soft pastel attempt

Here is my first attempt at working with soft pastels, done in the fall of 2009. It is 9 x 11". Big suprise, it is my Paint mare Twista again lol. I don't recall what paper it is, as it came with some art supplies I'd bought at a garage sale, but the pastels were Rembrandts so it was a great deal! I have since gotten a set of 40 Sennelier half-sticks but havent tried them out yet.
I really love the way soft pastels handle and how vibrant and 'instant' they are compared to oil paints and watercolors. I still need to learn how to control the pigment and get some brushes and tools to use instead of my fingers for the tiny areas. However, I dont have an easel that tips forward or any quality papers right now. Add it to my list next time I get to a city lol. The wishlist keeps growing the more I get to play with art...