The Pastel Society of the West Coast's "Pastels USA" exhibition is currently showing at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, Calif, through Sept 27. Congratulations to Pastel Journal editorial board member, Duane Wakeham, (pictured at left with Tina Moore, president of the PSWC), who can now add "PSWC Pastel Laureate" to his already long list of achievements. The accomplished artist and art instructor is also a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, and a member of their Pastel Hall of Fame. If you can't make it to the PSWC show in Santa Clara, you can check out more of Wakeham's work in the October 2008 issue of The Pastel Journal.

I'd also like to extend congratulations to artist Bill Hosner, who received his third Best of Show award in the Pastels USA exhibition, the first artist to do this. Hosner is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Society of the West Coast. He has also been recognized with a Gold Medallion and Master's Circle status in the International Association of Pastel Societies. His plein air figure work, of which his award-winning Espanola (shown here) is a wonderful example, was featured in The Pastel Journal (February 2008) and his landscape work will be part of an upcoming special feature on winter scenes in February 2010.

Alan Flattmann, the Juror of Awards for the show, also recognized work by Kim Lordier, Diana DeSantis, Andrew McDermott, Wilo Balfrey, Dawn Emerson, Clark Mitchell and other wonderful pastel artists. Visit the PSWC website to see a Gallery slide show.
 
 

A sad bit of news came to me today by way of our contributing writer in the U.K., Ken Gofton. He'd received a call over the weekend with the news that artist Mark Leach had died suddenly on Friday. Ken says, "I've only known him for the last couple of years ... but he was a really nice guy, always willing to help, and of course he was a very talented artist."

Mark worked in pastel to create primarily landscapes of some of Europe's loveliest locations—Venice, Provence, Paris and his own English countryside. He favored a vibrant palette and expressive style (as seen in Roquebrune III, at left) and won many honors. Most recently, he was awarded this year's Orange Street Gallery prize at the 109th exhibition of the Pastel Society UK, an organization in which Mark was very active, serving as both treasurer and president-elect.

We were introduced to the artist in 2007 as the author of the new book, Raw Colour and we quickly planned a feature for the magazine, which appeared in the 2007 June issue. If you'd like to learn more about this talented artist, you can find a PDF of that article on our website by clicking here.

Q. How can I find pastel artists/workshops in my area?
A. A good place to start is our extensive listing workshops in the back pages of every issue of the magazine. You can also check in with your nearest pastel society. You'll also find active pastel communities on WetCanvas! and The Artists Network Forums.

Q. How can I find out more about oil pastels?
A. We do publish oil pastels occasionally (check out Brett Varney's gorgeous oil pastel trees in the October 2007 issue), though soft (dry) pastels are our primary focus. You'll find a lot information in the Oil Pastel area of Wet Canvas. Another good online resource for information regarding oil pastels is the Oil Pastel Society.

Q. Can I travel on planes with my pastels?
A. Yes, so long as they aren't mistaken for bullets, apparently. Richard McKinley shares his tips for traveling with pastels on the Pastel Pointers Blog.

Q. How do I get my work in The Pastel Journal?
A. Our submission guidelines are now downloadable here. (Just scroll down to our title.) And Anne gives you the inside line here. Of course, you can always send us your Creative Spark inspired paintings. This option has the added bonus of a wonderful prize ($150 worth of PanPastels in the April installment).

Q. Which brand of pastel should I use?
A. That's a personal choice, of course. Each pastel brand offers a different color range and has its own unique characteristics. Some are harder, some softer. Some are square, some round. It's about choosing the right tool for the job and your own artistic preferences. Many artists collect sticks from a variety of sources, and use a palette made up of a number of different brands. Since many artists like to begin a painting with harder pastels, and then move to softer sticks as they progress, a useful chart is Dakota Pastels' list of pastel brands organized in order from softest to hardest.

Once you have a sizable pastel collection and you need help arranging your palette, you can find out how artist Richard McKinley does it here.

Q. Where do I buy pastel painting supplies?
A. Why not look online? You're already here, after all. Start your search at Artist's Marketplace. You'll also find plenty of ads for art suppliers right here on our blog, in the magazine and here. Most of the major players have websites these days. Just start with a simple search.

Got a burning pastel question that doesn't appear on the list? I'll bet you do. If you'd like to get in touch with us, please don't hesitate to write.