Wendy Koehrsen Blogs

The “All TX All Pastels!” 2024 Texas State Juried Pastel Exhibition mission is to inspire artists, enhance public appreciation for the lasting value and beauty of the medium of soft pastels, and further establish Texas as a viable cultural market... 

You never know what to expect when you submit to a national juried show. The first bit of good news was that I was accepted! Then I had to figure out if we ship or drive it the 4 hours away. I was also not sure of the exact date of moving, so we d... 

We came across the remnants of a blue barn on Page Road in Morrisville, NC. Near the barn was a cemetery for the Page family (dated roughly 1822-1923) on the north side of the intersection of Page Road and Crown Parkway. There were two large uprigh... 

I remember taking a polaroid photograph and always wanting to draw the scene. The background had to change to make it modern. Who has pink and red shag carpet? Really. Little sister sitting in the background at the kitchen table had to stay. Tha... 

I purchased Girault and Henri Roche soft pastels! Girault Soft Pastels have been produced by French craftsmen since 1780. The first Girault artist created 526 colors. The company and handmaking process has been handed down through generations. A... 

Do you wonder what you should do with those old polaroid photos? What about creating an original piece of artwork? Our family had a great dog when we were kids. Today we would call it a rescue dog because that was what she was. She survived man... 

What makes a great wedding gift? Artwork of course! The hunt to get a source picture proved to be a bit of a challenge. The trusty nephew forgot to snap a photo. Really? The owners texted photos showing their new prize possession, a 100-year-old... 

My pastel painting, Behind Market, was juried into Art in the Atrium 24. The curator exclaimed that he loved the dark colors used in the painting. (How nice to hear!) The subject matter is based on a work trip to Bangalore India a few years back... 

I inherited some pastels. Legend has it, they were made by Reveau Mott Bassett, a Texas artist (1897-1981). Reaugh created color pastel sticks around 1937 without oil and sold sets for $5 each, using the same crinoline iron as Frank Reaugh to press... 

Here are some lessons learned chairing a national pastel art exhibition and personal experience in shipping artwork. What things do you need to consider when shipping artwork? First, determine if you will send it framed or unframed. How will it be... 

A big debate for soft pastel artists, do you use fixative? Let’s explore this subject. What? Fixative is used to help bind the pastel to the paper. This fixative is sprayed over the pastel on the paper. Remember to use fixatives sparingly a... 

What is an underpainting? In terms of soft pastel artwork, this is when the artist applies a wet application. Once the paper is dry, you apply pastel to complete the painting. Not every pastel artist or pastel painting will have this. The first t... 

Artists that want their work to last, use archival grade paper. This is a paper that won’t fade, is acid-free, and lignin-free. There are so many to choose from, a common question that I am asked, is what paper do you use for pastels? Paper th...