The tip is simple. Save your soft pastel dust and little bits of pastel that are too small to handle! You can make a beautiful pastel stick out of it. Do you see all of this dust on my easel after I have finished a painting?

I brush it into one of three Ziploc bags. One bag has dust of cool colors (blues, purples) and one has warm colors (reds, yellows). Since I do a lot landscapes I often have a lot of greens. That is my third bag. I can also put little bits or remnants of pastels in the appropriate bag. The brand of pastel does not matter. When I have collected enough pastel, I make sure the air is out of the bag and that it is tightly sealed. Then I use a rolling pin to crush the bits into a fine dust. Or you can use a mortar and pestle if you have one.

Then pour the dust onto a paper plate. Slowly add distilled water and mix it thoroughly with a palette knife. The pastel should be moist and stiff. Adding too much water makes the mixture too thin to form into a stick. Since I like rectangular sticks, I use two popsicle or craft sticks as a mold. I swipe the palette knife along the top of the two sticks for smooth edges.

To separate the sticks from the wet pastel paste, spray the palette knife with water and slide in between the stick and the pastel. That will release the stick and leave a fairly smooth edge. This is what you have. Let it dry thoroughly!

When it is dry, I use an Xacto knife to cut it into useful sizes. If I want smoother edges, I can sand the sides with fine sandpaper.

Now I have three sticks that are a very natural green. I have found that the sticks I make like this are useful grayed colors. They have been particularly useful in plein air painting. Also, think of the money you saved.

For those of you who like rounded sticks, I'm told you can roll the paste. If anyone has any suggestions to improve this process, please comment.

Sue and Suzy, the artist with a split personality

www.sueflanagan.com

Here I am at an art fair. I don't do this very often but I want to support the Center, the place where I teach pastel classes (www.thecenterpalos.org). There is no breeze and I am in full sun. I am wilting and this heat and humidity is not good for pastels. I move the table back about 10 feet into the shade by the log cabin. Now, no one notices me. I'm invisible. However, I am comfortable.

Sales are dismal which is what I expected from previous years. I look at this as an opportunity to promote my classes. I'm getting compliments, fortunately, no haters. I welcome the opportunity to educate people on the pastel medium since it is so much fun and very forgiving.

Next to me is a woman selling plants in pots that she made. There is a lot of interest in this craft as there was last year for the woman selling fairy gardens. Over 2 hours yet to go. I brought small, economical paintings. Here is one called, The Natural Tunnel.

Now someone asks me the expected dreaded question. "How long did it take you to do that painting?" I'm always cautious in the way I answer this question. I know that if I give her the easel time, she is calculating my hourly rate. She is then wondering how I dare charge that much. Unless a customer is a small business owner, he/she won't understand. Much more goes into the art than easel time: my education, office and studio supplies, travel expenses, advertising, framing materials, the art that doesn't sell, etc. So, I tell her it took me 15 years since that is how long I have seriously pursued my art. She probably thinks I'm nuts and moves on. At least she was polite.

I'm in the blazing sun again so I move back to my original position that is now in the shade. At least I am near the musicians for plenty of entertainment. They appreciate my applause. Time for a snack but the cookies and vegetables are gone. I'm glad I brought some crackers.

Lotions, plants and pottery are selling from other vendors. I bet jewelry is selling as well. Fine art cannot compete in shows that are more craft. One woman gives me hope for a commission until she hears how much it might cost her for a large painting. A few others did ask about my workshops and classes, more compliments. One man spends a lot of time talking about his vacations. I think I need to go to Canada next year.

Time is up. Since I kept it simple, it is easy to pack up and go home. My artist friend and I share our frustration in private. Then I go home and make more art. I will keep creating art because it is good for my soul. It gives me joy. How many people in this world can say that their work is play and it gives them joy?!

Peace to you,

Sue and Suzy, the artist with the split personality

www.sueflanagan.com

In my training as a physical therapist, I was educated in brain function. Recently I was reviewing new information on the topic of learning. I immediately saw the connection between learning and my plein air painting experience. Here is a recent photo of my plein air experience, my set up, block in and finished painting on the easel.

When we learn something new, it is put into our short term memory where it is processed with other information and then sent to long term memory where it is compared to existing memories. There is not always a complete transfer of information. Our memory is often incomplete. However, neural pathways are strengthened by repetition and recency. In that way you have better recall of a memory. So the old adage, "practice makes perfect" is proven scientifically.

The brain forms a memory by receiving information from many sensory inputs. The more sensory information, the stronger the memory. This includes emotions. If you have an emotional reaction this strengthens a memory.

Our brains focus on new and unusual information. If new information contradicts old memories, the brain works hard to reconcile the difference. It will keep the newer information if it is useful and then it becomes a new memory. If the new information is not relevant to us, we will ignore it and forget it.

So, how does this apply to plein air painting? All of my senses are engaged and there is frequently an emotional response to plein air painting. When I spend about two hours totally engaged in a painting outdoors, I remember the total experience. It is different than painting from a photograph.

Of course, the visual interest comes first. In this case it was the light glowing through the trees and a flowering bush reflected in the water.  I can tell you the temperature was in the mid 60s. I can still feel the slight breeze on my arms. The color of light was cool and it was partly cloudy. The most notable sound was of frogs making a sound that resembled a twang from a string instrument. I had a difficult time finding them in the numerous lily pads and other vegetation which produced a strong, earthy odor. Overall the air was clean and refreshing. Occasionally, I heard people walking and talking as well as the sound of many birds. Sometimes I stopped because the sound of the running water changed and I wondered if there was other wildlife like a snake.

I answered my phone and had a conversation with one of my sons as I continued to paint. I remember the details and mixed emotions that I felt but in the end I was at peace. The surrounding beauty and quiet put me at ease. I learned a lesson in values this day. Even though the distant trees appeared dark, I had to make them lighter and cooler to let them recede. I was also careful with cropping to make a good composition.

Now, to strengthen those neural pathways, I need repetition. That is not difficult. I love to paint outdoors and I have been to this location several times. I see more visits in the future. In fact, the next day I painted the same scene with a different focus. One painting was about the glow in the trees and the other was about the color in the flowering bush.

So, go outdoors and create some powerful memories and beautiful paintings!

Sue and Suzy

www.sueflanagan.com