Category Archives: 2026
Start/Finish of “Magisterial,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 58” x 38”
Start
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Q: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world? (Question from Bold Journey)
A: On September 11, 2001, my husband, Bryan Jack, was a passenger on the plane that was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. Losing Bryan was devastating beyond words. We were newly married, and he was my soulmate.
That day reshaped my life. I learned not to waste precious time because everything can change in an instant. In the studio, I push myself and the pastel medium to new technical heights. When I complete one task, my first thought is always: “What’s next?”
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Pearls from artists* # 700
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.
Let’s talk about courage now.
If you already have the courage to bring forth the jewels that are hidden within you, terrific. You’re probably already doing really interesting things with your life, and don’t need this book. Rock on.
But if you don’t have the courage, let’s try to get you some. To use creative living is a path for the brave. We all know this. And we all know when courage dies, creativity dies with it. We all know that fear is a desolate boneyard where our dreams go to desiccate in the hot sun. This is common knowledge; sometimes we just don’t know what to do about it.
Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
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Travel photo of the month*
*favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog
In Oruro with Rodrigo Paz, the President of Bolivia
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Pearls from artists* # 699
Panorama of Barbara’s Studio
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the advanced there are few. You are an artist and it’s too late to back out. You have no choice, now or in a year or two, but to take aim upon your life and discard all the debris that holds you back from doing what you know you have to do.
Letter from Ted Orland to Sally Mann in Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann
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Q: What’s on the easel today?
26” x 20” pastel painting in progress
A: I’ve just started a new “Bolivianos” pastel painting based on a photo captured at MUSEF La Paz during my February trip to Bolivia.
Comments are welcome!
Pearls from artists* # 698
With “Overlord,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 70” x 50”
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.
When you learn to trust your own voice, it is like stepping up to claim your rightful place in the universe. Remaining true to yourself as an artist is one of the most difficult things to do: temptations to compromise are everywhere. It is through standing in the fire that you build and maintain your core essence. You cease to be afraid of your largeness, your power. You begin to wield your audacity in service of a vision that is larger than yourself. In doing so, you empower others to do the same. Every day, that call to rise to your highest self comes for you, and you get to choose. You can step over the threshold to locate the voice that you know, deep in your gut, has been becoming you… for years, or even decades. ‘Here I am,’ it says. ‘You sought me out. You are finally ready. Let’s do this!’
– Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice
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Q: What makes you lose track of time — and find yourself again? (Question from Bold Journey)
A: When I’m having a productive day in the studio, I’m fully present and absorbed. Working in soft pastel on sandpaper, I become immersed in solving technical problems and improving the painting on my easel. Hours pass unnoticed, and I often need to remind myself to stop for lunch. Nothing exists except the work and my relationship with it. Most artists know this feeling of flow—a state of being that’s both natural and essential to creative work.
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Pearls from artists* # 697
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.
Serendipity (or synchronicity) is an occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. The concept of synchronicity was developed by psychiatrist Carl Jung in the early 1900s. He defined it as ‘meaningful coincidences.’ They seem like ‘signs’ or ‘clues’ from the universe that provide missing pieces to your puzzle. Your brain is busy trying to solve your Art problem. You are open, tuned into what your unconscious already knows, and is trying to help you access. Thousands of thoughts a day pass through your brain as you navigate the world, but you suddenly see, hear, or think a flash of something that triggers your unconscious to put on the brake, and call out, ‘Wait! Stop! That’s it! That’s what we need!”
Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice
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Q: Please introduce yourself and tell us what makes your work unique. (Question from Bold Journey)
With a Giacometti at Fondation Maeght, St. Paul de Vence, France; Photo: Christine Marchal
A: I am a contemporary painter based in New York City, best known for large pastel-on-sandpaper paintings inspired by Bolivian Carnival masks and Latin American folk art. For more than 40 years, I have been committed to elevating pastel as a fine art medium.
My blog, Barbara Rachko’s Colored Dust, has 229,000 subscribers, and I’m the subject of the documentary Barbara Rachko: True Grit, available on YouTube. My e-book, From Pilot to Painter, tells my story of moving from Navy Commander, commercial pilot, and Boeing-727 Flight Engineer to professional artist.
My work has been developed into three major series—Domestic Threats, Black Paintings, and Bolivianos. In 2023, I was featured in a documentary that premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, winning both the Audience Award and Best in Category.
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barbararachkoscoloreddust.com 