My specialty

Generally, my medium of choice is either soft pastels or oils. Today's post will be all about pastels. Can you stand how beautiful?

This set, Sennelier's Paris demi-stick set, was a wonderful gift for my 40th birthday.
Hurray for the colorific gorgeousness!

The two mediums lend themselves to similar painting styles and yet the end feeling is much different. I tend to switch from one medium to the other but not interchangeably.

Three paintings I had just finished displayed in the
wayback of our small SUV along with my petite purse.

I work wholly in pastel until I feel frustrated by the process and result and then I switch to oils exclusively. This is very 'me' as I'm pretty all-or-nothing in just about everything.

©Kim Morin Weineck, Nightfall, original pastel, 20x9" 2010
I completed this pastel combining memory and a photograph
I took whilst Tim was driving en route to a short Maine trip.
The moon was more than memorable that night.

Lately I'm in a nearly-exclusive pastel painting mode of thinking because of time. Pastel paintings can work up quickly and with Lucy and Pippa underfoot, time is a major factor. If I have a moment to paint, I'd rather harness the early excitement of creating to make a completed or nearly-completed pastel instead of starting on an oil.

When this set of Terry Ludwig's Ultramarine Blues arrived ,
I couldn't wait to try them out. They didn't disappoint.

When I'm feeling blocked creatively, there are two cures that tend to work for me: New supplies (!) and organizing/cleaning/just sitting in my studio space. Getting new supplies is obviously more fun.

After an FAA demonstration with Liz Haywood-Sullivan and a successful show
last OctoberI bought these Giraults. You'll see the small 5x7" piece
I created on site right after opening them up!

When it comes to creative confidence, I think my pastels are my strongest artistic suit but my husband prefers my oils. Recently I was juried into the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. It was stressful to apply but confidence-building to be accepted.

©Kim Morin Weineck, Yellow Marsh Grass, original pastel, 5x5" 2011
A recent pastel, photographed in my basement studio, of the yellow grasses of a salt marsh.
This painting made me pretty happy because of the depth in the yellows.

When it comes to subject matter, my specialty right now is the landscape and more precisely - marshes. I love them and I love to be in them. With the coming of spring and summer, I am excited to branch out and see what I'll be adding to my portfolio.

Thanks for reading!
kmw