A new pastel set curated by Clint Howard in collaboration with J. Luda Colors
Some moments in an artist’s journey feel like quiet milestones, like pausing mid-trail to look back and see how far you’ve climbed. This is one of those moments for me. I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been invited to join J. Luda Pastels as an Associate Artist, and together we’ve released a new artist-curated set called the Timberline Range.
If you’re not familiar with J. Luda, they’re a small, passionate company creating handcrafted pastels with remarkable depth and subtlety. I’ve admired their colors for a long time, not just for their beauty but for how they feel, and the way they blend and layer. So when the opportunity came to curate a set that reflected my own artistic voice, I knew exactly where I wanted to begin: in the mountains.
The Inspiration Behind the Timberline Range
The name Timberline comes from that magical edge of the alpine world where trees give way to rock, wind, and sky. It’s a place of transition, quiet but powerful, where colors simplify and the light sharpens. I’ve always been drawn to those in-between spaces, both in nature and in painting.
The Timberline Range was designed around that idea. The set is built from neutral tones, cool grays, soft earths, and misty greens, all carefully balanced so they harmonize naturally. These are the subtle colors needed for calm, nostalgic landscapes.
When I paint, I’m often looking for restraint rather than intensity. I want the color to serve the mood, not dominate it. These pastels help me do that. They let me build quiet contrast and emotional depth without losing that sense of calm and natural order. My hope is that other artists will find in this set a similar rhythm, a palette that supports both precision and expression.
Working with J. Luda Pastels
What I love about J. Luda is their commitment to craftsmanship and their openness to collaboration. They understand that pastels aren’t just colors; they’re language. Every hue carries a voice, a texture, a weight.
When we started curating this set, we didn’t just want a pretty assortment of bold colors. You can find bold, saturated colors in almost any pastel set. Instead we wanted that sophisticated subtlety that only comes from balanced neutrals.
The final collection feels grounded in the mountains, but it’s also a useful a range of hues that are versatile enough for a large variety of landscapes. I’ve already been using the Timberline Range in several new mountain and river scenes, and the set represents many of my go-to colors for establishing atmosphere and depth.
What This Collaboration Means to Me
Being named an Associate Artist with J. Luda Colors is an honor, but more than that, it’s an affirmation of something I believe deeply: art is meant to be shared. And by that I don’t just mean the paintings we produce, but also the processes and materials that help us as artists. We share our knowledge with others.
That’s what excites me most about this collaboration. These pastels aren’t just my vision; they’re an invitation. I want other artists to pick them up and make something that’s entirely theirs. To take these quiet, grounded colors and breathe their own stories into them.
A Set for Artists Who See Beauty in the Subtle
If your work leans toward the natural, the atmospheric, or the understated, the Timberline Range might feel like home. It’s designed for artists who love texture, tone, and the beauty of light caught in stillness.
I think of it as a range for artists who notice the quiet things: the shadow beneath a spruce branch, the thin silver line of dawn on a ridgeline, the way mist softens a river valley. These are the moments that move me to paint, and I hope this set helps others capture them too.
You can explore and purchase the new Timberline Range on the J. Luda Pastels website.
And if you’re a fellow pastel artist, I’d love to hear what you think once you try them. Every mark we make tells part of a larger story, one we’re writing together, stick by stick and color by color.