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The Pastel Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Kari Stober
The Pastel Podcast is your monthly destination for everything in the vibrant world of pastel painting! Hosted by pastel artists Lisa Skelly and Kari Stober, we bring pastel fans around the globe inspiring stories, and engaging discussions with some of today's top pastel artists. Whether you're a seasoned pastel painter or just starting your artistic journey, you'll find inspiration, practical tips, and pure passion for the pastel medium here. The Pastel Podcast is dedicated to celebrating the beauty, vibrancy, and joy of painting with pure pigment.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago1h 23m
Skip Whitcomb on Ranch Roots, Mentors, and a Lifetime of Painting the West
Skip Whitcomb grew up on a cattle-and-horse ranch in Eastern Colorado, where the open land and big skies became his lifelong subject — and later his spiritual home as a painter. In this episode, Skip joins Kari and Lisa to share how a college drawing class pushed him toward art, how mentor Ned Jacob got him outdoors with nothing but a paintbrush and Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, and why he's never once painted outdoors in pastel despite building many of his finished pastels from oil field studies. Plus, the love-hate tug-of-war between oil and pastel on any given piece, the limited-palette color-harmony method at the heart of his year-long mentoring program, and his sage advice for every painter: get your values right, because "values do all the work and color gets the credit."
- Sep 1, 20261h 4m
Pastel Podcast Episode 17: Daniel Keys
Daniel Keys bought his first paint kit at 11 with birthday money, taught himself to paint with no formal training, and went on to win the Portrait Society of America's Draper Grand Prize, the PleinAir Salon Grand Prize, and covers on seven major art magazines. In this episode, Daniel joins Kari and Lisa to share how a magazine cover at 22 became his big break, what it was like quietly absorbing everything from a decade at Richard Schmid's easel, and how pastel's "visual mixing" — layering broken color instead of blending on a palette — has changed the way he now paints in oil. Plus, why drawing and values (not composition) are the real gap in most students' work, why he now reaches for pastel over oil for portraits, and a peek at his recent painting trip chasing 500-year-old thatched-roof cottages through Yorkshire, England.
- Aug 3, 202652 min
Pastel Podcast Episode 16: Nancie King Mertz
Nancie King Mertz has done it all — 19 years running a Chicago gallery, painting in 24 countries, guest of honor at the Pastel Society of France, and now the newest PSA Hall of Fame honoree. In this episode, Nancie joins Kari and Lisa to share her signature "tick mark map" technique, her denatured alcohol underpainting method, and the one rule that transformed her students' compositions: the three-quarters value principle. Plus, why she never lets students bring pastel pencils, how she funded international travel by painting on every trip, and a peek inside her dream learning center retreat in Rockford, Illinois.
- Jul 6, 20261h 17m
Pastel Podcast Episode 15: Lon Brauer
Lon Brauer spent 20 years as a commercial photographer before returning to full-time painting — and only picked up a pastel stick 18 months ago. Yet somehow, he already holds Pastel Society signature status and PleinAir Salon wins. In this episode, Lon joins Kari and Lisa to talk about his "expressive realism" style, his bold experimental technique, and why pastel feels like being a five-year-old with chalk on a sidewalk. Plus: his tips for building intuition, finding your authentic voice, and the one question every artist should be asking — "what if?"
- Jun 1, 202640 min
Pastel Podcast Episode 14: Shirley Anderson
What happens when a left-brain scientist retires and discovers pastel? Shirley Anderson — incoming president of the International Association of Pastel Societies — joins Kari and Lisa to share her unlikely journey from chemistry labs and AT&T boardrooms to full-time landscape painting in Arkansas. She also pulls back the curtain on IAPS: what it does for pastel societies, what to expect at the 2026 convention, and the exciting new direction the organization is heading. Plus, a great book recommendation for any artist struggling to silence their inner perfectionist!
- May 1, 202654 min
Pastel Podcast Episode 13: Greg Barnes
Episode 13: Greg Barnes on Plein Air Painting, Pastel Mastery & Building a Full-Time Art Career What does it take to walk away from a stable career and build a full-time life as a painter? Greg Barnes did exactly that after 9/11—and hasn't looked back since. The Charlotte-based pastel and oil painter joins Kari and Lisa to share the journey, techniques, and philosophy behind his expressive, light-filled work. About Greg Barnes Greg Barnes has been a full-time painter since 2002, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Known for his impressionistic pastels and oils that capture the light, atmosphere, and feeling of being in a place, Greg has earned prestigious awards including Best in Show at Plein Air New Bern and the Irvine Museum Award at Maui Plein Air. In 2021, he was selected for the ArtPop Street Gallery, with his work displayed on billboards and airport screens across Charlotte—and somehow, on a restaurant wall in Miami too. In This Episode From a Wake Forest fine arts degree to 15 years in commercial work—until 9/11 prompted a life-changing pivot How portrait commissions led to pastel landscapes, art festivals across the country, and eventually plein air invitationals Why Greg chose to master pastel first before adding oil (and the gallery realities that drove that decision) His "order from chaos" teaching philosophy—and how he puts his intuitive process into words for students The key lessons he absorbed from mentors Albert Handel and Scott Christiansen: emotional mark-making, design, and letting the leaves "dance" How the plein air invitational world works: the difference between open events and invitation-only shows, and how word of mouth is everything What a Quick Draw is and why it's one of the best ways to get noticed as an emerging plein air painter Deciding between pastel and oil in the field—and why it's almost always an intuitive call Upcoming Workshops & Events Tallapoosa School of Fine Arts, Alabama — back-to-back pastel workshops (late April) Gloucester Plein Air, Gloucester, Virginia — June Cashiers Plein Air, Cashiers, North Carolina — July Wild Acres Pastel Workshop, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC — one week, all-inclusive, under $1,000 (spots still available) Monhegan Island, Maine — August (informal paint-alongs; reach out if you'll be there) Plein Air Down Under, Perth, Australia — later this year Find Greg Website & workshop info: barnstudios.com Also Mentioned Lisa's pastel workshop with Rosemary & Co., Yorkshire, England — June IAPS (International Association of
- Apr 9, 20261h 7m
Pastel Podcast Episode 12: Liz Haywood-Sullivan
Welcome to our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY episode of The Pastel Podcast! 🎉 Today we sit down with the incredible Liz Haywood-Sullivan — New England landscape pastel artist, former president of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, and author of Painting Brilliant Skies and Water in Pastel. In this episode, Liz shares her journey from the design world to full-time fine art, why pastel painting became her lifelong medium, and how she narrowed her focus to pastel landscape painting to truly master her craft. We dive into her go-to pastel materials including Lux archival paper, Terry Ludwig pastels, Diane Townsend pastels, Unison pastels, and more. We also discuss plein air painting, color mixing, value studies, and what it takes to earn the highest honors in the pastel world. Whether you're a beginner learning how to paint with pastels, an experienced pastel artist looking for inspiration, or simply curious about pastel painting techniques, this episode is packed with insight you won't want to miss.
- Mar 3, 202633 min
Pastel Podcast Episode 11: Clint Howard
In this episode of The Pastel Podcast, hosts Kari Stober and Lisa Skelly welcome rising pastel artist Clint Howard, whose rapid ascent in the pastel world is inspiring artists everywhere. Clint shares how he returned to pastel painting in 2023 after a career in graphic design and ministry—and how focused daily practice led him to earn Master Circle status with the International Association of Pastel Societies in just a few years. This conversation dives deep into pastel painting techniques, including working from reference photos, atmospheric perspective, tonalism, painting water and reflections, and capturing light in landscape painting. Clint explains his process for simplifying composition, using neutrals effectively, and building strong value structures in pastel. You'll also hear about plein air painting, digital tools for composition studies, mentorship, teaching, and building a sustainable art practice. Clint's thoughtful insights on observation, consistency, and artistic growth make this episode especially valuable for painters at any stage. Whether you're a pastel artist, landscape painter, or creative searching for pastel painting stories and inspiration, this episode offers practical wisdom and motivation to keep painting. 🎧 Subscribe for more pastel artist interviews, techniques, and inspiration. ThePastelPodcast.com #PastelPodcast #ClintHoward #PastelPainting #PastelArtist #LandscapePainting #PleinAirPastel #PastelTechniques #ArtPodcast #PaintingInspiration #PastelArt #SoftPastels #ArtistInterview #PastelCommunity #AtmosphericPerspective #FineArtPodcast
About The Pastel Podcast
The Pastel Podcast is your monthly destination for everything in the vibrant world of pastel painting! Hosted by pastel artists Lisa Skelly and Kari Stober, we bring pastel fans around the globe inspiring stories, and engaging discussions with some of today's top pastel artists. Whether you're a seasoned pastel painter or just starting your artistic journey, you'll find inspiration, practical tips, and pure passion for the pastel medium here. The Pastel Podcast is dedicated to celebrating the beauty, vibrancy, and joy of painting with pure pigment.
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