Why Breaking Your Pastels in Half is a Good Idea

By PAH Member Jack Kinkelaar

I thought I would get back to my discussion of plein air set ups. Below is a picture of Mark Norseth’s setup that he used in our last pastel workshop. I think this is some version of a French easel. Unfortunately these wooden monoliths weigh in at 14 pounds empty. So add the weight of your pastels and other supplies and you might need a personal assistant to help carry your stuff into the field.

Mark's easel

I added a picture of Christine Ahia’s set up. Beautiful as this is, I’m posting it for a reason. You may get the idea about the difference between Christine’s set up and Helen’s set up (I didn’t post it to show off shoe styles). Look how little Helen’s pastels are. She has broken them in half and so she maximizes the amount of different colors that she can have in her pastel box. Christine’s are whole sticks and so she has less choice when out in the field. So if you want more color choices, be bold and break your pastels in half (or smaller). I think I’ve done enough of this for now.

Christine's easel

Helen's pastel box