Les Darlow
(lesdarlow.com),
of Blackpool,
Lancashire,
England, has
been a pastelist
for more than
eight years. He’s
an associate
artist for Unison
and PanPastels,
and an am-
bassador for Canson. His instructional
YouTube channel (bit.ly/youtube_les
darlow) has more than 2.2 million views.
The author of Absolute Pastels, he leads
pastel workshops and demonstrations
in the UK and abroad, including paint
holidays in Spain. He’s an associate
member of the Pastel Society of America.quick-to-achieve, atmospheric paintings of universal
appeal. With some exceptions, like San Francisco,
at left, it’s nearly impossible to recognize specific
locations in his landscapes—and he’s fine with
that. “That’s not why I paint,” he says. “I’m trying to
achieve light, energy and movement, and a balance of
colors, so that when people look at one of my paint-
ings, their reaction is, ‘That’s beautiful’—regardless
of where it is.” Even he’s not sure of some of the
locales, as they’re generally based on his imagination.EXPLORING THE FUTURE
Darlow believes his latest challenge is to decide
whether to carry on with a mixture of styles—those
featuring the calligraphy inks, say, versus the water-
color style of his other paintings, such as Harbour
Reflections (above)—or choose one approach over the
other. Is it, he wonders, the established artist that
attracts people, or the paintings that he or she pro-
duces? Having seen each of Darlow’s styles, I hope he
allows himself the freedom to explore both. PJLouella Miles (writers4management.com) is based in London.
She’s a writer, a publisher and an “artist in any spare time.”RIGHT
Harbour
Reflections
(pastel and
PanPastel,
11¾x18¾)
BELOW
San Francisco
(pastel and
PanPastel,
18¾x23½)
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