As an Affiliate Artist and a loyal fan of Unison Color with my very own 36-set of pastels, my latest travels to the UK needed to embrace a go to to the Unison Color headquarters tucked away within the coronary heart of Northumberland. And it was nothing in need of magical! The dedication to handcrafting every pastel with consistency and unwavering ardour left me in awe. I now have a a lot deeper understanding of what “handmade” means!
Be part of me on my journey to Unison Color HQ the place we see the step-by-step course of of making these inventive gems.
My Journey to Unison Color HQ Begins
My journey began with a prepare journey from Newcastle upon Tyne to Hexham, the place I used to be warmly welcomed by Nessie. We then launched into a gorgeous half-hour drive by scenic nation roads, heading in direction of the house of Unison Color pastels.
Unison Color’s headquarters is nestled in a serene countryside location and is comprised of Kate Hersey’s charming home, outbuildings with the varied stations of creation, and even a picturesque church and churchyard.
A Heat Welcome
Upon arrival, I used to be met by Liz Reekie, my contact with Unison Color. (She’s really the corporate’s UK Retail Account Supervisor.) Over espresso and biscuits in Kate Hersey’s house, we mentioned the artistry behind the pastels, and contemplated the legacy left by her husband John Hersey, the creator and founding father of Unison Color.
Earlier than lengthy, I discovered myself within the midst of a pleasant tour of the premises, meetinga few of the Unison Color group alongside the way in which.
The Begin of our Tour
The tour started in Jim’s room. Jim is the chief concocter of the pastel recipes however sadly, he was away on the time of my go to. Every recipe combine he places collectively creates a batch of about 200 pastel sticks. Liz and I had a peek into a few containers of pigments – shiny, saturated ones after all. “Proper, you don’t do brown,” says Liz!
Now let’s check out the journey a single bowl of pigment combine takes. (These concoctions can have 5-35 totally different pigments in them!)
From Mixing to Rolling to Drying
Nessie skillfully blended the bowl of pigment with water earlier than effectively spooning the combination onto paper in blobs. To take away extra moisture, used paper is stacked beneath the clear sheets.
Subsequent, Sue took cost, skillfully mushing after which rolling the pastel blobs to kind particular person sticks. I had the possibility to strive my hand at it and shortly found that it wasn’t as simple because it regarded!
As soon as rolled, the sticks are reduce with a helpful dandy software created from two palette knives!
The pastel sticks are then moved to a drying rack after which positioned within the drying room which unusually sufficient must be saved at a sure moisture degree to ensure the pastel sticks dry evenly all through. Every batch has its personal observe recording the color, the date, who made them, and the dimensions. This turns out to be useful as Hazel does her assessments. (I’ll speak about this later.)
The Artwork of Labeling
After the pastels are dried, the pastels are prepared for his or her labels. Two ladies, devoted to the duty of labelling every pastel stick, meticulously and dexterously handle this course of. Wow. And all of us had a great snort after we talked concerning the first issues some artists do after they get their pastels – rip off the label!
Protecting Consistency
In the meantime, Hazel, together with her 27 years of expertise at Unison Color, ensures the standard of every pastel, testing a pair from each batch in opposition to the unique colors.
Challenges and Perseverance
Unison Color’s dedication to consistency generally brings challenges, particularly when coping with altering pigments. Hazel makes positive that there are not any color shifts between the pastels created utilizing a brand new cargo of pigment and the originals. Even slight fluctuations require recipe changes, a time-consuming job that requires endurance, perseverance, and dedication!
A significant headache for Hazel is when a pigment is not accessible. When this occurs, an alternate pigment have to be discovered. After which, the recipe for each pastel stick that features the unavailable pigment have to be recalculated with the alternate alternative. It’s not unusual for a single pigment to look in as many as 35 colors! Not a job for the weak of coronary heart (or for somebody with out the experience Hazel has!).
The Origin of the title “Unison Color”
I questioned out loud concerning the model title. Liz defined that the title “Unison Color” itself displays the philosophy behind their pastels. John Hersey, the creator and founder, selected the title as a result of the colors in every color set (typically 1-18) work “in unison” with each other. He was impressed by how mild impacts totally different colors, very like how the colors of an apple change when held up and turned within the mild. His inventive imaginative and prescient was not restricted to including white for lightness or black for darkness; he integrated various pigments to create distinctive hues.
A Rainbow of Potentialities
Unison Color affords pastels in three totally different sizes, making certain that artists have a variety of selections to go well with their wants. With an enormous palette of 380 colors, we artists can discover and experiment to our coronary heart’s content material, discovering harmonious combos that resonate with our inventive visions.
My go to to Unison Color’s house left me with a brand new respect and love for these pastels. I’m deeply impressed by the group’s dedication to handcrafting really distinctive pastels.
I now take a look at the pastels in my field with a special appreciation. Every stick has began as a recipe of pigments that are then blended, divided into about 200 blobs which might be then left to dry to a sure consistency. They’re then hand rolled and put within the drying room earlier than being labelled, by hand. Lastly, they’re boxed up and despatched out into the world. Wow!! Every one! (The packing and delivery space is now in a separate constructing some 20 minutes away therefore the branded van they now should run between the 2 areas!)
I liked assembly the individuals behind this unbelievable dedication and stay up for returning someday. I additionally am decided to assist them get the phrase out concerning the fabulousness of Unison Color pastels!
The wealthy historical past and inventive ardour infused into every stick of pastel make them a treasure for artists worldwide. As Unison Colour continues to develop and increase, I do know their dedication to creating pastels that work “in unison” will stay steadfast, enriching the artwork world and artists’ lives one color at a time. Thanks John Hersey and the group at Unison Color!!
Till subsequent time,
Gail
PS. If you wish to see me really rolling the pastel dough and also you’re on Instagram, check it out here!
PPS. I couldn’t resist these photographs of the ground!!
