Sennelier makes a pastel paper I quite like called La Carte, but the problem with it is it can’t take water at all, which means you can’t use it outside while painting in plein air if there is a chance of a bit of rain, you can’t use any mixed media underpaintings, and I’ve even ruined a finished painting by sneezing on it.

Well, they FINALLY have come up with a mixed media pastel paper, and this is my first painting giving it a try. It is not as “toothy” as the other one, but still I am liking it. I gave it a real workout in this piece with puddles of wet ink.

This is a conceptualist painting depicting the idea of Getting Through, which it seems we all need today in one way or another. And this painting shows that we can flow on regardless of the ominous obstructions in the way. Also, if we can slow down enough to actually look closely at those obdurate impositions, they a can be interesting in themselves. But regardless, you can keep moving ahead, uninhibited, right on past.

The painting is large (20″x28″) and done in pastel and ink. You can see the whole thing above and close up images of it below.

Click here to purchase the original painting.

Click here to obtain prints or merchandise of it.

I hope we all get through with grace and aplomb.