Two Cushions

I like piles of fabric. I love the simplicity of painting a simple pile of fabrics. I have painted a few piles in the past but the most recent one is my pastel painting Two Cushions.
Instead of folded fabrics in this painting I used cushions. I tried to keep things really simple by putting two cushions on top of each other and adding an interesting piece of fabric that matched the cushions in colour. ​

The patterns and textures of the fabrics were a great challenge to paint in pastel. The green top cushion has a white embroidery that stands a little proud of the green cotton fabric. I think I made the cushion a few years back from a remnant of Laura Ashley fabric. I never skip a remnants pile in the shops! You never know what you might find.

The bottom cushion is a plain coarse linen. The fabric of the table cloth is a beautiful vintage French damask, found online. The white flower pattern is woven into the green cotton and looks very delicate.
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The painting evokes a quiet moment, perhaps a moment of thought or rest. The calm colours only enhance this effect.

Technique

For most of my pastel paintings I use fairly hard pastels, like Talens Rembrandt. I like to hatch the colour onto the paper, layering until I have enough depth of colour and variety in tone.  Please see this short video to show you how I apply pastel:

Pastel Technique from Sophie Ploeg on Vimeo.

Exhibition

It is currently on display at the Royal West of England Academy of Art (RWA) in Bristol in their 163rd Open Exhibition which is on until 29 November 2015.

​The painting is 18×11” / 46x28cm (unframed) and framed in an off white mount and warm grey painted wooden frame.

Two Cushions at the RWA in Bristol. 163rd Open Exhibition – until 29 November 2015.

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