Brigitte DESAULT’s relationship with art began early, rooted in a natural curiosity and sensitivity to visual expression. At just fourteen years old, she developed a deep interest in oil painting, discovering not only the pleasure of working with color but also the emotional resonance that painting could evoke. These formative years laid the foundation for an artistic path that, while interrupted for a time, would ultimately mature into a rich and confident practice.
Like many artists, DESAULT experienced a long pause in her creative journey. Life, responsibilities, and changing priorities led her away from painting for several years. Yet the connection to art never truly faded. Instead, it remained dormant, waiting for the right moment to reemerge. That moment arrived approximately a decade ago, when she returned to artistic creation through dry pastel, a medium that would soon become central to her visual language.
Rediscovering Expression Through Dry Pastels
For the past ten years, Brigitte DESAULT has dedicated herself to dry pastel, exploring its technical possibilities and expressive depth. Over the last eight years in particular, she has worked consistently with this medium, refining her approach and developing a recognizable style characterized by rich color, layered surfaces, and a strong sense of presence.
Dry pastel appealed to DESAULT for its immediacy and intensity. Unlike other techniques that can feel distant or overly controlled, pastel allows for a direct connection between hand, pigment, and surface. The colors remain pure, luminous, and tactile, qualities that align closely with her artistic sensibility. For DESAULT, pastel is not merely a drawing medium. It is a painterly language capable of subtle nuance and powerful visual impact.
She works on specially selected paper whose textured surface allows for the superimposition of multiple layers of pigment. This technical choice is essential to her process, enabling depth, complexity, and a vibrant interplay of tones. Layer by layer, the image emerges, gaining both structure and emotional weight.
Materials as a Creative Extension
DESAULT’s choice of materials reflects her commitment to quality and expressive clarity. She favors Schminke soft pastels for their exceptional brilliance and intensity of color, qualities that enhance the vibrancy and life within her compositions. These pastels allow her to achieve a luminous finish while maintaining softness and subtle transitions.
In addition to Schminke, she also incorporates Sennelier and Girault pastels into her work. Each brand offers distinct characteristics, and DESAULT uses them thoughtfully, selecting specific pigments to achieve desired effects. This nuanced approach to materials demonstrates her technical knowledge and respect for the medium, treating tools not as accessories but as integral collaborators in the creative process.
Exhibitions and Artistic Recognition
Brigitte DESAULT’s work has been widely exhibited, both nationally and internationally, reflecting the growing recognition of her artistic voice. In France, she has participated in numerous pastel exhibitions across regions known for their cultural and artistic heritage. Her work has been shown in Normandy, Le Chesnay, and Brittany, including exhibitions in Muzillac and La Gacilly, locations that celebrate artistic exchange and public engagement with contemporary art.
Internationally, DESAULT has exhibited in La Palmyre and notably in Lyon, where she participated in the Art Cœur de l’Art Biennial. This event brought her work into dialogue with a broader artistic community, reinforcing the universality of her visual language.
One of the significant milestones in her career occurred in Sanary sur Mer, where she was awarded the prestigious Clairefontaine Prize. This recognition not only acknowledged her technical mastery of pastel but also affirmed the emotional strength and originality of her work. Such distinctions mark important moments in an artist’s journey, offering both validation and momentum for future exploration.
A New Direction: Animal Painting and Expanded Techniques
Today, Brigitte DESAULT is entering a new phase of her artistic evolution. While pastel remains a foundational medium, she is now expanding her practice to include oil painting and watercolor. This transition is driven by a deepening interest in animal painting, a theme that has become central to her current body of work.
Animals, in DESAULT’s paintings, are not merely subjects of observation. They are presences, beings imbued with character, emotion, and quiet strength. Her approach avoids anecdote or sentimentality, focusing instead on the essence of the animal, its gaze, posture, and inner life. Through careful composition and sensitive use of color, she captures moments of stillness and intensity that invite viewers into a contemplative relationship with the subject.
Oil painting offers her a new temporal rhythm, allowing for slower construction and richer textures, while watercolor introduces transparency and spontaneity. These techniques complement her pastel practice, expanding her expressive range while remaining faithful to her core interest in color, material, and living form.
An Artistic Practice Rooted in Sensitivity and Exploration
Brigitte DESAULT’s work is defined by patience, attentiveness, and a genuine love for the act of making. Whether working in pastel, oil, or watercolor, she approaches each piece as an exploration of material, subject, and emotional resonance. Her paintings do not seek to overwhelm but to engage, offering viewers space for reflection and connection.
Having returned to art after a long pause, DESAULT brings to her practice a maturity shaped by experience, observation, and persistence. Her journey illustrates that artistic growth is not linear but cyclical, enriched by time and renewed commitment. As she continues to explore new techniques and deepen her focus on animal subjects, her work stands as a testament to the enduring power of creativity and the quiet strength of artistic devotion.
