Olives With a Jar

Only two more pieces to go for my goal of fifteen in this series of food still life pastels.  I tried to once again push myself into using a warmer palette for this piece.  I naturally reach for cool colors when I start to work and I want to experiment with other color schemes. 

I find the digital images of pastels are a poor substitute for the actual pieces.  Pastels are pure pigment and have rich colors enhanced by the crystal-like nature of the medium.  If you look at soft pastel under a microscope, it looks like tiny little crystal shards and those facets of color tend to reflect light and sparkle.  I have never found a giclee print that looks as lively and vibrant as an original pastel since a print can't capture and reflect light like the true medium.  Pastels are also colorfast since they are pure pigment with a minimal amount of binder added.  Pastels will hold their color for centuries and not fade, dull or get cloudy like oils.

This is a 6" x 8" pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes Paper