Discipline, Harmony and Chaos in Oil Pastel/ Crayon

Through the chaos, mess, dirt and sticky textures of oil pastel, I discovered something unexpected – Harmony

For over a year, I have been practising occasionally and alternately with oil pastels, or what many simply call crayons. During my childhood, my mother use to buy us crayons so we could doodle and scribble for fun and creativity. I still remember using those crayons to draw all over the walls of my room.

How time flies.

Back then, crayon felt messy, dirty and chaotic. But today my perception has completely changed. What once seemed like disorder has transformed into something beautiful and harmonious. In every smear of colour and imperfect stroke, I now see expression, freedom and balance.

Yet in between chaos and harmony, I discovered something even more important – discipline.

Oil pastel is not only about blending colours freely or making expressive marks. It also demand patience, control and consistency. Every layer teaches me to slow down, to observe carefully and to trust process even when the artwork looks unclear to messy in the beginning. Discipline became the bridge between careless strokes and meaningful composition.

Some days, the pastel feels stubborn, rough, and difficult to control. The colours smudge onto my hands, the surface becomes muddy, and mistakes appear impossible to erase. But returning to the medium again and again taught me persistence. With discipline, even the mess begins to find direction.

I realized that harmony in art does not come from perfection. It comes from learning how to work through the chaos with patience and intention. The chaos no longer feels chaotic at all.

IT FEELS ART.