As I write this I am flying over South Carolina.
I am heading back to Texas for another workshop. I have another opportunity to take a handful of artists and have them forever changed in their mindset about the amazing, dusty medium of pastel. I love shaking up everything they know about my beloved sticks.Ā
So what to pack?Ā I always struggle with packaging clothes-Ā I am not a fashionista…so figuring out what clothes to take is not easy for me.Ā
But all my pastel gear? Piece of cake.Ā I have a large Heilman box which I line up by power-Ā not value, not by brands and definitely never by hue. And I keep them dusty. No sense cleaning them.Ā Truly.Ā If I use a stick, Iāll clean it off as I go. I never saw the reason to spend so much time and attention on having perfectly clean sticks. Vacuuming them,Ā cornmeal, etcā¦.I feel it is a waste of time. Iād rather be painting.
So one box of pastels- check.Ā Microfiber cloth- check. Bunch of pastel pencils- check. An exacto blade and my favorite surface-Ā Sennelier LaCarte. Yup. The good stuff. Check and check.
And thatās it!Ā I think attendees are always amazed that I can pack so little. Well, I donāt need much. Most pastelists really don’t need much either.Ā We may want all the colors and all the brands…but we don’t really need them.Ā Ā
I will be bringing my “Power of Pastel” workshop to more places next year- New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and my home turf of South Carolina.Ā And of course, more workshops online.Ā Ā
But right now I gotta go…more pastelists to convert!Ā
Have a wonderful workshop!! I know they will love you like we did !!!!!
Thanks! Texas has been good to me! š
So excited for your lucky Austin area āPower of Pastelā workshop attendees! It was a joy to learn from you in October in Grapevine. Totally changed my outlook on the medium. Iām glad I took a photo of your travel boxā¦magical! I understood it better as a result of your teaching. Hereās wishing you lots of fun in central Texas!
Yay! I am gaining many followers!
You said you pack your pastels by power. What does that mean?
Yeah. Kind of hard to explain. I have rankings for the power of the sticks. I go by that. Never by color. It doesn’t help with painting. Truly. Colors appear to change depending on what is surrounding that color. Its called color sensitivity. Or some call it simultaneous contrast. So, laying them out by color does nothing to tell you how a color will shift (even the value can appear to change)
Love your stories and will be watching for when you come to Pennsylvania.
Next August! Ill be at Sweetwater for a master series workshop again.
Please tell me when and where in New Hampshire.
Its Oct 17-20 of 2024. Not sure venue. Signing contract now with New Hampshire Pastel Society. Watch for it on my site soon.
BTW, look at Rock Stevesās packing videos on YouTube. Iāve gone to Italy for two weeks, with painting supplies and caricature set up including chairs and easel. One suitcase..! Clothes: pack in layers-small short sleeve top(s), long sleeves, etc. Security has pulled me from lines because weird looking paint boxes etc on radar. It aināt rocket science. Most people overpack, myself included until I did research. Have fun!
Will do! You sound like a proā¦š
Loved your Power of Pastel Workshop here in Pittsburgh. It was so freeing!
Amen!!!
From a former and also current convert, Congratulations.
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Do you check your luggage with pastels in your bag, or do you travel with them as carry-ons?
I do carry-on. I am always afraid they will rip apart my suitcase thinking im smuggling bullets in my bag since most pastels show up as black on a screening!