This is a view from a September Backpacking trip with my husband he hunts and I take photos, paint, and hike. We walked to this part of the Medow and split I sat before my long loop back to camp to watch the sun come up hoping for curious critters to cross the field . I loved finishing the frame and matt for complimenting the art.

I started pastel as something to grow into, and as a possible way to downsize my art world for a more relaxed lifestyle as some of my work can be somewhat physically straining and time-consuming.
I thought it would help me with color and cause me to spend some more time journaling and creating. I found so much more than expected in soft pastel:
A total release
A helping hand in time management
A good flow of new ideas and improvement of older ones
I found myself playing with soft pastels because I could pick up a stick of color, make a swatch, put it down, and go back to the grind on other things. The medium became a time saver for me and a starting point for my multi-layered mixed media work done out of upcycled building materials. I like to continue the upcycled discipline in the framing of the pastel works where I can. I love to play with layers of leftover paint and stains to bring the frame to fit the painting.
Those of you who know me know that I have a fascination with abstract writing. I love playing with this in soft pastels, which led to my experimenting with cognitive therapy. I start this process by writing out the negative thoughts I am having with pastel; I smear them into the background, then I layer words of positive thinking on the top as my mark-making to create the Image.