(click here to see painting details)

While searching for an oil pastels, I came across a set from the French company Sennelier, originally developed for Picasso. The colors included wonderful muted tones along with the regular pure colors. I ordered a set of 120 pastel sticks which was shipped from France. I was not disappointed when I received the set and saw the gorgeous array of different tones. I used them in my painting Everlasting Brightness #2 and was so happy with the result. The sticks of color are rich in tone and soft enough to create texture.

Here is a brief history of these oil pastels: in 1949, Parisian painter Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier the famous artist materials manufacturer, about creating a wax color stick for his friend Pablo Picasso, a long-time Sennelier customer and a frequent visitor to their store across the street from the Louvre museum. He was looking for a medium that could be used freely on a variety of surfaces without fading or cracking.

Their collaboration produced the Sennelier oil pastels. Originally available in a palette of classic hues, the color selection was expanded with the addition of metallic and iridescent hues.

Beyond these classic hues a selection of unique shades is available, and in particular a gradation of grays, required for a balanced palette. This evolution is the fruit of a long-standing collaboration with European and North American painters.