Tracy Klinesteker

“Standing in the cold with a seismically red autumn leaf; its color hitting our senses like a blow from a stun gun. We stand with a huge grin, too paralyzed by the intricately veined gaudiness of the leaf to move.” Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses

I have always reacted very strongly to color. As my favorite author Diane Ackerman describes above, I am sometimes too stunned to move. I paint with soft pastels because of my love for pure color. Pastel sticks are pure pigment with binder added to keep them together. The lesser the binder, the purer the pigment, the softer the pastel. Soft pastels blend beautifully and create lovely, painterly brushstrokes. I use hard pastels and pencils for straight edges and fine details.

I layer color over color to create blends. I work with sticks, pencils, and rubber smudgers. With pastels, I can make wonderful marks to create texture and depth. Although I tend to favor detail in my paintings, the freedom of loosening up allows me to experiment with a variety of styles. Occasionally, I begin with a watercolor underpainting which adds a glowing, atmospheric effect. My subjects are eclectic. If a scene strikes me, I’ll capture it. I find the challenge exhilarating. Overall, my paintings are about celebrating the color I find in the world around me, while having as much fun as I can have.