Soft pastel is a special medium for me. It gives me freedom, control and the possibility to express myself on paper in a variety of ways. I use different types of paper for different effects. If I want a lot of layers, and a mix of stumping and strokes, I use sanded paper. If I want softness or sketch-like techniques, I use normal pastel paper. For the first layers I always use extra soft pastels to cover the entire surface and stump my colors into a watercolor-like cloud. For the next layers I use soft pastel and hard pastel sticks to specify the details. For some works I use a limited color palette, and for others a wide scale.
Bad weather, soft pastel on paper, 21½ x 25½” (55 x 65 cm) In 2008 I spent two weeks in the Alps with a group of paragliders. I was a photographer on that amazing trip, taking photos of the brave men flying above the mountains and of the nature around us. I was so impressed with all the beautiful places. I still keep those landscapes in my head and in my heart. Some days the weather wasn’t suitable for flying, like this day depicted in my painting. It is also one of my works that I made with my left hand.
Cherry trees in Kolomenskoye, soft pastel and pastel gesso on paper, 23½ x 23½” (60 x 60 cm) Kolomenskoye is a nice park in Moscow. Every spring a lot of cherry and apple trees are covered with white flower, as if covered with snow in winter. It’s really hard to find a place without people at that time. When I go there I usually take photos and enjoy walking or sitting on the grass under the white trees like in a fairytale. I prefer to draw in my studio. I spent several days working on this painting; it was something special for me, full of energy and the spirit of spring.
My most frequent subject is landscapes, because I really love nature and traveling. I aim to be honest in my art. It means that I have to feel deeply the scenes that I draw. I make an effort to show my own attitude to the place and events. I want my paintings to express liveliness, freshness and make the viewer feel immersed in the atmosphere.
Silence, soft pastel and pastel gesso on cardboard, 12 x 15½” (30 x 40 cm) I love Russian nature in every season, but autumn colors and air are just like meditative music for me. I spend hours walking in the fields with my camera looking around. It is a real inspiration. This painting was made in my studio after one of my long walks. I wanted to show the movement of the sky and the smell of wet leaves...Pastel gesso that I put on the cardboard with a big brush helped me to create an interesting texture under the soft pastel layer.
Sunset in vineyards, soft pastel on paper, 19½ x 27½” (50 x 70 cm) In summer 2018 I was in Provence, France, with other artists. Some of them became my friends after this hot sunny week. It was a very pleasant trip with plein air painting in lavender fields and vineyards, delicious dinners in the fresh air, wine tastings, amazing landscapes, interesting conversations with artists, and of course, I took back home thousands of photos. I worked on this landscape in my studio right after this trip when I was full of emotions, though I have some plein air paintings with subjects I am very close to in my collection as well.
Most of my subjects are based on what I see in a real life and on my memories and emotions. I feel that my style is a blend of realism with notes of impressionism. I prefer my hand to dance on the board and my mind to be in a meditative state. I am right-handed but sometimes I draw with my left hand for unexpected results. —
About the Artist
Elena OrlovaWith a love of art since childhood, Elena Orlova’s desire to draw reignited when she took a trip to Italy and saw street artists in Rome and Florence. In 2017, she attended a soft pastel workshop with Russian artist Olga Abramova as the teacher, and the lesson changed her life. She bought the best paper and soft pastels she could find in Moscow and now spends almost all of her free time drawing.