The Pastel Journal Blog

April Creative Spark Winner

Sarah — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:01:09 GMT

In the April issue of the magazine ("Creative Spark," in the Art Matters column), pastel artist Carole Katchen offered readers a Creative Spark challenge: "Take some time off, even if only long enough to walk around a park or visit a farmers' market—and let your surroundings inspire your work." We invited readers to e-mail us with their travel-inspired pastels.

We received our largest response to date: more than 100 submissions! Congratulations to Julie Deane, of Gainesville, Ga., for her winning piece, Reverence (at right). “During a music and praise session one evening [on a mission trip to Peru]," the artist writes, "the man in the foreground of the painting came into the church and stood next to me. He was obviously very weary, but he stood for hours that night, worshipping quietly. The scene was a highlight of my trip." Deane won $150 worth of PanPastel colors and tools—many thanks to Colorfin for their generosity!

Other favorite submissions included: (below, top row) Nature’s Cathedral by Cecilia E. Baker, of Ridgeland, Miss., and Karen Ann Patton’s Along the Ormond Loop; (second row) Grand Indeed, by Sandy Byers; (bottom row) The Grid by Trish Callaghan, of Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales, Australia, and Lamar Valley, by Lisa Sheppard, of Westminster, Md.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our challenge. You’ll find the next challenge in the June issue, which is now available on newsstands. The winner of that challenge will receive $200 toward the purchase of a Heilman pastel box!

Introducing ArtistsNetwork.tv

Sarah — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:22:46 GMT

We've been busy little bees behind the scenes for months, arranging the production of a wonderful new tool for artists: ArtistsNetwork.tv

ArtistsNetwork.tv was launched today to provide online instructional videos from leading contemporary artists. The videos are streamed to ArtistsNetwork.tv members so that they can be viewed 24/7 from any computer with a high-speed internet connection without requiring software downloads. You can choose to subscribe to any of our individual workshops for a six-month period or you can subscribe to all ArtistsNetwork.tv video workshops for a six-month period.

Check it out. Right now you can watch free previews, sign up and get a free gift (Paul Dorrell's "How to Market Your Art"), or get unlimited videos for six months. All in all, it's very exciting news for all of us here at F+W Publications. We've been chomping at the bit to tell you about it. And by the way, if you're wondering where the pastel demonstrations are, stay tuned. We'll be rolling out new offerings every month, including pastel-exclusive material.

When the Weather is Fair

Anne — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:35:56 GMT

We're still two weeks out from Memorial Day and I'm already anticipating the arrival of summer. As my teacher-husband is fond of saying when he's weary of those piles of papers waiting to be graded: "June's comin'!" And likewise, even though I get no summer hiatus from my job, I still look forward to the season for the change in routine and the special activities summer brings—like picnics, vegetable gardens and summer art fairs! Two nearby fairs that I'd like to get to in the coming weeks:

The Broad Ripple Art Fair, sponsored by the Indianapolis Art Center, is a national juried fair and competition that takes place every May. This year's event is set for this weekend, May 17 and May 18. If you go, look for pastel artist, Brian Mathas Burt, a four-time winner in the magazine's Pastel 100 competition and a soon-to-be-featured artist in the October issue.

Summerfair is the official launch of summertime for the Cincinnati area. The national juried fair, which takes place at the historic Coney Island park, brings together artists working in paint media, printmaking, jewely, photography, fiber, ceramics and more. The dates are May 30 through June 1. To get more information, including a complete list of participating artists (and a list of food vendors, because as you know, cruising an art fair can really muster up one's appetite!), visit the website. The winning design in the Summerfair poster competition (shown here) was created by Michael Holder.

If there are art fairs that you love to go to every summer, tell us about them right here on the blog!

We Are One!

Sarah — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:45:55 GMT

Today The Pastel Journal blog celebrates its first birthday! Over the past year, we’ve shared random thoughts, videos, society news, notes from the road, exhibition notices and just made fools out of ourselves—and we’ve loved it! What was your favorite moment on the PJ blog this year? Let us know by posting a comment or e-mailing us at pjedit@fwpubs.com (and we’ll add it to this post).

Go Speedpainter Go

Sarah — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:46:30 GMT

Looking for a way to rejuvenate your painting process? Try putting yourself on the clock. Force yourself to complete a painting in one session, for example, or take it to extremes like the artist featured in this video. He completes an entire work in spraypaint, in less than one minute. We might advise you not to try this at home, unless you have a supply of drop cloths at the ready. This may be the one painting process more messy than painting with pastels.

The Power of the Portrait

Anne — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:06:55 GMT

The large-scale portraits of pastel artist Chin-Chen Hung (Animosity, shown here, is 36x63) make a huge statement. But it is not the size alone that supplies the power and magic. The artist manages a contemporary expression out of his deft handling of the pastel medium and a bold approach to composition.

Hung is one of the featured artists in our new June issue. In managing editor Sarah Strickley's interview with the artist, she asked what it is that draws him to the human subject: "The human form," Hung ssaid, "has been my main subject since I started painting. To me, the possibilities for creating refreshing and exciting figurative work are endless. I began painting portraits in 1998, right after I finished my first year of graduate study. At that time, I was trying to simplify the content of my figurative work. (From time to time, my figurative work transforms and becomes simpler in content.) Then the idea of challenging myself and creating a series of contemporary portraits was born. When people think of portraiture, they think of traditional portrait sittings. I’d like my portraits to look contemporary and still maintain their classical beauty."

To read more of the interview, see our June issue. To see an extensive slideshow of the artist's work, visit our website.

Live From NAMTA 2008

Sarah — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:27:58 GMT

Greetings from Reno, Nevada, the “biggest little city in the world!” As I type, a group of us from F+W are at The International Art Materials Trade Association Convention and Trade Show to get the scoop on the latest and greatest art products. My purpose for The Pastel Journal, of course, is to deliver that info to you via the magazine, so be on the lookout for buzzed-about new materials in the future.

Speaking of buzz, the unofficial theme of this year’s show seems to be green efforts in the art materials industry. We’ve seen the debut of all types of eco-friendly products, from aerosol paints and portfolios to brush cleaner and entire art studios. As soon as technology decides to cooperate, I’ll post some photos from the show room floor.

Oh, and no joke—how surprised I was to discover a landscape by Mary Silverwood hanging by the elevators on my floor at the Grand Sierra Resort! It's a small art world after all.

*update (5/5/08): a few photos

A seat cover on one of the buses that took us to and from the hotel to convention center. (Others promoted sister publications Watercolor Artist and The Artist's Magazine.)

Part of our space at the show

Advertising staffers Kristin and Suzanne, with Maureen, editor of The Artist's Magazine

A view of the Sierra Nevada mountains, from the rooftop of the Nevada Museum of Art

A Mary Silverwood painting, on my very own hotel floor!

Mary Cassatt and Me

Sarah — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:38:31 GMT

I may as well admit now that I've developed somewhat of a Mary Cassatt obsession. (It happens to the best of us, right?) In any case, that's why I can't help returning to the theme of news regarding her work. I'm posting this admittedly kind of sappy YouTube tribute to the artist's paintings of mothers with children as a segway into the news of a recent Cassatt sale:

Artdaily.org is reporting that Cassatt's pastel painting, Mother With Child, is among four major works of art purchased by The High Museum of Art for its permanent collection. Other paintings include the oil painting Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault, by Camille Pissarro; the oil painting The Breakfast, by Pierre Bonnard; and the painting on paper Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany, by Édouard Vuillard. Good company indeed. From Artdaily.org:

The new acquisitions were purchased from the estate of longtime Atlanta resident Kathryn Welch Hartzog. ... Beginning on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, and running through August 17, the four new works will be on view at the High as part of a special permanent collection installation of eight works titled “Cassatt, Pissarro, Bonnard, Vuillard: New Acquisitions for the Collection.” The four new works will be displayed with another Cassatt pastel, which was gifted by Jacqueline and Matt Friedlander in 2005; a Cassatt oil painting; and two Vuillard pastels, which were given by Mrs. Hartzog in 1992.

Oil Paints' Real Origins Revealed

Sarah — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:08:40 GMT

Detail from one of the paintings

Contrary to popular belief, oil paintings weren’t first created by Europeans in the 15th century, but rather Asians, and in the 5th to 9th centuries—according to works discovered in caves behind the two Taliban-destroyed Buddah sculptures in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility suspects the paint was made of walnuts or poppies, says the BBC, which isn’t surprising, as natural pigments have been used for coloring since the prehistoric era. For more tidbits on the origin of pigments, read this.

Hey Ladies

Sarah — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:40:43 GMT

Check it out: On view at the Legion of Honor, Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond, a groundbreaking (and very exciting) exhibition, featuring a number of stunning works in pastel. From the press release:

At the time Impressionism was born, female artists were starting to come to the forefront of the art world. Women Impressionists breaks new ground by looking at the work and contributions of four female Impressionists, shown together for the first time in the United States. Many of the works deal with images of women—women at home, women with family, and women at leisure—in addition to other themes typical of Impressionism. June 21, 2008 — September 21, 2008.

Mary Cassatt, Young Lady in a Loge Gazing to the Right, 1880. Pastel and gouache. Ann and Gordon Getty.

Makin Mistakes and Movin On

Anne — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:05:55 GMT

I confess. When I'm interviewing an artist and he or she admits to times of struggle, I love that. It may not reflect well on me perhaps, but I find these glimpses of humanity encouraging. Knowing that others who are involved in creative pursuits face obstacles, make mistakes, hit dead ends—what a comfort! But what the great artists demonstrate time and time again is that the key to success is to keep painting, to learn from mistakes, to grow.

I recently interviewed artist Mary Silverwood whose vibrant Southwest landscapes illustrate the confidence of someone who has learned a thing or two in her time (her pastel, Pedernal, shown here). Yet Silverwood could easily recall her early days when she shoved most of her pastel work under the bed. Even now, there are times when the artist has to let go of a painting—usually when she's chosen to go ahead and pursue a painting, even when she felt the photo was lacking. When it happens, "Well, into the trash it goes," she says. "You work and you learn. I'm way past feeling a failure is painful. It's a learning experience!"

Silverwood says that the mistake for most beginners is that they let their self-esteem get wrapped up in their work. "You get this sick feeling inside," she says. It takes some work to get over it, she says, but once you do, your biggest disappointment is in the waste of materials. "Now I'm usually thinking, 'Oh no, there goes another $4 piece of paper and a couple $8 sticks of pastel! But I don't let my ego get involved. If a piece fails in the process, I think about what went wrong and then move on."

You can read my feature on Mary Silverwood in the upcoming May/June issue of the magazine on sale on our website April 22 and on newsstands beginning May 13.

'Grate' Public Art

Sarah — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:23:49 GMT

While in Manhattan two weeks ago, I read a most intriguing New York Post story, which has since been reported by various outlets, including NPR. Joshua Allen Harris, a Brooklyn artist and student at the School of Visual Arts, has created unique street sculptures known as “subway bears”—plastic bags tied together and then to subway grates in such a way that when a train roars by underground, the polar bear-looking assemblage of bags slowly rises to a stance, somewhat resembling a barking dog, and then lays back down to rest. Sadly, I never happened upon any of these bears—which is surprising, considering our many, many subway rides. How do I know what the bears look like? I found a YouTube video, natch.

Guess that’s one way to recycle plastic shopping bags!

The Appalachian Pastel Society Says

Sarah — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:56:14 GMT

As previously reported on the blog, The Appalachian Pastel Society (APS) has announced it's 2007 exhibition winners: Ella Maguire Memorial Award winner, Irma P. Webb's Country Lady, is pictured here.

The APS has now announced its call for entries to next year's exhibition, for which Margaret Dyer will serve as juror. Best of Show will recieve $1,000 and other prizes will include cash awards for top winners, pastel sets and other items donated by pastel product suppliers. The opening reception will take place October 3, 2008 and the show runs through November 22, 2008 at the Gallery of the Arts Council of Henderson County, in Hendersonville, NC. The deadline for CD entries is August 1st, 2008. A prospectus for the exhibition will appear on the APS website soon.

Want to see your pastel society's news up in lights (so to speak)? Send the skinny to pjedit@fwpubs.com and include web-ready digital images at no more than 72 dpi.

Upcoming Pastel Invitational

Sarah — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:13:56 GMT

So much to see in Denver, Colo., right now!

Next Friday Denver residents will have a great opportunity to see works by artists featured in The Pastel Journal. Abend Gallery opens its Pastel Invitational (April 18-May 10), an exhibition featuring paintings by Deborah Bays, Dan Beck, Doug Dawson, Ernie Gallegos, Bruce A. Gomez, Desmond O’Hagan, Ramon Kelly, Connie Renner, Elizabeth Sandia and Clive R. Tyler. An opening reception will be held April 18 from 5-9 p.m.

As ever, if you get to stop by the show, let us know about it!

Pictured: Pronghorn Summit (30x33) by Clive R. Tyler

New Orleans in Pastel

Sarah — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:50:20 GMT

We love hearing word of pastel exhibitions and shows, especially when the news comes with stunning paintings such as Soft Glow, Casamento's (24x21) attached. Carol Robinson Gallery will play host to Sandra Burshell's new show, A Glance of New Orleans, featuring the artist's new figurative work in pastel, April 5th through 30th. Visit Burshell's website to see more of her work, including interiors and a series of Katrina photographs. And visit the gallery's website for more details about the show.

If you'd like to see your show on our blog, send the details to pjedit@fwpubs.com. We'll be waiting.

Big Stories, Small Package

Anne — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:58:03 GMT

People are funny about their old books and magazines. Some readers swear by the save-everything-forever approach, secure in the knowledge that they can go back and find information that they may want some day in the future. Others, less comfortable with clutter, may be a bit more inclined to read and recycle. Many find themselves somewhere in between, cranky about clutter but unwilling to let go of anything (me, me, me).

I know from our research (and from conversation) that most readers of The Pastel Journal fall into the keep-it-forever camp, at least when it comes to copies of TPJ. And I’d imagine that, depending on one’s skills (or interest) in organization, these magazine libraries may take the form of a cardboard box in the closet or a tidy shelf of labeled three-ring binders. But regardless of where you fall on the neat-freak scale, you're going to want to know about a brand-new option for maintaining your magazine archive that's compact and portable: We've just released a computer CD with digital files of every page of every issue published in 2007!

Here’s how it works, just pop the CD into your home computer or laptop. (The CD uses a PDF format, making it compatible for PC and Mac with Acrobat Reader, a free program already installed on most computers). There at your fingertips you'll find each issue of the magazine, ready to read page-by-page, just as you might a print issue. Or, browse the Table of Contents, and click on a story title to jump to that article. You can even click on coverlines to get to the related story. Best of all, if you know you saw an article (or artist or product review) in 2007, but can't remember which issue, you can use keyword search to locate it—that's a whole lot easier than digging through that cardboard box for dog-eared pages!

Click here to get more information about the CD (or to order your copy). And then, be on the look-out for a CD of 2006 issues later this year!

Juried Pastel Exhibition

Sarah — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:30:22 GMT

Is it that time of year again?

The Southeastern Pastel Society will host its 2008 International Juried Exhibition, June 12-August 10, 2008, at Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, in Atlanta, Georgia. This year's show will be juried by Bill Hosner, who will also teach a workshop. For more information, visit the society's website.

Incidentally, Hosner was our cover artist for the February 2008 issue. Pick up the back issue to read about the challenges of painting the figure en plein air, if you're not a subscriber.

If you'd like to see your society's news on our blog, send us an e-mail.

Sunflower Tango by Marsha Savage

National Poetry Month

Sarah — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:51:11 GMT

"It would be tragic not to realize the extent of man’s dependence on the arts."
—Wallace Stevens, "Relations Between Poetry and Painting"

Because most varieties of art inform and cross-reference each other—visual artists, for example, typically have other creative passions like gardening, classical guitar, writing—this month we celebrate National Poetry Month.

Check the Academy of American Poets’ website for NPM events and celebrations. Coming up April 17 is Poem in Your Pocket Day.

The Academy of American Poets has some great resources on its site, including a National Poetry Almanac that devotes a section to Poetry and Art. My favorite subject within this category is visual art’s (more specifically, Picasso’s) influence on Gertrude Stein. A friend of Picasso’s, and ever the experimental writer, Stein forayed into "verbal Cubism" in her 1914 book, Tender Buttons—poems modeled after visual effects she observed in the artist’s paintings.

Animal Art

Anne — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:53:07 GMT

We're just wrapping up the May/June issue of the magazine and readying it for the printer (on sale at newsstands May 13). In it, we're running a special feature with short profiles of five pastel artists whose art is inspired by animals and wildlife. Perhaps because I've just been reading about animals and art, I was particularly amused to run into this video on YouTube—a surprising twist on the idea of animal artist! After watching the video, you can read about Paya's first gallery show here.

Inspiring Impressionism in Colorado

Sarah — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:09:24 GMT

Through May 25, the Denver Museum of Art features Inspiring Impressionism, an exhibition of 100 works by Impressionist painters that examines the ways they were inspired by their Old Master predecessors—for example, looking at Putto next to Paul Cézanne’s Still Life with Stauette.

Other artists and their influences include: Claude Monet and Meindert Hobbema; Camille Pissarro and Jean-Siméon Chardin; Mary Cassatt and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and more. Check the museum’s website for details about the show, and a cool timeline that connects the Impressionists to the Old Masters.