Dreaming of spring? These floral paintings and demo take you there.

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Denmark-based artist Silja Salmistu’s commitment to spontaneity, experimentation, and emotional resonance enlivens her floral and still life subjects.

By Amy Leibrock

For pastel artist Silja Salmistu, there’s always a representational object that serves as an anchor in a painting, and her subject preferences of florals and fruits are classic still life favorites that conjure scenes of spring. Her pastel works combine elements of realism, semi-abstraction and impressionism, and are based on a keen, direct observation of her subject.

*Lilacs No. 4* (pastel on UART 400, 17 3/4 x 23 1/2)

That choice of subject often carries emotional resonance for Salmistu. “For instance, I find that I want to paint certain flowers again and again every year when they bloom,” the artist says. “They take me back to my childhood in Estonia, to my mom’s garden, or to the summer meadows. Painting them feels like having a good time with old friends.”

*Midsummer Bouquet* (pastel on dark UART 600, 21 2/3 x 17 3/4)

She continues, “Sweet William flowers have always grown in my mother’s garden. As a child, I didn’t like them because, every year on the anniversary of my grandmother’s birthday, we’d bring a bouquet of them to the cemetery to place on her grave. The flowers symbolized death, grief and sadness to me.”

In Denmark, where Salmistu now lives, however, these flowers are found at celebratory events such as high school graduations, commemorating happy days for young people. “This outlook has altered my negative perspective of them,” she says, “and I’ve depicted these lovely flowers in pastel.”

Learn more about Silja Salmistu’s painting process and see more of her works in the Winter 2025 issue of Pastel Journal.

Demonstration: Sweet William

I placed the flowers in several containers for a garden-like feel and used a daylight lamp to light the scene from above.

Step 1: I began with a random wash of blue and yellow water-soluble Caran d’Ache Neocolor 2 wax pastels to “break the silence” of the untouched surface. On the black-gray paper, they dried to cooler, warmer greens. Not having experience with these flowers’ behavior in a vase—Do they hold their pose, or do they “move” and “dance” over time?—I rushed to paint at least one “star of the show” before any compositional considerations.

Step 2: I added contrast with light-colored negative shapes in the background, followed by the rest of the bouquet flowers in a variety of reds and pinks. I wanted to capture the essential shapes and patterns of the flowers, stems and blades without fiddling with the details.

Step 3: I brought bright blue to the background and yellow-greens to the blades to depict the mood of a happy summer day. Splashes of either water or rubbing alcohol can be seen over the layer of blue.

Final Step: Holding a pastel pencil near the top, I softened edges and brought the painting together by making vigorous random marks. They add a sense of movement, airy vibration and energy to Sweet William (pastel on dark UART 600 paper,13¾ x13¾).

More Works by Silja Salmistu

*Trapped by the Decadent Beauty No. 3* (pastel on UART 400, 17 3/4 x 23 1/2)

*Summer Delight: Strawberries* (pastel on LuxArchival paper, 11 3/4 x11 3/4)

*Dandelions No. 6* (pastel on UART 600, 7 3/4 x 11 1/2)

About the Author

Amy Leibrock is a Cincinnati-based writer and editor, and a regular contributor to the Artists Network group of magazines.

About the Artist

Denmark-based Silja Salmistu, of Estonia, graduated with honors from Estonia’s Tartu Art School, in 1986, and earned a M.F.A. equivalent in painting at the University of Tartu, in 1994. She has exhibited in numerous juried, curated, group, and solo shows in Estonia, Finland, Denmark, England, France, China, and the United States, and her work has received numerous awards. She’s a Member in the Pastel Guild of Europe, a Signature Member in the Pastel Society of America, and a Master Circle Member in the International Association of Pastel Societies.

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