Artist LC

 I found some very old pastel pads. Some of the pastels were not on good paper or just done with very cheap pastels so that they have not survived in good condition, but some later ones are not too bad and I have photographed a few to illustrate how different my style was back then. I could not draw portraits, I used pastels mainly for art therapy to express my feelings. At this time I was being enveloped in sharp burning, stabbing, spreading pain allover my body and intense pins and needles that would not break despite shaking my legs or arms repeatedly. My veins would expand then collapse. I was desperately ill and disabled  and yet not recognised as such. I became unable to hold even a can of beans or cook or feed myself, I lost the ability to draw for 9 years as my hands became too weak to hold a pastel or coordinate any movement. My eyes blurred with double vision and I was in extreme pain.. This is a picture of the advancing pain as it grew ever up my arms and legs till ...

There is nothing more joyful than framing a pastel and sending it out to a friend to bless their lives with a special memory of a beloved companion, 

I had to work quickly to complete the pastel before the next paralysis came and completely blanked my mind and my connection to my hand and all movement would be lost yet again. I would love to take longer on the fine detail, but each time I have a moments grace to draw I never know how long it will be there. It can be months or years before it is possible again. So I happily managed to fill in the ears which were quite a challenge to find the colour for them.  And then I filled in the background with what I initially thought was a dark black pastel, yet turned out, with my foggy eyesight, to be a dark green, which I feel works wonderfully well. This only requires an ability to smudge with a finger, no fine detail needed which is so much easier to do.  I truly loved doing this pastel. Williams proud spirit and wisdom seemed to flow out from the picture as it materialised..    

  Starting a new pastel is always thrilling and exciting with a hint of trepidation. It so important to get a good outline. This is not easy for me as I have cognitive and visual difficulties as well as numb, weak and paralysing hands. It is a challenge. I have to wait for the right moment then grasp it and hope I can do it. That takes time to get right. Once I feel I have captured something of the essence and energy of the subject I begin to add in shapes and colours. This takes a lot of concentration and is always difficult to get the colours right. It seems no matter how many pastels I have, the right shade is still not quite there. It takes several days for me to fill in a picture. This may turn into weeks or months or never get done with some pictures. I so want to get it right it almost stops me from starting. But there is such wonder as the picture emerges. I am always sad when it is over.

Just to say I am delighted that my webpage has been updated with quotes from me and a new pastel of a beautiful dog called William, sadly no longer with us. It was a joy to draw him and hoping he brings special memories for my friends.  http://www.holyway.co.uk/artist/index.html I will be sharing more of the process of drawing him in other posts.

I am even more delighted to announce that Greg received an Honorary Mention for the Alpine Foundation Visual Arts Prize 2023. https://alpinefellowship.com/visual-art-prize He came in the first 8 people out of over 1000 entrants. Well done Greg! Here is the link to the wonderful moving video on Flourishing in suffering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te0QfyJ6hS0

  This is a sketch with 3 different perspectives of my daily and nightly struggles. It is just an idea. I hoped to work in pastels with it but it will be some time before that might even be possible. In the meantime, I will lose my memory repeatedly before that happens and forget my intention. It is hard holding on to images and hope of actualising them. This is the best I can do for now.  The constant wavy line from left to right represents my continual paralysing and reparalysing. The circle with a figure in the centre represents me, trapped inside indescribable pain and inability to move or speak. The bigger taller lines are a snapshot of a moment in the continuing ongoing slog of daily living in transient paralysis.

A little one finger drawing trying to convey our love for each other, late one night when movement was possible.   

  I enjoyed doing this whimsical Easter picture with one finger on the computer. I love the bright colours and quirky postures.

 A huge frustration for me is finding the correct colour to match the flower. Purple is particularly difficult. Someone sent me this beautiful bunch of flowers but I struggled to convey anything like them. It sent me to look for endless different purples, very hard to find one dark enough anywhere.

 It is a joy to draw a pastel. It is also wonderful to be able to turn it into a card and use it as a gift.

   So very proud to announce that my husband Greg has been shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowhsip International Visual Arts Competition. This is such a wonderful affirmation. Once the winners are announced we will post the video for you to watch. Here is the link to the short list. https://alpinefellowship.com/visual-art-prize This is a prestigious event and Inam so proud of him,