Sad news: After 28 years, The Pastel Journal is folding. The magazine worked hard to legitimize what many wrongly thought an inferior medium and made pastel popular again.

Founded in 1999 by artist Maggie Price alongside Janie Hutchinson, The Pastel Journal debuted as an independent, bi-monthly print magazine dedicated specifically to pastel artists, with Price serving as its founding editor. The publication was acquired in 2003 by F+W Media, expanding its reach and growing the prominent annual Pastel 100 competition under editor Maureen Bloomfield. Throughout the 2010s, it integrated digital downloads and video content alongside its six-issue print schedule until the publisher’s 2019 bankruptcy, when it was acquired by Peak Media Properties (now Golden Peak Media). Under editor Anne Hevener, the magazine transitioned to a quarterly, continuing to deliver feature profiles, step-by-step demonstrations, and instructional content for the pastel community.

The current issue, Fall 2026, is the last.

The departure of the magazine saddens me, as I’ve enjoyed a working relationship with its wonderful editors for 25 years. Going through my list of publications, I see I’ve written at least 65 articles for them (I might have missed a few). But it’s good to see that the publisher has not abandoned pastel, as this fine medium will still be covered in the Journal’s sister publication, Artists Magazine. Also, the annual Pastel 100 competition will be folded into a special premium print publication as well as showcased on ArtistsNetwork.com.

Ars longa, vita brevis.