painted details such as raggedy fur, sparkling eyes, lop ear, and even the friendly, almost smiling mouth, create an engaging portrait. The placement on the paper makes a dynamic composition, with the nose thrust to one side and the eyes looking at us. The background suggest an earthy, active dog without trying to describe the place, and enhances the eye color well.

Finalist: Marie France Oosterhof, Lost in My Dreams Comment: Bold contrast, strong shapes, and aggressive color all combine to admirably express this subject. Contrasting dark and light values, as well as the brilliant touches of color, create focus and depth. Calligraphic strokes strengthen the piece, expressing the temperament of the animal. The white highlights and vibrant reds compel the viewer around the face and horns, drawing us back with the brilliant yellow calligraphy. Even the artists signature functions as a component of the composition.

Overall, I found this to be a very strong showing of pastels. Im delighted to find the quality and variety of work here. It was challenging to choose the winners, particularly the finalists, and I would have mentioned others if given the space (Senses Aroused, Silver Bowl and Grapes, and Tuscany Fantasy, Twilight Glow, and Decay.) I hope the PGE continues to promote understanding of the versatile and delightful pastel medium, as well as bringing together European pastelists, and creating a great resource as you educate artists about pastels. As I was often heard to say to my pastel class, Keep going, gang! Its clearly evident this is a vibrant, active group. Thank you for the opportunity to judge this challenge. Deborah Secor January 28, 2013

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Get Dusty and Disqualification

Are You up to the challenge? Lets Get Dusty!

Some of the participants in the Get Dusty Winter challenge were surprised to find their entries removed after the deadline. This may seem like a new and stricter application of the rules. In reality, it isnt so, as entries which do not comply with the rules have always been quietly disqualified, as the judges have been notified of which entries to disregard. This time, there was a guest judge, and the disqualified entries were removed in order to make things easier for the judge. Also, removing the pictures makes it clearer to the participants that the rules need to be checked.

entering the contest to see to it that their entry is correct.

In the Winter challenge there were a few cases where the entries had been critiqued publicly online, and where there was cause to assume that subsequent changes in the paintings were made as a result of the advice given. A Get Dusty entry should be your own painting from start to finish, and completed without any tutoring or advice. We realize that none of us live in a vacuum, and that people around us will comment on our paintings within our hearing. If a spouse or friends comments, The two most common mistakes are: that is generally no problem, but if the commenting person is a fairly accomplished artist and we do a) The size of the uploaded file is too small. It should change our painting, well... we may want to be as close to 800 pixels on the longest side as you consider not entering it. In the end, it is up to our can make it. If it is too large, the system will either own conscience, and a question of trust. shrink it to 800 pixels, or tell you it is too big. This rule is about the integrity of the PGE. We know b) The actual size of the painting is not written in each other, some of us are friends, and it is vital that the comments field. The judge needs this we treat every entry exactly the same and apply the information, as what is possible in a painting which rules to everyone. is 50x70 cm needs to be handled differently in a miniature painting of 5x7 cm, and it impacts how The best advice the Get Dusty Team can give is to the painting is judged. check the Get Dusty rules at the PGE website, and to The Get Dusty Team will not chase after ten people ask the team if we still have questions. There is a and ask each to comply with the rules. Just like in thread in the Forum for these kinds of question, and any other contest, it is the responsibility of the artist we are welcome to post there.

Get Dusty Schedule The theme for March 2013 is: Category: Landscape Challenge: A Seascape Deadline 25th March 2013 The theme for April 2013 is: Category: Portrait Challenge: to be announced Deadline 25th April 2013

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Meet Get Dusty Winner: Mario Vukelic

the painting. Then my wife asked around and found out the name. What materials did you use for this painting? The paper used for this painting was also new territory for me. During my recent visit to Madrid I found a new paper from Sennelier. Its not that I do not have enough pastel papers in stock. It is just that I cant resist buying new ones to experiment with. It is titled lEsprit du Pastel and it is described as a grey felt paper with crystal insert, 25 sheets, 130g. Wow, such a nice name for paper with crystal inserts! This must be something special! It was wrapped and I could not touch and feel it in the store. After rushing to the hotel and opening it, I was a bit disappointed since it looks and feels like a regular Ingres paper, but on the good side it has a glassine paper between each sheet. I use Sennelier and Unison soft pastels mostly and it looks like they also like this paper. I had 3 versions of background and shadows and the paper was happy to accept new layers. No fixative was used and I did not brush off any layer. As a conclusion I can say I like this paper and I recommend it. You have an interesting thread on our PGE forum about Bill Creevy and his technique. Can you tell us for Scribbler what do you find to be interesting about his book and his technique? Was it useful for your painting of physalis? I can sum it up in one word: texture. I just love the textures Bill achieves in his paintings. They are so lively and eye catching. Im reading and looking at his book over and over. If I miss inspiration for painting I can just browse this book and I get the urge to paint. After looking at his works for a few months now and trying some of the techniques Bill is suggesting, I guess some influence is already in place. This painting of an apple in a glass jar was my first attempt to use so called linear approach from that book. It is a 20x20 cm on black Canson MT paper.
Jabukauboki

Physalis Blue

I can sum it up in one word: texture

Mario lives in Croatia with his wife and small son. He is working for an international company, but still finds time to paint in pastel, both on paper and on concrete. What was your inspiration for your winning painting, Physalis Blue? The flowers are actually from my mom's backyard and Im looking at this bouquet every day. Im not a really big fan of dried flowers but since my mom gave it to my wife I have no choice but to adore it. One sunny morning before rushing for work I made a quick setup and took around 10 photos. I wanted to have background very close to flowers to mix the shapes of flowers and shadows. One does not see many paintings with physalis. And to be honest I did not even know the name of that flower until I finished

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share the same passion for art and painting

most of all I love to meet new people who

Tell us about your street painting, how you got involved? To be precise I was not involved, I got myself involved. There was no street painting event any place close to Zagreb which included pavement painting. Probably the closest to Zagreb was famous madonnari festival in Grazie di Curtatone in the Province of Mantua, Italy, but I needed a place to practice first. Therefore I decided to organize a street painting festival together with my wife just to get the chance to paint myself. Zagreb is lucky to have a big street art festival called Cest is

Sax

dBest that had 16 editions so far and includes all kind of street art performances, jugglers, clowns, many musicians, street theaters, and a lot of dancers. They had art installations and painting workshops but they were really thrilled when I came with the proposal to do the street painting festival. This year it will be the 5th edition of the festival. If you ever plan to visit Zagreb, the beginning of June is the time to come and enjoy all these art festivities. For more info about Zagreb Street Painting festival please visit http:// pastelizacija.com What do you find interesting about street painting? It looks demanding to spend hours on your knees and to cope with all disturbances around you. It is demanding, and some people give up after trying it once. First year we had famous Croatian cartoonist

Street Painting

Nik Titanik and he told us he came to make a quick drawing within an hour and he ended up spending 3-4 hours. He said this was literally the hardest painting he had ever done. He admitted to have had a lot of fun but will not do it any more. But at the same time we do have as many over 60 year old artists as we do have teenagers, and many people return to the festival. What do you love about the street painting? I love how you are forced to improvise. I love to step aside and listen comments from people passing by. But most of all I love to meet new people who share the same passion for art and painting. Some of the people I met are now my good friends. I also involve most of my friends to come and help to organize this all day event.

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with. There are so many effects you can achieve and the results are in most cases immediate. But beware it is addictive! You have to buy new pastels, new paper and all sort of tools, all the time. Somehow pastelists are always missing this special shade and that super paper which takes hundreds of pastel layers. Have you seen any growth in awareness of pastel in Croatia in recent times? Is pastel there recognized as a serious fine art medium? If you judge by the galleries and the art prices I

would say it still is not the mainstream medium. Id like to change this and would like to see a pastel society, or any similar group to work to change that. I have a plan or rather a dream to collect pastel paintings by the Croatian artists from the past and make a book about it, but this project is on hold and will need to wait for the time when my son is grown. You can follow Marios art on his blog mariovukelic.blogspot.com, and on his blog about pastel art and pastel artist pastelnews.com

Green Hug

What advice can you offer to pastel artists just starting out with the medium? Experiment! I believe the soft pastels are the best medium to experiment

The Best of Get Dusty 2012! Proudly presenting the best of Get Dusty 2012. We have got together all the winning paintings, second places and special awards and put them together here for you to see. Members are encouraged to vote for their three favourites, follow the link for details. The closing date for votes is the 5th April 2013 and the overall winner (s) will be announced in the April Pastel Scribbler.

Admin news The PGE annual general meeting and Board elections are coming up. Nominations are invited for positions on the Board. Members please log in and see the thread in the General section of the forum for more details.

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Workshop experience in Paris with artist Nadine Roulleaux Elisabeth Blass

me the next stage through painting herself one of my flowers on my painting. What I appreciated so much was to see how she handled the pastel stick, the pressure The school Ateliers dArt is situapplied to get the different nuated in the suburb of Charenton ances of the same stick and variele Pont and we worked from gating with other colours too to 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00-17:30, build up the three dimensional 18th - 20th January, three intensive look. She was rotating among the days. students all the time so skilfully and patiently, helping us with our The first morning Mme Roulleaux paintings through painting and gave us a general introduction to doing corrections herself on our Here I will share my personal the course, the planning of still impressions of three interesting work, explaining and giving furlife on the paper such as to indiand instructive days I spent at a ther suggestions if needed. I liked cate the horizontal and vertical workshop in Paris in January Mme Roulleaux teaching method lines and compare angles, together with our lovely friends very much, without too much of Marie-France and Clea from PGE lengths, dimensions etc. She theory. Painting, practicing, paintand some more attendees in the showed and offered a very handy ing. The details were not that tool - a screw-nut hanging on a group directed by the excellent important. The overall impression string to determine the vertical teacher, Nadine Roulleaux, Sowith shades and lights were the lines, which is so good to help cit des Pastellistes de France. main thing. Two completed differplace other surrounding objects in ent paintings were the result of the right place on the paper com- the day, which I was happy with. As I live in Sweden I had to plan pared to the main object. The my equipment carefully due to travelling by air. The recommen- next steps were to plan the still The two following days were as life on the paper and sketch it dation from the school was to encouraging as the first one with bring several sheets of Canson-Mi with charcoal, choose maximum more new challenges on the still thirteen pastel sticks, compare -Teintes pastel paper in grey life settings and I am sure, the 50cmx65cm, a board of carton of values, work dark to light and more you paint the more you finally accents and highlights. the same size, as a backing suplearn especially when you have a port for the easel, hard and soft good teacher. I was really so What I liked so much was the pastel sticks, charcoal and happy and enjoyed the course kneaded eraser, bristle brush and individual teaching method acvery much and it was also excitcording to the students ability some pastel pencils. When I ing, encouraging and pleasant to and requirements and the freebooked my ticket I checked the be together in real life with Clea dom of choice of still life subjects, and Marie-France. I was satisfied luggage allowance carefully. I realised that there was no way of which the teacher had arranged with all my five completed painttransporting these dimensions in so beautifully concerning colour ings and one half done, which I and composition. You worked at my case. No panic, I rolled the protected with glassine paper and your own pace, no stress at all. paper and put it in two carton rolled them up and put the whole tubes, which were adjusted to the lot into the cardboard tube for a My first painting was flowers. I right size one with bottom and safe journey back home. the other with lid. I put the same managed to do the charcoal amount of glassine paper to pro- sketch which was acceptable without any alterations tect the pastels on the return journey. It worked perfectly with- from the teacher and I out any damage whatsoever! For could go to the next step, the under painting the backing I bought two pieces of 50x70cm foam board cut them with broad and light in halves and taped two together pressured stokes using the pastel palette I had again on one side in order to be chosen. Some areas able to fold it neatly in my suitcould be blended with case. I put one half as an extra fingers if needed and support across the taped joint when I rigged up the backing and when I was finished Mme Roulleaux showed all my sheets of paper on the easel with clips. My box of pastels I carried as hand luggage with a note of contents on top in English, French, and Swedish.

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You are the boss!

... it is not the reference photo which makes the decisions. If you want to train yourself to make a photo into your own painting, it may be a good idea to use reference photos taken by other people. It is an advantage to not know the spot, as then you will not be tempted to paint reality as you know it to be. Your mind will not tell you but it looks just like that, precisely because it doesnt know how the place looks, it only knows what a photo shows. offset the warmer organic colours. There are a few problems to solve. The mass of the distant trees has a contour which follows the snowy bank under it, creating a too regular wavy shape like a banner (Picture 2, marked in green). The shoreThere are many ways of solving these issues. There is no one right way, instead, there are ways that work more or less well. There is a definite need to distribute the darks and lights in a way which makes use of the whole picture plane, but exactly how can vary a lot. Picture 4 shows how I happened to do it this time. I brought the darks to the top and bottom edge, and jazzed up the curves.

line is certainly a straight horizontal line, echoed by the bridge (marked in red). The whole composition of the photo places all the darker This photo is taken by Don Ketchek, and the scene is from masses equidistant from the top and bottom edges, giving a somewhere in the United sandwich effect of a dark band States of America. The photo one third wide, between two evoked memories from my light bands, each also a third childhood, when my mother and I used to ski in the woods wide. (Picture 3.) This is the and on the frozen lakes where I natural way of taking a photo, grew up. I decided to make a and we all have files full of painting from those ingredients pictures similar to this. All this the reference and the memo- can be changed by the artist. ries. (In the superimposed grid in pictures 3 and 4 the green lines The photo is well shot, and show the divisions in thirds, shows different planes and objects which are coherent and and the red line divisions in grouped. The bridge is a man- halves, including the diagomade object which is interest- nals.) ing. The water continues back beyond the bridge, creating depth and a sense of mystery what is around the bend? The scene is filled with light and there is little shadow, which works well as there are plenty of cool colours in the sky and snow to

Picture 5 shows how I did some work in the computer planning where and how to draw the lines and how to distribute the five main value masses that make up the basic flat abstract structure.

Normally I do this by hand, trying out different solutions, until I find one that is pleasing. As my drawing hand was injured, I used the computer this time to design what I call the skeleton, which is the structure that supports and makes

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the picture hold together as a whole as an abstract pattern. I got rid of all straight lines with the aim to let the lines dance over the paper. Even the bridge has a slight curve to it, with the peak of the curve placed at a distance of one third of the length of the bridge. I then drew the contours by hand on the pastel paper, and each value area has been given a number to remind me which tonal value goes where that is how important the values are to me. (Picture 6.)

tant to constantly check if the values are right, if the colours are as you want them to be, and if the lines and masses keep their integrity. Make changes as soon as you discover the need for them, because if something is wrong with the underlying structure, no amount of surface detail will be able to hide that. Problems did indeed pop up as I painted, in spite of about 4 hours of serious preparatory work designing the painting. That is fine, as we will learn more from mistakes or oversights than from an easy painting, and I know I cant think of absolutely everything in advance. The mass that represents the firs to the left suddenly stood out as having a too straight a base, so I lowered the tree closest to the edge (green arrow in picture 9). It worked fine, but then I discovered another problem which I had overlooked when planning the composition. The two opposite banks are too similar, and equal in length (marked red). Also, there were two similar shapes forming hints of individual trees in the background masses, which both were placed as bookends (marked blue). Together, these problems created a too obvious symmetry. One of the orange tree-shapes had to go, and I kept the one to the right, as it also works to add higher contrast for the small group of firs by my chosen area of interest. It is important to consciously search for

too symmetrical and identical repetitions of shapes, as our brains will tend to make them and guide our hands unconsciously. Deal with problems as soon as you discover them, that saves you a lot of trouble later in the process of painting.

I chose the solution to take out a bite out of the left bank, creating a shadowed hollow there, which only left a small part of it in direct light (picture 10). After that, all that was needed was to add the details and attend to the edges. I brought some of the warm oranges down into the snow as clumps of reeds, and lifted up some of the cool snow-colours into the trees, in order to create a greater unity in the painting. I kept the snow in the dark trees to a minimum, to avoid breaking up the masses, and decided to make the tree in the area of interest to serve as a bridge between the snow mass and the sky mass by giving it the most liberal dose of snow.

As this is a cool winter scene I decided it needed a really hot underpainting to infuse the scene with light and to help the cool colours sparkle. (Picture 7.) The underpainting was checked carefully with the help of a value stick, and corrections were added where needed. For example, I had to darken the reds of the firs (picture 8). When you want to keep the structural integrity, it is impor-

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terised version of the finished painting (picture 12) is a way to compare the intent with the result. They do correspond well enough for me to say mission accomplished.

The finished painting Winter Passage

Now it was time for a final check had the masses kept their integrity, was the structure still sound? The value plan (picture 11) and the pos-

Creative Bubbles news, December 2012 and January 2013

Watch out: what a joyous painting: or ordinary moments of life: merci the child on the saucer sled looks so Elisabeth! happy! The February challenge is Greens, Another way of travelling: what a you said Greens! Log in and enter colorful one! All those people follow- yours in the Competitions section of ing the movement of the bus on the the Forum, closing date 28th February. dangerous road, looking happy too though! What do those two sensitive paintings have in common? Elisabeth Blass from Sweden painted both, and so was the winner of both the December and January Creative Bubbles. And what else?...movement, color, expression, in both of them the painter shows us how to share special

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The Pastel Guild of Europe was founded in May 2009 when pastel artists from all over Europe perceived a need for a supportive organization, as pastellists are still rather few and scattered over many countries. Together we can educate artists and the general public, promote, and enjoy the versatile and permanent pastel medium, thus taking an active part in bringing the renaissance of pastel painting to Europe. Being a young society covering many countries, our activities are internet based, and we will grow to have the capacity of arranging exhibitions and workshops where members meet in person. At the present, we offer a monthly online challenge Get Dusty, special challenges, and the monthly newsletter The Pastel Scribbler.

We hope you enjoyed the Pastel Guild of Europe newsletter We are group of pastel artists around Europe who share the same vision of connection and friendships between artists across Europe, with the common goal to inform, enjoy and delight in the beautiful artist's medium of soft pastels, and to be a support and resource for artists and groups of artists. If you share same goals, you are invited to join our growing community.

www.pastelguild.com

Whats Happening in the PGE Forum? Join in the debate and get involved!
We have a new bi-monthly challenge/workshop called Focus. We're starting this regular thread by focusing on a special limited palette. Dorothe Rhler is hosting the thread. There are reference photos posted there to work from if you want. Come and join us in the Atelier! Show your best work of 2012 and see that of other members - in the Atelier.

Learn tips in the popular Animal painting thread

Share your masterpiece and get feedback from other artists great for learning! Debate the tricky business of sharpening pastel pencils without pulling your hair out!
There is a new Business and Marketing forum. Ask questions or offer answers there.

Talk about what's going on in your life in Small Talk chat with other likeminded artists- General forum

Copyright: The Pastel Scribbler, and/or the authors/artists/photographers. Please contact the Pastel Scribbler for permission.

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