Pastels are pure pigment, taken from the stones of the earth. One of the oldest of all media, pure pigment paintings have been found on the walls of caves in Altamira, Spain and Lascaux, France. "The Best of Pastels" is a wonderful collection of more than two hundred works of art created by masters in the medium of pastel. Juried by award-winning pastel artists Constance Flavell Pratt and Janet Monafo, with an introduction by Flora B. Giffuni, founder of the Pastel Society of America, this is an essential volume for all who are fascinated by the beautiful medium of pastel.
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction; Dear Pastel Enthusiasts, Welcome to the Renaissance of Pastels. Before I delve into the little-known history of our medium, let me describe what pastels are and what they are not! Pastels have been misnamed chalks - limestone treated with colored dye - and crayons - those waxy colored sticks our children play with: Real pastels, however, are pure pigment; obtained from the stones in the earth and ground into powered form. The difference between pastels, oil paints, watercolor paints, and gouache or tempera media, is the binder. Methyl cellulose is used, instead of the oil, gum arabic or egg binders used in the others. This liquid is mixed with the powder, to form a paste; thus, the word "pastel" is related to the French word "pastiche". The paste is rolled into short sticks and allowed to dry. The pastels are then applied to any ground with a "tooth"-paper, cardboard, canvas, cloth, or on masonite.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful grouping of contemporary pastelists,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Best of Pastel (v. 1) (Hardcover)
This is a richly illustrated book of some of the best contemporary pastelists working today. The introduction by Flora Giffuni (founder of the Pastel Society of America) re-affirms for the reader that pastel is, indeed, a glorious medium, as do the many fine examples illustrated throughout the book. The full color reproductions are of very good quality, nicely demonstrating the vivacious qualities of this fabulous yet often misunderstood medium. Each reproduction is accompanied by the title and dimensions of the work, the artist's name, and the support used. Future editions would benefit from artists' statements (as is the case in "The best of Pastel 2"), as well as the types of pastels used by each individual artist. One minor criticism is that there are often four reproductions to a spread, which of course can distract from each individual piece (the 2nd edition eliminates that problem by placing one image to a page). The directory of artists in the back of the book is also a nice addition. This book is highly recommended to both the devout pastelist and those who are unfamiliar with the medium.
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