Pastel Podcast Episode 13: Greg Barnes

Pastel Podcast Episode 13: Greg Barnes

Episode 13: Greg Barnes on Plein Air Painting, Pastel Mastery & Building a Full-Time Art Career What does it take to walk away from a stable career and build a full-time life as a painter? Greg Barnes did exactly that after 9/11—and hasn't looked back since. The Charlotte-based pastel and oil painter joins Kari and Lisa to share the journey, techniques, and philosophy behind his expressive, light-filled work. About Greg Barnes Greg Barnes has been a full-time painter since 2002, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Known for his impressionistic pastels and oils that capture the light, atmosphere, and feeling of being in a place, Greg has earned prestigious awards including Best in Show at Plein Air New Bern and the Irvine Museum Award at Maui Plein Air. In 2021, he was selected for the ArtPop Street Gallery, with his work displayed on billboards and airport screens across Charlotte—and somehow, on a restaurant wall in Miami too. In This Episode * From a Wake Forest fine arts degree to 15 years in commercial work—until 9/11 prompted a life-changing pivot * How portrait commissions led to pastel landscapes, art festivals across the country, and eventually plein air invitationals * Why Greg chose to master pastel first before adding oil (and the gallery realities that drove that decision) * His "order from chaos" teaching philosophy—and how he puts his intuitive process into words for students * The key lessons he absorbed from mentors Albert Handel and Scott Christiansen: emotional mark-making, design, and letting the leaves "dance" * How the plein air invitational world works: the difference between open events and invitation-only shows, and how word of mouth is everything * What a Quick Draw is and why it's one of the best ways to get noticed as an emerging plein air painter * Deciding between pastel and oil in the field—and why it's almost always an intuitive call Upcoming Workshops & Events * Tallapoosa School of Fine Arts, Alabama — back-to-back pastel workshops (late April) * Gloucester Plein Air, Gloucester, Virginia — June * Cashiers Plein Air, Cashiers, North Carolina — July * Wild Acres Pastel Workshop, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC — one week, all-inclusive, under $1,000 (spots still available) * Monhegan Island, Maine — August (informal paint-alongs; reach out if you'll be there) * Plein Air Down Under, Perth, Australia — later this year Find Greg Website & workshop info: barnstudios.com Also Mentioned * Lisa's pastel workshop with Rosemary & Co., Yorkshire, England — June [https://lisaskellyfineart.com] * IAPS (International Association of Pastel Societies) Convention — June [https://iapspastel.org] * Pastel Today newsletter — the go-to resource for all things pastel [https://iapspastel.org] The Pastel Podcast is hosted by Kari Stober and Lisa Skelly. New episodes monthly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit thepastelpodcast.com.

Pastel Podcast Episode 12: Liz Haywood-Sullivan

Welcome to our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY episode of The Pastel Podcast! 🎉 Today we sit down with the incredible Liz Haywood-Sullivan — New England landscape pastel artist, former president of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, and author of Painting Brilliant Skies and Water in Pastel. In this episode, Liz shares her journey from the design world to full-time fine art, why pastel painting became her lifelong medium, and how she narrowed her focus to pastel landscape painting to truly master her craft. We dive into her go-to pastel materials including Lux archival paper, Terry Ludwig pastels, Diane Townsend pastels, Unison pastels, and more. We also discuss plein air painting, color mixing, value studies, and what it takes to earn the highest honors in the pastel world. Whether you're a beginner learning how to paint with pastels, an experienced pastel artist looking for inspiration, or simply curious about pastel painting techniques, this episode is packed with insight you won't want to miss.

Pastel Podcast Episode 10: Brenda Boylan

In this episode of The Pastel Podcast, hosts Kari Stober and Lisa Skelly sit down with acclaimed pastel artist Brenda Boylan, known for her expressive figurative work, rich color palettes, and emotionally resonant paintings. 🎨✨ Brenda shares her artistic journey, from discovering pastel painting to developing a confident, intuitive studio practice rooted in observation, memory, and human connection. She talks about working from life versus reference photos, embracing imperfection, and allowing emotion to guide composition and mark-making. This conversation explores essential pastel painting techniques, including layering, color temperature, value control, and simplifying complex scenes. Brenda also discusses the role of drawing in pastel, the importance of daily practice, and how curiosity fuels long-term creative growth. Her insights into teaching, workshops, and staying creatively energized offer valuable guidance for artists at every stage. Whether you're a pastel artist, painter, or art lover researching pastel painting stories and inspiration, this episode delivers thoughtful advice, encouragement, and a deeper look into the creative process behind meaningful pastel artwork. 🎧 Subscribe at ThePastelPodcast.com for more artist interviews, pastel techniques, and inspiring conversations from today's leading pastel painters.

Pastel Podcast Episode 9: Alain Picard

In this episode of The Pastel Podcast, hosts Kari Stober and Lisa Skelly welcome internationally recognized pastel artist, educator, and mentor Alan Picard for a rich, inspiring conversation about the power of pastel painting. 🎨✨ Alan shares his remarkable journey from aspiring baseball player to full-time artist, revealing how drawing, oil painting, and art history shaped his expressive, painterly approach to soft pastels. Listeners will gain insight into his philosophy of mark making, abstraction within realism, and why pastel allows artists to draw and paint at the same time. This episode dives deep into pastel techniques, including underpainting with alcohol washes, working alla prima, creating vibrant color relationships, and the transformative 100-stroke challenge that helps artists loosen up and paint with confidence. Alan also discusses portrait commissions, landscape painting, teaching workshops, Terry Ludwig pastels, paper choices, and overcoming creative obstacles. Perfect for pastel artists, painters, plein air enthusiasts, and creatives seeking inspiration, this conversation is packed with practical advice, artistic wisdom, and encouragement to show up at the easel and create meaningful work. 🎧 Subscribe for more pastel artist interviews, painting techniques, and inspiring art stories. Hashtags: #PastelPodcast #AlanPicard #PastelPainting #PastelArtist #SoftPastels #ArtPodcast #PaintingInspiration #PastelTechniques #PainterlyStyle #LandscapePainting #PortraitPainting #ArtEducation #PastelCommunity #CreativeJourney #FineArtPodcast

Pastel Podcast Episode 8: Karen Margulis

Pastel Podcast Episode 8: Karen Margulis Karen Margulis began painting again in her 40s and quickly found her voice in pastel. Two decades later she is a Master Pastelist and an inspiring teacher who simplifies complex ideas into techniques any painter can adopt. Her work is known for bold color, expressive underpaintings, and a balance between delicate layers and confident strokes. From a one-day workshop to a daily practice A single pastel workshop changed Karen's direction. After trying watercolor briefly, she fell in love with the tactile immediacy of pastels. Pastel allowed her to paint in short bursts, clean up quickly, and get hands-on without the fuss of brushes and solvents. That accessibility helped make regular practice possible, even around family and other commitments. Why underpainting matters Underpainting or block in is central to Karen's process. She begins with the whole composition laid out, using value and sometimes color to establish a foundation. That big-picture approach prevents getting lost in detail too early and keeps the painting painterly and cohesive. When she discovered alcohol washes, the effect was transformational. An alcohol wash creates a wet underpainting that suggests shapes, values, and unexpected drips to respond to. For Karen it removed the intimidation of a white surface and gave an immediate, engaging base to paint on. Practical approach to underpaintings * Start with a value-based block in so the composition reads at a glance. * Use a deliberate, expressive brush hand when making the underpainting; think of it as a creative layer, not just primer. * Experiment with color choices. There is no single correct underpainting color; different choices yield different moods and depths. Texture: how to get physical depth with pastel Pastel does not naturally give the thick impasto of oils, so Karen uses what is underneath to create texture. Clear gesso adds grit and a sanded surface, perfect when you want physical texture for grasses and rough foregrounds. When painting outdoors, she pares down her kit and adapts materials to the scene at hand. Tools Karen relies on * Clear gesso for added tooth and texture * Bamboo skewers (for scraping, carving, and making thicker marks) * Palette knife for applying gesso or scraping back * Pipe insulation for fast, soft block ins Whispering versus shouting: the right touch Karen talks about mark making as whispering or shouting. Whispering means a light, feathered touch that leaves layers visible for optical blending. Shouting is pressing hard for a final, bold stroke. Both have their place, but the order matters. Whisper long, then shout when you need clarity and emphasis. "The light touch is the right touch." Her rule of thumb is simple: if you can still see the color or paper underneath, you are whispering. If the mark becomes a solid, opaque layer that hides everything beneath, you have shouted. Whispering creates options and helps avoid muddy neutrals. Optical blending and avoiding mud Optical blending happens when the eye combines colors placed next to or on top of each other rather than physically mixing them together. Use a light touch and build layers so pigments vibrate together. Pressing too hard blends physically and can neutralize color into mud. How to practice optical blending 1. Lay down two or three light layers of closely related colors without pressing hard. 2. Step back and let your eye mix the colors from a small distance. 3. Reserve strong, opaque strokes for accents that anchor the composition. To blend or not to blend Blending has a place. Karen blends when she wants calm skies or softer transitions, but she blends sparingly and with a light touch. Using fingertips or gentle tools only, she knits layers without flattening pigment luminosity. Pipe insulation makes an excellent fast blender for initial block ins. Karen uses it for the first layer to quickly push everything out of focus when plein air painting. After multiple layers, however, she sets the tool aside because aggressive blending at that stage tends to muddy the surface. Plein air packing: less is more For location work Karen pared down her kit to a compact pochade box and a focused selection of sticks. Her approach when packing for plein air: * Think value range first: colorful darks, colorful lights, and middle values. * Bring neutrals and a few vibrant accents rather than trying to bring every color. * Tweak the selection for the scene. More greens for mountains, more ochres for deserts. If the value is right you can often make color choices work. Carry fewer sticks and rely on layering and optical mixing to expand your palette on the paper. Surfaces and papers: match the paper to the job Different papers behave differently. Sandy papers take many layers and can accept wet underpaintings. Smooth papers need different approaches. Karen recommends giving a new paper more than one trial; explore different techniques before discarding it. Some practical guidance: * Use sanded or gritty surfaces for heavy layering and texture. * Try clear gesso on smoother sheets when you want to add tooth and brushwork texture. * Test specialty papers, such as iridescent or lightly colored sheets, for one or two paintings to discover their strengths. Teaching, community, and a practice that sticks Karen believes teaching and making go hand in hand. She often chooses lesson topics that match what she wants to explore personally, so the work stays fun and meaningful. Sharing discoveries with other artists helps deepen understanding and keeps practice consistent. Her single best tip for progress is also the simplest: paint often. Even short, timed pieces force decision making and improve skill faster than waiting for the perfect long session. "Paint as often as you can. Set a timer for 20 minutes and just put pastel to paper." Quick practice checklist * Set a daily or weekly small-painting goal, even 20 minutes. * Start each piece with a whole-surface underpainting or block in. * Keep a light touch for layers and save strong strokes for final emphasis. * Experiment with one new paper, tool, or texture method each month. * Pack a pared-down plein air kit focused on values rather than every hue. Final thoughts Pastel painting is equal parts intuition and craft. Develop a reliable underpainting habit, learn the difference between whispering and shouting marks, and make practice non negotiable. Over time those tiny choices add up into bold, luminous work that reads with clarity and heart. Make a mark, leave a little dust, and enjoy the process of discovering how many voices pastels can have. Related Links from this episode of the Pastel Podcast: * Karen's Website [https://karenmargulis.com/] * Dakota Pastels [https://www.dakotapastels.com/] * International Association of Pastel Societies [https://iapspastel.org/] * Pastel Live Online Conference [https://www.pastellive.com/] * Pastel Today free e-newsletter [https://pasteltoday.com/newsletter/]