Winter

The Four Seasons, Winter, 14" x 10"
Original Pastel, NFS
Casey Klahn

Let's get back to Colorist Art for a while. Vincent was the first modern Colorist, and we will pull that thread back together in a few more days. My passion is for color, and it's subjective qualities have yet to be fully explored in the world of painting.
My own reasons for exploring color have an interesting history. As a youth I drew with the humble pencil, and over the period from age 5 to age 18 I estimate that I made over 100,000 drawings. Let's see, at least 5 drawings an hour for over 5 hours a day; 350 days a year (with a few days off) times 13 years equals over 100,000. The point is, I got the linear composition thing down pretty well. And values, and shapes, massing, the gesture, etc. These are what artists describe as the formal elements of a picture.
But, my exploration of paint was not as deep, and I had training in color, but only so much. So, when I had the fire in my belly to become a professional artist, I knew that color would be my direction. The reason is simple: growth. Art, to be original, must be new and vital; different and always building - but never tearing down, IMHO.
So, pastel became my "weapon" in my personal color crusade, although paint is probably the pre-eminent choice in the world of 2 dimensional artists. I chose them for their directness, and their link to the process of drawing. The plus side of pastels is their color intensity, purity, and durability.