For some years I have been a member of a small painting group in Dorset and each summer we hold an annual Summer Exhibition in Milton Abbas. Last year in 2020 it was cancelled owing to the pandemic, but this year the exhibition starts today and runs for 10 days. Each member hangs around 5 – 7 paintings, and this year I have included some pastel drawings. I’ve been painting watercolours for years but I thought recently I should try a new medium. Last Christmas my husband gave me a set of pastel crayons, which I have been experimenting with. Pastels possess a brilliance of colour almost unrivalled by any other medium, and they mix together well to achieve a wide range of tones that seem to glow on the paper. They are delightfully messy too! This was my first effort.