The Pastel Journal Blog

The Pastel Journal Reader Survey

Sarah — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:43:23 GMT

Once every year we offer our readers a chance to tell us what they really think. Which features were your favorites this year? Which could you have done without? What would you love to see in the magazine? If you're already formulating answers to these questions, it might be time for you to join in the fun and take our easy online survey. For those readers who live in the States, you'll be entered to win a free copy of our 2008 CD archive just for completing the survey. (Sorry overseas artists! We'd love to send you a prize but international law forbids it.) Make sure to get your responses in by July 12, 2009. We read all of your comments and take them into account when planning our editorial calendar for the next year. Now's your chance to be heard. Click here to share your thoughts.

Society Art Events: Pastels in Indiana

Anne — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:14:35 GMT

If you're in the vicinity or passing through northern Indiana this month, there are 30 good reasons to make a stop in the town of Goshen, Ind. The Northern Indiana Pastel Society (NIPS) Members Juried Exhibit, currently showing at the Sycamore Gallery, located in The Old Bag Factory in Goshen, features 30 pastel paintings to inspire and delight you. The show was juried by Brian Byrn, director of the Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart, Ind. The judge’s awards went to paintings by Ron Monsma and Deb Eiswald (shown below), as well as Susie Russell and Tom Tooley. Six Merit awards went to work by artists Linda Freel, Mary Meehan Firtl, Mary Michalak, Diane Overmyer, Stephen Verace and Mona Witt. You can stop by and see it Monday through Saturday, now through July 27.

Pictured here: For Our Children’s Children’s Children (pastel) by Ron Monsma (left) and Woody (pastel) by Deb Eiswald

New Issue!

Sarah — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:29:46 GMT

The August 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal ships to subscribers this week, but you can also order a copy online. Here's what to expect:

Features
Degas & Whistler
By Tamera Lenz Muente
We celebrate the 175th anniversary of the births of these two art masters with a special feature that looks at their lives, ground-breaking pastels and sometimes thorny friendship.

Pioneering Spirit
By Robert K. Carsten
In the third installment of our "Artist Interview Series," Daniel E. Greene walks us through the back stories of 10 of his exceptional pastels from a career that spans four decades.

Red Tree, Blue Tree
By Bob Rohm
Every artist who wants to paint landscapes with vitality has to learn how to handle the greens. Find out, in this step-by-step demonstration, how stretching the range of color can help.

Reaching for Peace
By Deborah Secor
Pastel artist Lynn Goldstein approaches an enduring and majestic subject—trees—from a unique vantage point, creating a fresh and compelling series of pastels.

Earth and Sky
By Michael Chesley Johnson
Mixed-media artist Elissa Gore combines oil pastel and watercolor to great effect in her quiet, panoramic landscapes that celebrate the light and the land.

A Touch of Magic
By Anne Hevener
In the fourth installment of our "Artist Interview Series," Albert Handell describes his pastel application technique, an approach that's color- and value-sensitive.

Columns
Art Matters
By Anne Hevener
A group of artists reach new heights in the search for inspiration. Plus, your summer reading list, and more.

In Detail
By Albert Handell
In this in-depth look at a painting, ?nd out how subtlety makes a powerful impression.

Professional Practices
By Maggie Price
Entering juried exhibitions is an opportunity for recognition and evaluation. Make sure you get noticed for all the right reasons.

Pastel Pointers
By Richard McKinley
If you want to create harmonious color in your painting, then learn how to maximize the power of gray and other visual effects.

Creative Spark
By Lynn Goldstein
Take a second look by painting a favorite subject from a new vantage point.

Pastel Society UK News

Sarah — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:01:23 GMT

An update from The Pastel Journal contributor, Ken Gofton:

A candle-lit Pastel Society UK dinner Saturday at London's Mall Galleries marked not only the closing of its annual exhibition, but the retirement of President Moira Huntly. She has been president for the past six years, but, as many friends and colleagues have pointed out, she has been a force in the organization's development for many more years than that.

Huntly was elected a member of the society in 1978, and almost immediately took a place on its council. She served as honorary secretary and then honorary treasurer. In 1993, she began a decade working as vice president alongside first the late John Blockley, and second, Tom Coates—two past presidents who did a great deal to raise the profile and status of the society.

"When I joined, the society, quite honestly, was not very good," Huntly said. "There was very little exciting work, and too many chocolate box paintings and portrait sketches. Now I believe we put on one of the best shows in London."

Vice President Bob Last then made the first of a carefully sequenced series of presentations, starting with an etched, stainless steel commemorative plaque. Huntly's love of ceramics was marked with the presentation of a large pot in the style of the famous potter Hans Coper. She also received a check for £1200—"toward a holiday in Venice"—and a large bouquet of peach roses.

As one artist at the dinner noted, "Unusually, she has been able to combine great charm with a steely determination. She has been a very popular president." Huntly will continue to serve on the council of the Pastel Society UK. She is succeeded by John Ivor Stewart.

(Pictured: New Pastel Society UK President Bob Last made the first of a series of presentations to outgoing President Moira Huntly. Photo: Ken Gofton)

More Competition News

Anne — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:15:10 GMT

The Pastel Society of America would like to remind us that there is still time to enter their 37th annual juried show, Pastels Only, scheduled for viewing at the historic National Arts Club in New York City, September 8 through September 27.

The postmark deadline for entries is July 1, 2009. You'll find a prospectus on their website. And, because entries need to be in a slide format, if you need to have digital images converted into slides, you can use a service such as Gamma Tech at www.gammatech.com, which offers a next-day service.

So, if this is one of your 2009 goals, it's not too late!

Art Competitions Insider

Sarah — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:08:15 GMT

Our very own Anne Hevener (editor of The Pastel Journal) and Maureen Bloomfield (former editor of The Pastel Journal and current editor of The Artist's Magazine) will join forces on June 23, 2009, to present, "Entering Art Competitions: Enhance Your Chance of Success," a live, online seminar that will show you how to make strong choices when deciding which shows to enter, and share strategies for saving money and time. (Just by signing up for the class, you'll get a free copy of "How to Photograph Your Work for Contests and Shows.") Click here to reserve your spot.

Whistler’s Pastels at The Frick Collection

Sarah — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:00:37 GMT

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903)

The Cemetery (1879; pastel on brown paper, 8 x 11 7/8 inches)
The Frick Collection, New York
Photo: Michael Bodycomb

Currently on view (through Aug. 23) at The Frick Collection in Manhattan is Portraits, Pastels, Prints: Whistler in the Frick Collection. In addition to The Frick’s assembly of four full-length portraits by James Abbott McNeill Whistler and his 1866 seascape, Symphony in Grey and Green: The Ocean, the exhibition features three pastels and 12 etchings from the artist’s travels to Venice in 1879–80, which propelled an especially prolific period in his career.

July 11 would be the artist’s 175th birthday, by the way. Look for a joint celebration for Edgar Degas and him in the August 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal, which ships to subscribers next Tuesday and hits newsstands July 14.

Top 20th-Century Artists

Sarah — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:33:14 GMT

The votes are in: The Times (UK) and the Saatchi have released their list of the top 200 artists working since 1900, with Picasso—whose Château de Vauvenargues is now open to the public—ranking in at No. 1, and Cézanne, Klimt, Monet and Duchamp rounding out the top five.

Paula Rego, who was featured in the December 2006 issue of The Pastel Journal, landed at No. 142. Who would make your list?

Living Art Project Update

Sarah — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:06:48 GMT

Pastel artist Penny Creasy founded the Living Art Project (featured in the October 2008 issue of the magazine), a series of free art classes offered to cancer survivors at St. Mary’s Regional Cancer Center in Grand Junction, Colo., in 2007 with a $1,000 grant from the Pastel Society of Colorado. Last fall, Creasy had just launched the Living Art Project’s second year; she recently e-mailed with an update:

"We have completed another eight months working on the Living Art
Project. The instructors—all professionals, and not necessarily pastelists—stepped up and gave amazing classes. I would like to recognize them in this report: Bev Lee, Gerri Harris, Dawn Sagar, Deb Bonzek, Chuck Morris and Lorraine Sells.

“Sometimes the numbers of participants didn't reflect the quality of the accomplishments. We decided as a group that three or four needed it as much as 10 or 12. The gravity of the illnesses made us realize that sometimes they just couldn't come. We discovered the value of what we were doing in the individual responses. We heard things like, ‘You changed my life,’ or ‘You have been my inspiration.’ That hour and a half twice a month gave each of those people that amount of time they didn't have to think about cancer. I asked one lady at the beginning class what her expectations were for the class. She said she wanted to ‘learn to draw while this destroys me.’ I told her that wasn't going to happen—and it hasn't. She came in one afternoon and said, ‘This wig is driving me nuts!’ I said, ’So take it off!’ She threw it in a sack and got on with the artwork. (I can't say giving her a voice through her art has healed her, but it sure has given her a reason for being.)

“St. Mary’s feels there is such a value in what we do that they want to continue and I believe they will come forward with some financial help. When people have heard what the project is about, they’ve volunteered to help with instruction or donate supplies. The Board of Directors of the Pastel Society of Colorado has agreed to supply funds for the next session beginning in September.”

What good things like this project are happening in your community?

IAPS begins with an "I" for Inspiration

Anne — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:08:44 GMT

It's the last day of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) show in Albuquerque, and outside the skies are sunny and dotted with a half-dozen hot air balloons. Inside it's the energy of some 600 pastel devotees that's running sky high. Attendees have been treated to presentations and demonstrations by such pastel luminaries as Duane Wakeham, Alan Flattmann, Jimmy Wright, Richard McKinley, Maggie Price and many others. And speaking of Maggie Price, we learned at the Saturday evening banquet, that she will be taking on the presidency of IAPS this summer as Urania Christy Tarbet, the founder and president of the organization, will be stepping down after 15 years. The excitement of this year's show is the perfect testament to Urania's accomplishment!

Of course much of the show's excitement surrounds the trade show, where the manufacturers of pastel materials sell their wares and showcase new products, which this year includes new semi-hard and medium-soft Richeson pastels (now available open stock), new "confetti" pastels from Terry Ludwig, new Box Top sets from Great American, a new pastel box manufacturer, a brand-new fixative (see Richard McKinley's blog from last week) and lots more. We'll give you the whole scoop in the September issue of The Pastel Journal.

For artists who sometimes feel like the lone pastelist in their local art community, spending a few days with wall-to-wall pastleists is invigorating. If you couldn't make this year's convention, be sure to mark your calendars for the first week of June 2011. IAPS will be back in Albuquerque. I know I can't wait to return for another shot in the arm of inspiration!

Let Them Have Cake!

Sarah — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:30:42 GMT

The Pastel Journal celebrated its 10th birthday in style yesterday with a reception honoring our friends in the pastel community. Highlights included thoughts from editor Anne Hevener, co-founder Maggie Price and publisher Jamie Markle, letters from long time contributors, a slide show presentation, and (of course) the birthday cake. Anne and Jamie are pictured here in the moments just before we sliced the cake and kicked off the party.

The Pastel Journal's IAPS 10th Anniversary Celebration

Sarah — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:21:26 GMT

If, for some odd reason, you happened to have missed our special 10th Anniversary Celebration yesterday, you can experience at least a little of the festivities with our slide show honoring a number of our longtime friends and contributors.

Greetings from Pastel Central in Albuquerque

Sarah — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:42:36 GMT

It's time for your IAPS update! The staff of The Pastel Journal arrived in New Mexico yesterday and got straight to work, setting up our little booth with reams of F+W Media goodies, including a selection of ArtistsNetwork.tv DVDs, CD archives, North Light books, and FREE magazines. The convention floor opens in just a few hours, so if you're one of the many many pastel artists on site, be sure to head over to Booth 22 for some special deals. Also, don't forget to join us in the Turquoise Room from 1:30 - 3:30 for our 10th Anniversary extravaganza (there will be cake!) and slide show.

A few insider details: Remarkably, attendance is up at this year's show, despite the challenging economy--yet another sign that art is moving to the center, rather than the margins, of many Americans' lives. The festivities kicked off yesterday with a fabulous Paint-Around, the results of which are currently up for auction (don't forget to place your bid!). The buffet dinner was a chance for all of the attendees to convene in one place and share ideas over some chow. We were pleased to share our table with some new pastel acquaintances, one of whom just happened to be a new subscriber, and to visit with old friends in the pastel fold.

What a wonderful sight it is to see hundreds of pastelists walking the hotel halls with their complimentary Pastel Journal totes. We went with a blue on blue scheme this year (pictured above on my desk as I write this post) and I think it was a good choice, don't you? Check back in later today for reports from the convention floor...

New Mexico Ho!

Sarah — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:37:07 GMT

Are you headed to Albuquerque for the International Association of Pastel Society (IAPS) Convention? If so, we cordially invite you to visit Booth 22, where we'll be offering deep discounts on pastel goodies, including CDs, books and subscription renewals. We love meeting readers, so don't hesitate to introduce yourself. And be sure to pop by between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Friday for our 10th Anniversary Celebration, which promises to be a rocking good time. For those of you who can't make the show this year, check back with the blog for some juicy details and photos from the convention floor.

Showstoppers: Pastels in Santa Fe

Anne — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:34:47 GMT

The next convention of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) convenes next week in Albuquerque, N.M., beginning on Thursday, May 28. But the fun doesn't end at close of show on Sunday. IAPS planners have arranged for their 13th juried exhibition to be hosted by Ventana Fine Art, a gallery located on Santa Fe's famous Canyon Road.

The exhibition features pastel works by 59 artists, selected from more than 330 entries. Artist Doug Dawson acted as juror of selection for the show, and artist Albert Handell is the awards-juror. Both Hall of Fame artists are represented by the Ventana Gallery.

The opening reception will be Friday, June 5, from 5 to 7 pm, and the exhibition will run through Monday, June 8. Gallery hours are 9:30 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday, and 10 to 4 on Sunday.

Check out a show preview on the gallery's website.

Pictured above: Genesis (pastel, 18x24) by Frederick D. Somers

Pastelist Terri Ford Does Justice to the Dunes

Sarah — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:07:34 GMT

I received a press release from pastelist Terri Ford today and just couldn't resist posting her gorgeous prize-winning pastel, Morning Fog, on the blog. The painting just won the Best Pastel Award at the Carmel Art Festival Plein Air Event. “It was a foggy morning but that only added to the magical atmosphere of the dunes," she says. "As long as it's not raining I am happy painting out on the dunes.” Those of you who are keeping score will remember Ford from the cover of our December 2006 issue.

Now Showing: Great Lakes Pastels

Anne — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:46:09 GMT

If your Memorial Day travel plans have you anywhere in the area, check out the members show of the Great Lakes Pastel Society (GLPS), currently on view at the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History in Jackson, Mich., in southern Michigan, now through May 30.

The exhibit includes 40 pastel paintings, juried by artist and pastel-maker Terry Ludwig, who also donated sets of his handmade pastels to the top three award winners, as well as single jumbo sticks to Honorable Mention winners.

Many GLPS members, as residents of the Great Lakes states, find their creative inspiration in the regional landscape. Artist Kathleen Kalinowski’s Gold Medal-winning painting of dunes, titled Michigan Beach (seen here), is one example. Other winners included Bonnie Osborne for her landscape, Tree Gestures, and Kathleen Putnam for her portrait, Listening for Baby. Check out these and other winners at the GLPS website.

Creative Spark Winners

Sarah — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:44:23 GMT

In the April 2009 issue of the magazine, Peter Seltzer challenged artists to keep viewers engaged by repeating elements in their compositions with his Creative Spark challenge (read the article online here) and readers responded in droves.

We're now pleased to announce that the editors' choice and the winner of the prize (a half-stick set of Colourfix Pastels, a Rainbow Pack of Colourfix Paper and a Colour Shaper blending set) is Lisa Fricker with her pastel diptych, Lazy Day (24x30) and Summer Stillness (24x30), which are pictured above. The artist describes the process of painting the winning works:

"The problem of moving the eye is magnified in a diptych: The intended path is from the left, where a large wedge of lily pads points toward the upper right, then down to lower right within the second panel across the lily pads, brought back to the left by an upturned edge, a brilliantly colored stem and shadow patterns on the pond's bottom. This is followed by a back-and-forth movement across the two from the smaller Koi shapes straddling both images, and the large Koi moving upward toward a bursting lily bud and repeating the figure-8 path," she says.

Our runners up include Marie-France Oosterhof with Eggs, Ann Marie Torrez with Momma, and Brian Mathas Burt with Home-a-Rama. To see the past winners and challenges from all our Creative Spark contests, and the current challenge, visit the Creative Spark hub on our website.

Now Showing: Inspired By Light

Anne — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:50:13 GMT

The pastel work of plein air painter and Pastel 100 award-winner Kim Lordier will be the subject of a new show opening this week (May 14) at the James J. Rieser Fine Art in Carmel, Calif. The show will include 28 land- and seascapes inspired by the scenic central California coast and bay lands of the San Francisco peninsula. Lordier describes her subjects as "rugged coastline alive with long shadows and rolling surf, clear green pools sparkling in the sun, sand and scrub shimmering under a lifting bank of fog ... and light."

The gallery will host a "Meet the Artist" event on Saturday, from 12-2 pm, just one of many Saturday art events taking place in the town which also hosts the The Carmel Art Festival this weekend.

Above: Cypress Dance (pastel, 24x18) by Kim Lordier

Kim Lordier was the winner of The Pastel Journal Grand Prize Award in the 8th annual Pastel 100 competition. You can read more about the artist in a feature article in the April 2007 issue of the magazine.

Van Gogh's Ear

Sarah — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:04:07 GMT

A new study suggests that Vincent Van Gogh may have fabricated the famous story of self-mutilation surrounding his severed ear, which he wrapped in a cloth and presented to a prostitue, in order to protect the artist Paul Gauguin, who'd lopped it off with a sword during an argument in front of a brothel. From Telegraph:

German art historians say the true version of events never surfaced as the two men both kept a "pact of silence" – Gauguin to avoid prosecution and Van Gogh in a vain attempt to keep a friend with whom he was hopelessly infatuated. ... Other Van Gogh experts, including those at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, disagree with the authors' claims. However, Nina Zimmer, the curator of a major Van Gogh exhibition in Basel, was less sure: "Perhaps they're right, but all the hypotheses are valid given the lack of material," she told Le Figaro.

In short, anything is possible. Read the whole sordid tale here. And see the ABC news coverage here.