Potomac Gorge, unfinished work about 36 x40 pastel and oil on marble dust boardMy saviors are pastels, of course. I have been researching for a pastel for my bigger works. Normally I prefer Giraults, Unisons and Terry Ludwig, but for big works I want to cover more ground faster. I do it first with paint and then the surface eats up my first layer of pastel quickly. I thought maybe La Grande from Sennelier. But my experience with Sennelier is, great color,but crumbly. I love Diane Townsends so I decided to try her terrages. I bought a small collection of neutrals from Dakota Pastel.
SO the jury is in! I love them. I want them all! The terrages work great on my marble dust board. They can keep their line and layer like crazy. Anyone else try them? What do you think?
Today is a very icy day here so I am in the studio all day. I am just hoping the power stays.
11 comments:
Wow, what gorgeous paintings!! These are large...are they destined for a specific show or market? I've read those Terrages described as "opening up the tooth"...which always sounded to me like "gritty" and "ripping up your paper." Are they actually nice?
Jala, I love the terrages! So far I have used them on marble dust board and they are wonderful. The board I make is abusive to pastels, the terrages take the abuse. I will experiment next on Uart paper and let you know.
As for the paintings.. I have been working on grand landscapes in grand proportions...maybe they will go in a show, maybe not. It depends if I can get a cohesive group that I like.
Till next time, Loriann
Hi Loriann
This is an exciting piece. I would not know were to start with pastels.
Thank you for showing this.
Regards
Hi Lorianne,
Terrages? I've seen the ads, but was turned off by the gritty description. Because of your confessions, I just may have to jump in too!
Brenda, Let me know what you think, ok? Loriann
Looking forward to your verdict about how Terrages perform on paper, thanks for the info and I'm loving your work. How do you store your pastels before framing? I had put some stuff in a stack with some of that non-friction paper (forgot what it's called at this moment) on top of each one, but I felt like even that slight pressure was enough to "crush" some of the lovely pastel granules and make it look duller. So now they're all over the studio just propped up wherever I can find room, and taking over my studio like Tribbles! I need to find a new way to store them!
Good question Jala. And the answer is ...it depends. Marble dust boards and anything big have glassine over them and are stored vertically. My Uart paper daily paintings and stored in one of 3 ways. First, if it one I will work from it is taped to the walls around my studio (right now there are about 25). This way I can "live with them" and brew ideas. If it is a painting to show collectors when they visit it is presented as a 4 panel taped with black tape to a black mounting board. It is very easy to remove and allow buyers to see many that go together. Then there's the "storage" That is labeled tracing paper pads that I slide small paper paintings into. Not a science, but it works. I go through my works once a year. Some that I no longer like are moved to the TC (trash can).I refuse to keep anything that I would not hang on my wall. Paintings have to really stand the test of time. What do you do?
Happy painting and storing,
Loriann
Hi Loriann- Thanks for the idea of pinning up paintings all around and living with them. For some reason I seem to forget that possibility, and instead I tend to try to just prop them up on shelves and stuff. Sticking them to walls may save me some space. :)
Still waiting for your verdict about Terrages on paper. :)
Jala, So here it is.... terrages on paper.....I have used them twice on paper, once in the studio and once en plein air. I love the feel but they are a bit big for small works. BIG (3 feet plus) is their best domain. I think I will investigate her thin line collection. If I remember right they are the same substance as the terrages, just thinner. I must say I love the extra grit they leave on the paper, more chews to the bite. (did I say that?)It's like a good popcorn session .
Like a good popcorn session...hahahaha....thanks. Someday I look forward to trying more pastel brands. maybe sometime I'll get one of the Dakota samplers.
Jala, It's funny I tried to explain to my husband why that might be funny. Maybe order one the the DT thin line sets. I just ordered the plein air. It's made special for Dakota. Terrage thin:-) More on that later.-Loriann
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