Untitled by Louise Naimian

They must be older than you then Louise ... This is a beauty, a bit different from your normal, is it on board or Ingres paper?

Fantastic colours Louise

Thanks Alan and Petra. I used 535 gsm Bockingford paper Alan, oil pastels and watercolour. I could say that I was but a small child when I bought the oil pastels but I'd be lying.. LOL. Seriously though, I can't get over how well they've lasted and rather enjoyed using them again.

Beautiful, Louise.

the bold reds in this are great, a terrific vibrant landscape.

Superb Louise

A gorgeous, vibrant painting Louise. Did you use a spirit to spread them or just apply them as a resist to the watercolour? I was given a set of Sennelier for Christmas but I haven't really dabbled yet, and I don't like the smell of turps or white spirit so would probably just add strokes of colour to other paintings!

Wow, this has brightened up another gloomy February day. Love it!

Oh yes! Don't the ....Saki? Sakura? or a name something similar have a wonderful feel to them, and so effective....Did you use any other medium with them I wonder? I used to use an oil substitute to help blend them, the name of which also eludes me at the moment. What a super painting this is.

Just remembered on reading other peoples' comments...it was Liquin, which has/d the properties of turps without the fumes.

Thank you Shirley, Helen, Alan, Andre, Dennis, Julie and Christine. Julie, it started as a watercolour but parts weren't working out as I'd planned. Rather than abandon it, I just used the oil pastels over the top once the paint had dried. There was a cottage bottom far left (the two pink odd shaped trees were part of the cottage roof) which I managed to cover with ultra marine and cobalt oil pastel and then, on top of that, in the gaps where I'd scraped away with my nails, added lines of thick black watercolour. Definitely no white spirit, any loose, rough bits just rubbed at with fingers.

They're the ones Ruth, Sakura. Sakura Hi Cray-Pas are the words on the box...my 'vintage' box! They do have a lovely oily feel to them and the colours are intense. I must have bought them when at art school many years ago and hardly used them. I remember Liquin and wonder now whether that's still available. I also have a box of ancient oil paints which belonged to my father, now they are old!

Louise, I love this, composition and colours both great.

Yes Ruth, liquin is in the shops, I just haven't looked before!

Thanks Jenny!

I know a Japanese word for "excellent" but of course can't write it. The vibrant colours really stand out Louise.

The dark tones of the sky make this work sing

Many thanks Derek and Marjorie!

So vibrant Louise, really caught my eye in the gallery. Looks like you had fun with your vintage oil pastels.

Guitar? Sikura? So long as you keep them clean in their box, they won't degrade - I still have some of mine, there was a bit of a craze for them when they first came out. And while I suspect they may have dipped in popularity, they're capable of producing hot, rich paintings like this one - with a bit of help from you, of course... What did you use as a support? Will you frame it? Under glass? (Questions, questions...)

For some reason, the comments didn't show when I typed mine - so the questions have been largely answered - you used Bockingford, they are the self-same oil pastels as many of us had (when you were just a slip of a child...).... But will you frame it, under glass? Do you mount them?

I remember those times Robert. They were the 'in' thing to buy. I had planned to mount and frame this one but am now wondering whether the oil pastels will be alright under glass? What do you think? I do value your opinion as perhaps you remember when you told me that certain pens might not be lightfast. You were right about that!

Wow Louise, this is gorgeous!!

Louise, I think an oil pastel will be fine under glass, but of course (telling you the obvious, sorry) don't let the glass touch the pastel - they need a thickish mount. Oil pastel is quite robust - never really dries, that's all. There was some concern expressed on the Forum, which arose from an article (in LP?) that I didn't read, questioning their lightfastness - but I've never had that problem with them. Maybe hang it out of direct sunlight to be on the safe side - I'll have a look online to see if I can any further information, but I'm reasonably confident! Yes, water-based ink pens are, unfortunately, very much something else again....

Is that a bridge???? Sorry Louise, I'm having flash backs!lol What a fabulous vibrant mix, especially the patch work of fields.

Thanks Satu and Fiona..that could be a tiny weeny bridge mid way along the cobalt blue line Fiona, but it isn't..LOL Thanks Robert for your helpful advice. I'll put it under a thick mount and it won't touch the glass at all. With regards to my words about lightfast pens. I meant once, some time ago, when I used water based ones you said at the time that they probably weren't lightfast and you were right. The ink merged nicely with the waterbased paint then and gave a nice effect which unfortunately didn't age well! I now use maximum lightfast waterproof pens. I'm sure the oil pastels are ok..so long as they don't heat up too much..

Wonderful! So different an imaginative interpretation of the landscape.

Many thanks Karen!

Fabulous!