The Expressive Power of Oil Pastels: Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s Technique

Clotilde Aksin-Frappier is an artist whose mastery of oil pastels demonstrates the medium’s capacity for depth, texture, and luminosity. She explores a range of subjects, from landscapes and still lifes to conceptual compositions that reflect on perception. Her approach is characterised by meticulous layering, subtle tonal transitions, and sensitivity to light.

Clotilde Clotilde Aksin-Frappier has also explored oil pastels on shikishi, a traditional Japanese art board typically reserved for ink painting and calligraphy. This unconventional approach pushes the boundaries of the medium, adapting oil pastels to a surface not commonly associated with them. The rigidity of shikishi, combined with its smooth texture, presents a unique challenge for layering and blending pastels. Through careful technique, she has successfully adapted her process to this format, as seen in works such as Brittany and On the Beach.

On the Beach by Clotilde Aksin-Frappier. Oil pastel on Japanese Shikishi.

Oil Pastels as a Painterly Medium

Unlike dry pastels, which rely on a chalky binder, oil pastels contain pigment, wax, and oil. This composition allows for smooth blending, rich saturation, and flexibility in application. Clotilde Aksin-Frappier utilises these properties to achieve a painterly quality, often building up layers to create both softness and precision. In The Scorff River, she employs gradual layering, allowing the interplay of warm and cool tones to convey depth and movement. The result is a surface that retains the vitality of individual strokes while maintaining cohesion of form and colour.

The Scorff River by Clotilde Aksin-Frappier. Oil pastel on paper.

Layering and the Construction of Light

A fundamental aspect of Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s technique is her method of constructing light through colour layering. By superimposing transparent and opaque layers, she achieves a sense of natural illumination that appears to emanate from within the composition. In Two Apples, this technique creates a contrast between the reflective qualities of ceramic surfaces and the organic textures of fruit skins. The same principle is applied in The Blue Gate of Faros, where Mediterranean sunlight is articulated through warm ochres, cool blues, and neutral earth tones. This careful attention to light gives her compositions an atmospheric quality, imbuing each scene with presence.

The Blue Gate of Faros by Clotilde Aksin-Frappier. Oil pastel on paper.

Mark-Making and Surface Variation

Clotilde Aksin-Frappier does not rely solely on smooth blending but integrates various mark-making techniques to enhance the materiality of her subjects. She employs short, directional strokes to suggest movement in foliage and water, as seen in The Scorff River. In contrast, her still life compositions use controlled hatch marks and stippling to articulate surface textures. A notable example is Fresh Catch, where the shimmer of fish scales is rendered through layered highlights and delicate sgraffito, scratching away the top layer to reveal underlying tones. This approach reinforces the textural complexity of the piece and introduces realism beyond mere representation.

Fresh Catch by Clotilde Aksin-Frappier. Oil pastel on paper.

Composition and Spatial Organization

The structuring of space within Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s work reflects both classical principles of composition and a contemporary sensitivity to perspective. Her still lifes are arranged to guide the viewer’s eye through the interplay of objects, light, and negative space. In Regarder Cézanne, she incorporates a printed reproduction of a Cézanne still life, creating a dialogue between past and present, original and reproduction. In her landscapes, she employs natural framing elements—such as arching tree branches and curving riverbanks—to lead the viewer’s gaze through the scene. This enhances the sense of immersion, allowing the composition to function as both a depiction of space and an invitation into it.

Regarder Cézanne by Clotilde Aksin-Frappier. Oil pastel on paper.

Clotilde Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s approach to oil pastels demonstrates the medium’s full potential as both a painterly and graphic tool. Through layering, mark-making, and compositional structuring, she achieves a balance between precision and spontaneity, control and expressiveness. Her ability to manipulate color and texture results in works that are visually engaging and technically sophisticated.

Her innovative use of oil pastels on shikishi expands the medium’s possibilities, introducing a level of control and refinement rarely seen in pastel work. By adapting her technique to this unconventional surface, she bridges traditional Japanese materials with contemporary Western pastel techniques, offering a fresh perspective on both.

Whether capturing the quiet luminosity of a river, the tactile qualities of fruit and fabric, or the conceptual interplay between representation and reality, her work attests to the enduring relevance of oil pastels as a fine art medium. Those interested in exploring her technique further can view her oil pastel works at Art San Gallery.