‘Preparing Various Surfaces For Pastel’ by Tricia Reust

At our September Gold Coast meeting,Tricia Reust shared her inspiring approaches to giving new life to used, damaged, or unfinished works on paper. She demonstrated a wide range of methods using water, gesso, pastel primer, binder medium, brushes, sponges, and collage techniques. Tricia’s session covered:

· Washing down old pastels with water, adjusting the method depending on whether the paper is light or heavy.

· Mixing water with pastel already on the paper (or adding pastel to the water) to create a fresh surface that, once dry, remains stable.

· Using gesso with a sponge to prepare new surfaces.

· Applying pastel primer selectively or across the entire work, including to add texture.

· Building texture with gesso, tissue paper, and a palette knife.

· Introducing collage elements to cover or enrich areas of a work.

· Experimenting with texture mediums, including pressing them through everyday items like plastic doilies.

Members left inspired and ready to experiment with new ways of reworking and transforming their own artworks.