Reflections from the Artist | Cheryl Culver PPPS RBA
/ Pastel Society
The colours do not fade, works stay vibrant forever. Pastel is not a Second Class medium. We can trace the use of chalk back to the Cave Paintings.
Cheryl Culver PPPS RBA on the brands that make up her palette and why dry medium's longevity makes it the perfect medium for buyers.
You and the Society
What does The Pastel Society mean to you?
I have been a Member since 2004 and in that time I have been Secretary, President and now Website Manager. It has been a huge part of my life.
Why should artists want to exhibit with the Society?
The Society is open to all creative approaches in Dry Medium. It has a modern attitude and is not what people expect from the name Pastel Society.
Why should people want to buy art from The Pastel Society?
Dry medium especially pastel has longevity in excess of most other mediums. The colours do not fade, works stay vibrant forever. Pastel is NOT a Second Class medium. We can trace the use of chalk back to the Cave Paintings.
Past or present, which artist from The Pastel Society do you most admire?
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
Standing Water on the Moor by Katrina Wallis-King.
Katrina Wallis-King Standing Water on the Moor £765
Your Materials
What brands make up your palette?
I use Unison & Schmincke mainly with a few Rembrandt and Faber Castell.
Do you frame your own work?
I frame my own work. Supplies come from Wessex Pictures at Ashford and Larson Juhl. I use UltraVue UV70 Anti Reflective Glass 48” x 36” and cut it myself.
What is your favourite art supplies store?
I mostly buy online from Jackson’s Art Supplies. Sometimes from Francis Iles in Rochester.
You, Your Work and Your Studio
What gallery did you first sell a work at?
Gould Gallery Sandwich 1980’s. Can’t remember the price.
Where do you produce your best work? Do you work en plein air and finish in the studio?
I work from drawings done in situ and then paint in my studio from these drawings. The paintings can take a number of days to complete.
Cheryl Culver PPPS RBA Pebble Beach £1,950
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
So tempted to say I bow to the East three times. I do like to start the actual pastel work in the morning.
Where is your studio and what’s it like?
It is a wooden building in the garden. Insulated to a degree. Not huge, but big enough. It has a heater, an air-con unit for the summer and a music machine. No sink or water, but a water butt outside. Daylight strip lighting. It’s painted a lovely Eggshell blue/green.
Advice
What advice would you give a young artist starting out or wanting to join the Society?
To Thine Own Self Be True.
Don’t worry about what other people are doing, just be good at what you are trying to do. Keep your own identity.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
I wish the Art College I attended had been less interested in the bizarre and more informative about the nuts and bolts of art techniques.
It was so bad I almost changed tack and applied to University to study English.
In fact, I didn’t return to art in any serious way for many years. Too many years. The Federation of British Artists and the art societies were never mentioned at college. But I am talking about the late 60s. Trendy at the time!!
My final comment - I don’t regret the time I spent doing other things. The experiences and adventures have been extremely valuable. I am so glad I didn’t go from college straight into teaching and then into retirement.
'Reflections from the Artist' is an ongoing series of reflection, advice from and insight into the practice of artists who exhibit at Mall Galleries.
Discover the full series here.
Next Up... Norma Stephenson PS
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