Pastel Artist JF Le Saint

"Breizh Cola"

2012-02-10T22:18:00.002+01:00

"Breizh Cola" Pastel JF Le Saint

(ref 120114) 25x35cm Pastel on Pastelmat
Available

Breton Children

2012-01-21T18:52:00.000+01:00

Breton boys from Quimper. Pastel JF Le Saint

(ref 120117) 25x35cm Pastel on Pastelmat.

Original available (click here to purchase the pastel)

Digital download : Click here to purchase a 600dpi scan

Dancing girl

2012-01-18T00:52:00.000+01:00

Portrait of a girl from the Republic of Georgia. Pastel Jf Le Saint

(ref 120115) 25x35cm Pastel on Pastelmat
Available : Click here for details :)

"Lord of the flies"

2011-11-28T16:22:00.001+01:00

Frantic boy. Pastel JF Le Saint

(ref 111120) 25x35cm Pastel on Pastelmat.

(texte français en dessous)

The animation shows the last three "steps" of this pastel. I think I could have stopped at any time, and I could still go a lot further if I wished. It might not look like much but this represents a breaktrhough for me : I have been struggling for the past 11 months with Panpastels and Sofft tools, trying to find ways to either use them by themselves or achieve a balance between Panpastels and stick pastels. Here I think I have found that balance at long last. It is not an end but a new beginning. It is never an end, there is always a lot to learn, explore and discover. But finding that first step, that new starting point was a real challenge and I have to admit I had thought of giving up only a few days before the breakthough occured.

L'animation montre les trois dernières "étapes" de ce pastel. Je pense que j'aurais pu m'arrêter a tout moment, et je pourrais aller plus loin si je le souhaitais. Ca n'a peut-être pas l'air de grand chose, mais ce pastel représente un grand pas en avant pour moi : en effet cela fait maintenant 11 mois que je lutte avec les Panpastels et les outils Sofft pour trouver des façons de les utiliser seuls ou avec des pastels en bâtons. Ici je pense que j'ai enfin trouvé cet équilibre. Bien entendu ce n'est pas une fin en soi, mais un nouveau départ. Il y a toujours beaucoup à apprendre, à explorer et à découvrir. Toujours est-il que de découvrir ce nouveau départ a été un vrai challenge. J'ai même pensé abandonner quelques jours avant.

sold

Children in Tamil Nadu, India

2011-10-07T02:01:00.000+02:00

Indian boys.

(ref 110930) 20.5x29.5cm Panpastel on Pastelmat. Pastel JF Le Saint

sold

Cuban boys sorting through debris washed to shore by the sea and retrieved by the older boys. Baracoa, Cuba.

2011-10-06T00:14:00.000+02:00

Cuban boys in Baracoa

(ref 110921) 20,5x29,5cm 8.1x11.6in Pastel on Pastelmat. Pastel JF Le Saint

sold

Young boy at an ancient temple in Mahabalipuram, India

2011-09-25T23:00:00.000+02:00

Boy in Mahabalipuram

(ref 110919) 17.5x25cm Pastel on Pastelmat. JF Le Saint
Original pastel for sale (Click here)

Cuban boys playing at the Capitol in La Habana

2011-09-24T05:32:00.000+02:00

Havana boys

(ref 110922) 25x17.5cm Pastel on Pastelmat. JF Le Saint

Sold

Small pastel portrait of a man in medieval costume.

2011-09-22T23:32:00.000+02:00

Musician in Medieval costume

(ref 110912) 14x19cm Pastel on Pastelmat. JF Le Saint
Available

"Cuban schoolboy" 101215

2010-12-18T23:53:00.001+01:00

101215, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

25x35cm

Available (Click here)

I have uploaded a larger scan than usual on Flickr, it should allow for printing at a good quality up to 8x12 inches.

painting in pastels by JF Le Saint 100918

2010-09-23T01:57:00.000+02:00

"The pilgrim" 100825

2010-08-27T00:31:00.001+02:00

"The pilgrim" 100825, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

25x31cm

Available

Scene from the "Fête des remparts" in dinan. A pilgrim leaving a castle on the road to Compostelle

"Pastel portrait of a woman in medieval costume" 100801

2010-08-26T00:58:00.001+02:00

100801, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

25x31cm

"Pastel portrait of a woman in medieval costume" 100811

2010-08-25T02:30:00.001+02:00

100811, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

25x31cm
Available

If you are on Facebook please consider adding my page to your favourites for updates on upcoming exhibitions and other information.
Here is a link to my profile if you wish to add me as a friend as well.

"Breton boys playing" 0912-12

2010-02-19T03:53:00.001+01:00

0912-12, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel on pastelmat 25x30cm
sold.

"Pastel portrait of a breton boy" 0912-11

2010-02-06T03:52:00.001+01:00

0912-11, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel on pastelmat 25x30cm

sold

"Boy from Tbilisi" 091027

2009-12-22T18:22:00.001+01:00

"Boy from Tbilisi" 091027, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel on Pastelmat 24x30cm

Original for sale :

"Le cri"(#596)

2009-12-22T04:01:00.001+01:00

Pastel : "Le cri", première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel on La Carte Pastel (Pastelcard) 32.5x25cm Le Bagad de Morlaix

This is one of my favourites, It was done very rapidly, in sketch-like strokes to the end. Usually, even when I start with loose strokes, at some point, I start working cautiously and linger on details for hours. It did not happen on this one, and it remained an exception for months, maybe years.

Original for sale

"Breton boy" 0912-09

2009-12-16T18:40:00.001+01:00

0912-09, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel on pastelmat 25x30cm

sold

"Les couleurs de Cuba" Pastel #681

2009-12-14T02:12:00.001+01:00

Pastel #681 "Les couleurs de Cuba", première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

"The colours of Cuba". 32.5x50cm
This one was done on "La carte pastel" (Pastelcard).
Many small dot-like strokes are juxtaposed, especially on the skin.
At one point I ruined part of my work when applying fixative too eagerly, but it was easy fo correct with a new layer of pastels... and patience.

Original for sale :

"He started it" 091124

2009-11-25T23:23:00.001+01:00

091124, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

When starting to work on a new pastel I have no single method. I may start with a sketch of outlines in Sepia. or I may apply colours directly and work with shapes both of the actual subject and of negative space. I might instead place light on a dark background and work from there, or start any other way.
Then comes a choice between two extremes that could be called caution and boldness. Each approach has its drawbacks. Be too cautious and the result feels contrived. On the other hand be too careless and you get proportions all wrong. The problem being that you don't realize it right away : the eye gets used to errors and only by looking at your drawing in a mirror do you see your mistake...
Often there is no conscious decision on how to proceed, the subject makes it self evident. In this case I had to work in loose strokes. It has its advantage, namely, I didn't have to worry too much about when to stop : It soons become difficult to work on details when the surface is saturated with layers of pastel quickly applied one on top of the other. It would still be possible to add detail using one trick or another, but I think it would ruin the "rough" look of the pastel as a whole.

sold

Pastel on Pastelmat, 30x45cm

"Chat de Marrakech" Pastel #626

2009-11-24T01:42:00.001+01:00

"Cat in the streets of Marrakech" Pastel on pastelcard, 32.5x25cm.

Walking the streets of Marrakech in the morning, when few shopkeepers have started to set up their display, the souk area belongs to cats, their sight agreeable against the background of the ochre city.
available

"Boy" 080907

2009-11-23T04:22:00.001+01:00

Boy, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel portrait of a young breton boy in traditional clothes from Guérande
30x40cm

Most of the years I have spent experimenting with pastels since 1990, I have done so on Pastelcard (also called La Carte pastel), it has a rough, fragile texture that feels like sand paper with a fine grain.
Over the years I have tried many approaches. Applying pastels to the point of saturation and blending with my fingers was my first experiment. Until I decided I would use as little pastel as I could, so as to better control each stroke. After some time I wanted a different result, I applied looser strokes, and never blending. Then I wanted my pastels to look best under low light, so I started all my drawings in creamy white, adding colour on top... Of course, during those years, I also experimented on other kinds of papers, but it never lasted long. After years working on pastelcard, I could work almost to the point of saturation with soft pastels before blending with harder pastels, and I could still add final strokes to obtain the result I wanted.
In the end, it seems It was I who had saturated, I could do what I wanted, but I no longer wanted to.
This happened last year. For several months I turned to painting in oil. Then, something great happened. I was given several sheets of Pastelmat as a gift, a new (new to me) kind of paper, basically of the same type as pastelcard, but with a completely different feel. It is very soft to the touch, and is not fragile. It saturates faster, and has other shortcomings, but it was a welcome challenge. All of a sudden I put my oils aside, and started experimenting on the new paper with enthusiasm.
This pastel portrait on a yellow background was the first of a long series, and I am happy to say that after more than a year I still don't know the full potential of the new paper. My time with oils has also given me new insight, and I am happy to pick up a sheet of the good old Pastelcard once in a while with renewed interest.

The original is sold, it is hanging in a local "Crêperie", but it is possible to order a print at Imagekind

"Portrait of a breton girl" 090418-2

2009-11-21T18:05:00.001+01:00

8x10 inches

Pastel portrait of a young breton girl in traditional clothes at a festival.
available (Click here to purchase the original pastel)

Hi-resolution scan available for download (Click here to purchase a 600dpi digital copy)

"Morgane" 528

2009-11-20T15:52:00.001+01:00

Pastel portrait of a young breton girl
25x32cm

Buy a print at Imagekind

"small breton boy with hat" 090930

2009-11-19T22:26:00.001+01:00

090930, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

8x10 inches pastel sketch.

sold

"Tintin ?" 091008

2009-11-18T20:31:00.001+01:00

Pastel on pastelmat. 8x10 inches

"In the streets of Valladolid at night, Mexico" 0911-6

2009-11-13T01:48:00.001+01:00

"In the streets of Valladolid at night, Mexico" 0911-6, première mise en ligne par J F Le Saint.

Pastel sketch, 8x10 inches

Pastel portrait of Breton boy

2009-05-11T01:28:00.000+02:00

This pastel can be seen at the Salon International du Pastel in Yerres, France until 7 June 2009.

Sold.