Art by Niki Hilsabeck

"Party Pack" 18 x 24 Pastel on paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6883735-1-party-pack-pastel More stylized pots... this piece was about working big and enjoying the medium of pastel. I used another reference photo of some Ancient Egyptian pots, and knew that for this piece I wanted to play with different red and green based hues (particularly scarlet and teal). I have an extra soft set of pastels, and those seem to work best with these bright color combinations. The focus on color took away from some of the value (lights and darks), which gave it more of a flattened look. Normally I would feel the need to work those values back in, but I knew I would lose that emphasis on color if I did so. The colors and stylized look of this piece made it fun to work on, because it has a retro feel to it. It was also a chance for me to try out my extra large Canson watercolor paper-- I liked the first block I bought so much (which was 12 x 18)...

"Gull Talk" 9 x 12 Chalk Pastel on Paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6751782-1-gull-talk-pastel Another late night painting, when I had no business being awake. Since I was (barely), I thought I would break out the chalk, hoping to ease that anxiety that builds up when I haven't made a complete painting in a day or two. I had no idea what to paint, but I knew I wanted to use those extra soft pastels with the hot colors. I went for a combination of blue-green and yellow-orange, with a little red-orange for emphasis in the middle ground. I ran into the same problem I always do when I choose to focus on color: a flat painting without any real areas that were clearly defined. I know I'm not a painter who can go entirely without some value (lights and darks) to define my subjects, so I added just a touch of black pastel to give the birds, pipe, rocks, and fire pit a little more definition. The painting wasn't working at f...