Pastel Journal - USA (2020-04)

ForOrdman,then,seeinganimageasa setofabstract

shapesallowshertocometothesubjectwithfresheyes,

unencumberedbyanypreviousideasofitsappearance.

OrdmanbeganFinishLineworkinginvinecharcoal

directlyontoa pieceofterracotta-coloredArtSpectrum

Colourfixboard.“Istartedwitha charcoalsketchthatwas

quiteloose,”shesays.“Iliketogetintothecolorandstrokes

assoonaspossible.IfI dotoodetaileda sketch,thenI feel

likeI’mcoloringin.I squinttosimplifythevaluesandput

downcolorsandshapesI seewithoutjudgmentofwhatthey

are.Clearlythenumberoflegswon’tmatchthenumberof

horses!”Theartistisunapologeticaboutthisrearrange-

mentofequineanatomy.“Ifindthatpastelsarea wonderful

mediumtoshowmovementandcolor,”shesays.“The

paintingisn’treallyabouthorses;it’saboutmovement.”

ASenseofMovement

MuchofthesenseofmovementOrdmanimpartstothe

pieceisbroughtaboutbyherenergeticandstylishstroke.

“Idon’tthinkaboutthestrokeswhenI dothem,”shesays,

“butit tooka longtimeandmany,manypaintingstolearn

tocreatestrokesthatreallymeansomething.They’reas

importantasanythingelseinthepainting.”

Theartistsaysthatshealwaysholdsthepastelina way

thatenableshertodeliverthestrokewiththeedgeinstead

LEFT

RedUmbrella(12x9)

OPPOSITE

GoldenLight(16x20)

Finish Line

TOOLKIT

SUPPORT: Art Spectrum

Colourfix board in

terra cotta

PASTELS: mostly Terry

Ludwig, Art Spectrum,

Unison, Schmincke

CHARCOAL: “I initially used

vine charcoal to begin,”

Ordman says, “because

it’s easily wiped out until

I achieve the desired

composition.”

32 Pastel Journal APRIL 2020