Since my first artistic endeavours in watercolour I have returned to the world of pastel from my art school days and have embraced it wholeheartedly. Although I enjoy painting in watercolour, I love how pastel sticks feel in my hand. Simply put, I have always enjoyed drawing. My formal art studies were based in charcoal, so pastel gives me the best of both worlds. I can paint and enjoy the experience of drawing and sketching. It is incredibly wonderful to make marks with pure pigment. Although I have not abandoned my love of watercolour. First I begin with a sketch of my composition on my canvas with charcoal. The next step is to create an under painting which I often do with watercolour. Then I begin mark making with both hard and soft pastels. I love the way pastels have purity in colour. I use varying brushstrokes and mark making, layering many colours, adding tonal values, and glazing to achieve vibrancy, glowing colours, depth and varying textures. I never stop learning and expanding my techniques.