Nancy enjoys demonstrating the soft pastels that make her work so unique.

Nancy explains that the soft pastels are made of a dry pigment with no oil, mixed with a binder.  The key to pastels is the layering of color.

Nancy shows the difference between paper.  She uses Wallis, an American made sandpaper that is impervious to water.  She often adds water to the paper once she has added color to change the effect.

Other paper used for pastels are Sabretooth by Holbein or Canson Mi Tientes, a paper she recommends to her beginners, which is available in 50+ colors. This paper has a different texture on each side, one smoother to enable an easier blend but can only be used dry.

Bernadine LaFayette, an artist at the show, listens to Nancy discussing pencils versus pastel sticks.

The pastel pencils are used for detail and can be blended when needed.

The beauty of pastels is its denseness.  More color is added to create the richness and density needed. 

Each type of pastel has a different application.

The tooth of the paper holds its color. Nancy also uses Hahnemuhle Velour to create a soft look. The paper is chosen according to the project.

A spray fixative such as Fixatif Lascaux is used when the color starts to fly off too much, especially when using a paper like the velour.

Nancy will add a rolled hand-made paper to develop a more organic feel to the work. 

Here she uses a large brush to blend in some of the color.

When using pastels, the color is layered from dark to light.  Pastels are a very flexible medium and can be ground to use as a more intense color and can be used in a monoprint.