NU-PASTEL

A well-meaning friend gifted me with an ancient box of hard NU"PASTEL color sticks.

I knew I had to have a textured working surface.

I painted acid -free foam core with a mixture of 

Liquitex neutral gray and clear gesso.

The later makes a gritty working surface.

That morning, I had stopped off at neighbor Maggie's studio where she

had been working with stencils. After she fed me breakfast (thanks!)

I headed in to work at the studio.

I found a whole bunch of stencils I had cut from Bristol paper

and textured some of the panels with definite patterns.

Geometric or florid, I think they might peek through whatever I create

 if I scrape the painted surface a little.

The surface takes the pastel well enough.

Started this to see; I've never worked with these sticks before.

Messy stuff, but interesting. A shot down Smathers Beach of a wedding party.