What do you do when you discover the perfect art supply that really motivates you, but that material is really expensive? You try to find a cheaper alternative, of course! And that alternative may be homemade.
A couple of years ago I took my very first pastel workshop. At the end we were given a hand out which seemed somewhat pointless and difficult to me. It was just a list to fill out with the heading of “things I like” or something similar. I tried to think of some things to put on the list, but eventually it was stacked away with other reference material.
Recently, however, I’ve been discovering the wisdom of that list, and some things I can now add to it.
For instance, I could add “a love for painting flowers”. I could also add the brand name of a certain type of pastel board which is quite pricey. I discovered somewhat by accident that painting on that surface results in a lot of joy and successful paintings for me.
As usual, I have a champagne taste, but a beer budget. ? ?
I had tried making my own pastel surface in the past, but gave it up for a time. Now I’m ready to do so again in search of a way to afford what inspires and motivates me.
So for this painting I began again to experiment with my own recipe for a pastel ground. I’m happy to report that it worked, though I plan to try again soon with a bit less texture.
Lavender is close to my heart, and I hope someday soon to travel to France and see, smell, feel, and paint the lavender in bloom in Provence.