About
the blog for soft pastel art lovers
Inspired by my love of pastels and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about them the How to Pastel Blog has tips & tricks, reviews, step-by-step progressions, guest bloggers, and a great community on Facebook.
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A bit about me
I am very lucky to have been born and brought up in Jamaica, a land of beauty and complexity, of warmth and coolness, of vibrancy and tension. Many say that my Caribbean upbringing influenced my palette and I think they may be right. I do know that it shaped my worldview. Check out these sites to learn more about me and my work.
My Art Practice
Gail Sibley
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Art School
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Peninsula Gallery
Visit NowMost Recent Edition
Friday, 4 September 2026
4 Comments
A Pondering Chair may not seem like an essential piece of studio equipment, but it can change the way you look at your work. A place to sit, step back, and simply ponder can help you see more clearly, slow down, and resist the urge to keep fixing.
More Editions...
Seeing Art In The Real vs Online – Does It Matter?
Friday, 18 August 2023
Gail shows you the difference between seeing an Edgar Degas painting online and seeing it in person!
Heather Laws – The Commissioned Animal Portrait
Friday, 16 October 2020
Animal portraits. Every now and again I get a request for information on how to paint animal portraits. In these cases, it’s best to go to the experts…like Heather Laws. A few years ago, I was taken by one of her cat portraits and featured it in one of my monthly round-ups. You can see
Lack Of Colour Choices Will Get Your Creativity Flowing
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
If all you have is a limited palette, a lack of colour choices can stop you from painting some subjects. I’m here to persuade you to take up the creativity challenge with the pastels you have available – you may be surprised! Take today’s demo – a box of tissues as its subject. It’s a
A Portrait by Laura Anning Bell in Tate Britain
Friday, 29 March 2024
We dive deep into the details of this portrait by artist Laura Anning Bell. Located in Tate Britain, it’s believed to be a depiction of Annie Horniman, a pioneer of the repertory theatre.
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Michael Freeman On Surviving the Competitions Rollercoaster
Entering art competitions can be exciting, daunting, and deeply personal. In this guest post, Michael Freeman shares thoughtful, experience-based insights into navigating the competitions landscape — from deciding whether competitions are right for you, to improving your chances of acceptance, and handling disappointment when things don’t go your way. Grounded, honest, and practical, his reflections help artists approach competitions with clarity, resilience, and a stronger sense of self.
A Painting of Mother and Son with Miró (Gallery Goers Series)
A painting of mother and son in front of a Miró painting from Gail’s gallery goer series. Gail takes you through its creation step by step.
Steph Mouw – Flower Power!
A bouquet of flowers – they lift us up and bring us joy. Which was one of the reasons I was
Why Is It So Hard to Start Painting?
You want to paint. You mean to paint. And yet somehow you still do not get into the studio. So what’s really going on?
Painting A Bouquet Of Flowers – A Very Special Bouquet!
Saturday, 24 August 2019
Making Abstract Art – One Way To Do This
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Painting Beyond The Colours You See
Friday, 11 October 2019
Using Charcoal with Soft Pastels – A Surprising Solution
Friday, 11 April 2025
How To Choose Different Value Options For Thumbnails
Friday, 31 May 2024
How To Deal With The Foreground In A Painting
Friday, 2 October 2020
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6 thoughts on “About”
Gail! Just got turned on to your website by a fellow artist from Wellington, Ontario… both of us former presidents of the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada. I work primarily in pastel and it will always be my medium of choice! I could never give them up! Being a landscape artist for years, I would now like to change things up a bit and try abstract. I was inspired by your article about the progression of your abstract painting…it’s given me the courage to take that (for me) giant leap and go ahead with an image I’ve had in my mind for a long time. Thank you! I look forward to future e-mails! Your’s is one of the best Pastel websites I’ve come across. Look forward to receiving your emails.
Kathryn
Thank you for writing Kathryn, and for your enthusiasm! It comes over loud and clear 🙂 I am wondering which article on abstraction you are referring to. Perhaps you can add a comment directly on the blog? Good luck with your leap. I know how difficult it is to make. It’s ongoing risk-taking that’s for sure! Please let me know how it goes.
Look forward to hearing more from you
I just read your article in the April issue of “Pastel Journal”. Thank you so much. I felt as if you were speaking directly to me. I am going to tear it out and tape it to my studio wall.
Marcia
Marcia, that’s the best reward a writer/artist could hear!! Thank you for letting me know. (As yet, I still haven’t received my copy!)
Hi Gail. I’m really excited and pleased to have discovered your website. I live in southern Australia and I started painting with pastels a few years ago (self taught) , but went a bit stale after doing a couple of workshops- mostly because the pastel artists here who I came across seem to be very conventional and felt that I wasn’t learning much. I’ve been working in oils since and enjoyed it- as I’ve realised, it’s similar in many ways. You showcase so many exciting works – use of colour, composition etc. , and your quick tips are helping me rethink how to approach my work. Looking forward to hearing more about your workshop in Tasmania, or perhaps one in Europe in a couple of years’ time.
Hi Judi,
Thanks for writing such a lovely introduction to yourself and your work. Certainly oils are similar to pastels in the way one builds a painting. Interesting that! I’m glad though that my blog may bring you back to the pastel side 😀 Even if not, so much of what’s here can be applied to the other media available for painting.
I look forward to having you in one of my workshops whether in Tasmania or Europe!!