Artist pastels are stored and utilized as a pressed powder that is retained within a pan-like container or godet. The godet is a container having a bottom, at least one side and a top opening that defines a recess area to receive the pressed powder to be used as an artist pastel. In one embodiment, a non-thermally activated adhesive layer is positioned generally along at least a portion of an inner surface of the bottom of the container. In another embodiment, surface features are defined on the inner surface of at least the bottom of the container in order to create a generally lateral force component that the container applies to the pressed powder material to resist cracking of the pressed powder material in response to removal of a portion of the pressed powder material from the top opening. Preferably, the colorized pressed powder composition has a durometer of less than about 70 Shore A and has a pigment content of greater than 25%.