The staff of The Pastel Journal is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of artist Al Zerries. Zerries has long been a friend of the magazine and his work has also appeared often in the pages of our sister publications, The Artist's Magazine and Watercolor Artist. On a personal level, the interviews that I conducted with the artist in preparation for the feature I wrote on his work for the December 2008 issue of The Pastel Journal, were among the most riveting and rewarding I've had as an editor. His determination as an artist and a writer were and are an inspiration to me and I'll always remember our talks fondly. In celebration of Zerries' work and his working life, we offer this slide show of his portraits in pastel, watercolor and oil, along with our sincere condolences to his family and friends.