This piece was inspired by a trip I took with my womenfolk - Mom, Meemee and Aunt Sheila - to Roussillon during Christmas. On the far side of town you can look out over the whole valley - it’s magic.

ROUSSILLON
Chalk Pastel on Paper
50 × 76 cm // 20 × 30 inches
Framed and matted to 29 × 39inches
Provence, France
Created in New Orleans

L’HISTOIRE

When I lived in Aix-en-Provence, I took many trips with my womenfolk around Provence. Of all the places in the world, my Mom loves Provence the most—so it felt like pure kismet that I ended up studying art and living there for three years.

Roussillon was the first place where I visited a truly breathtaking pastel maker, and I was lucky enough to be gifted some remarkable chalks from them (thanks, Mom), which lasted… well, not quite as long as I’d hoped. Of all the pastels in the world, they were by far the most precious, the richest, and truly worthy of the work I strive to create.

PROCESS & MATERIALS
I create each original chalk pastel painting on 100% cotton, deckled-edged, cold pressed heavy weight art paper. My preferred chalks come from the artisanal pastelliers in Roussillon, Provence, in tandem with Senneliers chalk pastels - a very high quality, hand-crafted, elegant range which blends and layers perfectly.

As part of my process, I create a layered thickness to the chalk itself by using art fixative spray in layers as I work - not just as a final finish like you would a varnish. In this way, I can create a pastel painting which shows more texture and depth than your average pastel drawing on paper.

HANDLING
Chalk pastel, however, remains a fluid, movable medium which will never fully “set” like a varnished oil painting, for example. This is one of the reasons I love this medium so much, but which requires dedicated care and attention for handling.

FRAMING
Framing is included for this artwork, and I will be in touch about your framing after purchase. I absolutely love frame details and will be delighted to discuss options and recommendations with you.

SHIPPING
This art ships from New Orleans, LA, USA - Packaging original art is an art form unto itself, and one which I have been honing for years. I package your original art with as much care as I took creating it.

Let’s talk about any questions you might have - please don’t hesitate to reach out.