Whether you’ve never held a pastel or haven’t drawn since grade school, we all know that finding the right subject can be one of the hardest steps in starting your painting. Do you draw your own image ...

Pastel is a paradoxical medium. It is the most fragile of materials—essentially dust rubbed on a surface (usually paper). It is easily disturbed and impossible to fix without altering its character.

“Holding Them,” an oil pastel piece by Scranton artist Simona Gavern, is among the many pieces that will be exhibited at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel during September’s First Friday ...