Odd little wonders – work in progress

I really do love nature and have always been intrigued by the shapes, textures, colours, smells of our natural world.

On my walks during our winter in Melbourne at times I come across these little treasure patches. They seem so whimsical and earthy and it feels like they are dancing in the wind together or standing to attention on a rock face.

So I’m enjoying sketching and putting together compositions of these little cute things. I’m working on Hannamule velour pastel paper for this work and am learning and enjoying the challenge.

Has anyone used this paper and if so do you prefer to work on this or the pastelmat paper with your pastels? I am working with my pastel sticks and pastel pencils on this one and blending using my pan pastel tools (although the velour doesn’t work too well using these tools) and I am using my rubber ended pastel tools which seem to work better, and of course my finger.

tjtoffolo

Julie Toffolo is an Australian born artist and lives in Melbourne Victoria. Her art is in private collections around Australia.

She has two teenage boys, works part time as an Education Art Assistant at a Secondary Girls School and paints on her days off in her leafy Eltham Studio.

Julie works in illustration in a nostalgic vintage style and loves to paint from the nature around her bushy local environment and wherever she can find any form of nature on her travels. She is captivated by how the light flickers and dances when working from still life or outdoors.

Having studied traditional painting methods under Jenni Mitchell and Mervynn Hannan from Eltham South Fine Art Studios and Gallery has taught Julie many elements of drawing, composition, colour, painting, trying new materials, beautifying the simple things around us.

Julie has been a member of local artist co ops and exhibits throughout the year.

You can follow Julie on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to watch and support her art practise.

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