The pastel landscapes were created plein air, meaning outdoors-- in nature-- at the site. Nishima loves to explore the region around her home. The pastel works shown here describe her last three homes: Texas, Western North Carolina, and California, with a wink to her years in Pennsylvania. Torn paper landscapes and hand-pulled prints are featured below the pastels.
For her pastel landscapes, Nishima sets up a french easel with Wallis pastel paper that is mounted on a board. Often beginning with gouache and water to sketch the scene, she then finds a limited palette of pastels that is discovered for each piece. Layering colors, using water to set some layers, spraying with workable fixative to set other layers, her image is gradually developed over 3-7 hours.
The time spent outdoors, living in the scene, creates a dynamic relationship to the changing light and colors. The finished drawing is not a snapshot of a single moment. Time is fluid in these landscapes.
The torn paper landscapes were created in Nishima's studio. They are intuitive interpretations of natural scenes, many she witnessed and photographed herself.
The hand-pulled prints shown here are unique, one-of-a-kind images. Several are monoprints or use colored inks or watercolor paint that create an image that will never be reproduced. The torn paper borders amplify the uniqueness of these works.