Mary Marquart

"Where the Wind Knows Them"
12x18” | Soft pastel and pastel pencil

In 1971, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, calling them “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.”

#softpastel #equineart #wildhorses #pastelpainting #horseartist #southwestart

So proud of this piece! This was my first judged show and it placed 2nd place in the 2D category. I'm beyond grateful and honored.

9"x 9" domestic rabbits on pastelmat, various pastels and pastel pencils

#artshow #ribbonwin #wildlife #rabbit #springart #pastel #softpastels #petportrait

6.5"x9" Portrait of a blue and gold macaw done with soft pastels on Canson Mi Teintes paper.

Their beaks are strong enough to crack Brazil nuts and even crush a broom handle. Think twice before offering your finger. 🦜

#art #wildlifeart #softpastels #pastelist #macaw

Just in time for spring! This little bunny was inspired by the quiet charm of domestic rabbits - did you know they purr when content? Happy Easter 🐰
#pastelart #softpastels #animalart #bunnyart #springvibes #artshare #pastelist #pasteldrawing #wildlife #petportrait

Just finished packing this up to send out to its forever home as a Mother’s Day gift! I’m over the moon it’ll be cherished, but wow, it’s hard to say goodbye. Bittersweet joy 😊
#artistlife #mothersdaygift #pastelpainting #wildlifeart #softpastels #pastelist

“A Mother's Path” (8x10", soft pastels). I wanted to show the bond between a mother elephant and her calf, just in time for Mother's Day
Fun fact: Elephants are born nearly blind and stay close to their mothers for guidance.

#elephantart #pastelart #wildlifeart #softpastels #pastelist #animalart

Cont.
I find using a high quality paper has suited my style more favorably than using fixatives between layers. Though, I haven't tried mixing pastels with other mediums so I'd be curious to see how they'd interact. I'd love to see your works with mixed media!

Thank you for your kind words! Your work is beautiful! I rarely use spray fixatives with pastels as some have the tendency to shift the value of lighter areas. If I know a piece is going to take many layers I'll use Sennelier Latour spray but only for my dark/medium values so the lights can pop!

8"x10" portrait of a horse done by me.

Mixed brands of soft pastels and pitt pencils on Canson Mi Teintes paper #art #wildlifeart #softpastels #horse #horseart #equestrian #equineart #pastelist

These look great. Thank you for taking the time to share them! ❤️

Would you mind recommending some of your favorite books?

Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican,

His bill can hold more than his belican,

He can take in his beak,

Food enough for a week,

But I’m damned if I see how the helican.

-Dixon Lanier Merritt

#art #wildlifeart #softpastels #pelican #wildlife #drawing #natureartist

Thank you so much! The eyes are always so much fun on these kinds of creatures.

Portrait of an African Savanna Elephant by me. This is a personal favorite animal. ❤️

They can live up to 60-70 years in the wild, have over 150,000 muscle units in their trunks alone and live in matriarchal families!

#art #artist #wildlifeart #pastel #pastellist

Thanks friend ❤️

I decided to shake things up a bit and try my hand at a floral piece this week.

Soft pastels and caran d'ache pastel pencils on Canson Mi Teintes paper #art #pastelartist #softpastels #pastellist #floral

Practice makes improvement. Here are two paintings I completed roughly 14 months apart. The first using oil pastels and the more recent one using soft pastels.

Who knows, maybe in another 14 months I'll finally figure out how to create realistic water 😂 #art #wildlifeart #pastels #softpastels

Portrait of my wonderful dog, Ruger. Unison soft pastels and pitt pencils on Canson Mi Teintes paper #art #petportrait #softpastels

Portrait of a caiman. Unison soft pastels and pitt pencils on Canson Mi Teintes paper 😊 #art #wildlifeart #softpastels