The Pastel Journal Blog - Shows and Events

Pastel Showstoppers: At Home and Abroad

Anne — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:36:26 GMT

Two new shows, one in London and one in New York City, showcase the work of artists I came to admire from interviews in The Pastel Journal. In New York, at the The Culture Center, the current exhibition is "Sigmund Abeles at 75," a show celebrating the life and art of renowned artist, Sigmund Abeles, a PSA Hall of Fame inductee in 2004. The exhibition is showing now through November 14 (hours 12 to 7 pm). If you're in the city, plan to catch a talk with the artist this Saturday, November 14, at 3 pm. You can read more about Abeles in an interview with Elizabeth Exler in the February 2007 issue of The Pastel Journal.

In London, visit Browse & Darby on Cork Street to see its current exhibition "Australia" with artist Anthony Eyton, a master artist who works in both oils and pastels. We recently featured Eyton in the June 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal. The show runs through November 20 (hours are 10 to 5:30, Monday through Friday and 11 to 2 on Saturday).

If anyone makes it to either, tell us about it here in the comments area of the blog!

[pictured]
Self-Portrait With Horse Skull (top; oil, 20x24) by Sigmund Abeles; and Opera House, Sydney Night (oil on canvas, 24x 33) by Anthony Eyton

Southwest Pastels

Jessica — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:47:56 GMT

The Pastel Society of the Southwest is currently holding its 28th Annual Members Exhibition, juried and judged by Bob Rohm, at the ArtCentre of Plano, in Texas. Best of Show went to Marian Hirsch for Grazing; Kathleen Cook won First Place for Rapunzel; Second Place went to Patricia King for Blue Quilt; and Barbara Strasser took Third Place for Cactus Flower. The show runs until Nov. 14.

Thanks, PSSW, for sharing the good news!

Best of Show: Marian Hirsch, Grazing

First Place: Kathleen Cook, Rapunzel

Second Place: Patricia King, Blue Quilt

Third Place: Barbara Strasser, Cactus Flower

MORE RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

* Online Seminars for Fine Artists
* Instantly download fine art magazines, books & video workshops
* Sign up for your Artist's Network email newsletter & receive free fine art tips & demos

IAPS 2009 Web Show

Anne — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:37:39 GMT

Maggie Price, president of the International Association for Pastel Societies (IAPS), informs me that results of the 2009 IAPS Web Show have been posted on the IAPS web site. Check out all the accepted entries as well as the award-winning pastels by Joan Dromey, Ray Hassard (whose pastel, In Light of India, left, took second place), Vianna Szabo, Lyn Diefenbach, Melanie Watrous, and Susan Grinels.

Maggie also had news about plans for next year's 15th juried exhibition, which will be shown at the beautiful Brea Gallery in the city of Brea, Calif., to be on view from January 23 to March 5, 2010. "This is an exceptional venue for our exhibition," she says, "and we are quite excited about the opportunity." Learn more about the gallery here, and download the prospectus from the IAPS web site.

Keep in mind that acceptance into an IAPS juried exhibition gives you a point toward IAPS Master Circle status. Award winners receive a second point. New recipients of Master Circle status are presetned with gold medallions at the IAPS biennial conventions. Maybe IAPS 2011 is the convention where you'll get yours?!

MORE RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

* Online Seminars for Fine Artists
* Instantly download fine art magazines, books & video workshops
* Sign up for your Artist's Network email newsletter & receive free fine art tips & demos

Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:09:56 GMT

The 37th Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society of America is in full swing this month, with reports arriving of a pastel party for the records. Highlights from the show include Hall of Fame Honoree, Elizabeth Mowry; Art Spirit Foundation, Dianne B. Bernhard Gold Medal Award winner, Jimmy Wright; and the winner of The Pastel Journal Award, Duane Wakeham. See all of the winners of the 2009 Pastels Only Exhibition on the PSA website.

Elizabeth Mowry

Jimmy Wright

Duane Wakeham

Jimmy Wright Retrospective

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:21:41 GMT

We revisited the amazing pastel florals and self-portraits of Jimmy Wright in the June 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal. Now you can see them in person in an upcoming retrospective at the Springfield Art Museum:

Showstoppers: Pastels USA

Anne — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:38:35 GMT

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.

Gauguin in Cleveland

Jessica — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:13:20 GMT

Mark your calendars: The Cleveland Museum of Art presents Paul Gauguin: Paris, 1889 (Oct. 4–Jan. 18), an exhibition examining how the artist developed his signature style that year. These 75 works re-create a turning point in Gauguin’s career: the independent exhibition he organized with his contemporaries on the grounds of the 1889 Exhibition Universelle—what’s now recognized as the first Symbolist exhibition in Paris.

For details, call 877/262-4748 or go to www.clemusart.com.

Paul Gauguin, Breton Eve (Ève Bretonne I) (1889; watercolor and pastel, 13¼ x12¼). The McNay Art Museum, Bequest of Marion Koogler McNay 1950.45. Image courtesy of the Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Bequest of Marion Koogler McNay

Shades of Pastel

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:07:05 GMT

Just thought we'd take a moment to draw some attention to the Maryland Pastel Society's Shades of Pastel Biennial National Juried Exhibition 2009, which will take place at the Strathmore Mansion at 10701 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD. The show opens on September 26, 2009 and runs through November 7, 2009. The opening and awards ceremony takes place on October 4 from 1 to 3 pm. Best in show, $1,500. with other cash and merchandise awards totaling $5,000. The judge and juror of awards is Richard McKinley. Visit the MPS site to download a pospectus and entry form.

Want to see your pastel society's exhibition on The Pastel Journal blog? E-mail us with the details: pjedit@fwmedia.com.

Jimmy Wright at The Met

Jessica — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:38:11 GMT

Jimmy Wright has several works in public collections—The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Chicago Columbia College; Yaser Art Center, in Paducah, Ky.; and the St. Paul Art Center, in Minnesota, to name a few—so it’s no surprise that one of his self portraits resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This particular pastel, Portrait of the Artist (pictured), however, is also on display in The Met’s current exhibition, The Lens and the Mirror: Self Portraits from the Collection, 1957-2001. See the exhibition through Nov. 15, 2009, in the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, Modern and Contemporary Art. Congratulations to the artist!

Jimmy Wright, Portrait of the Artist (2001; pastel on paper, 19 1/4 x 17 3/8). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, Gertrude Whitney Conner Gift, 2001

Contemporary Artists Show at Browse & Darby

Anne — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:29:42 GMT

British artist and Royal Academician Anthony Eyton, whom we featured in the June 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal, is among the artists represented in the Contemporary Artists Summer Exhibition at Browse & Darby, a London gallery located at 19 Cork Street.

The show also features the work of Julian Bailey, Harriet Barber, Elizabeth Blackadder, Christopher Bramham, Isobel Brigham, Claudia Carr, Jeffrey Camp, Edmund Chamberlain, Robert Dukes, Mary Fedden, David Field, Anthony Fry, Patrick George, Lindy Guinness, Thomas Lamb, Endellion Lycett Green,Ben Levene, James Lloyd, Andy Pankhurst, Heidrun Rathgeb, Julian Sainsbury, Susan Wilson and Duncan Wood.

The show is running through September 17, and can be seen Monday through Friday, 10-5:30. If you happen to be in London (lucky you), be sure to look it up!

[above] Hanging Rock Summit (pastel, 11.5x16) by Anthony Eyton

Must-See Show: John Pierce Barnes at the Woodmere Art Museum

Jessica — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:55:34 GMT

Philadelphia’s Woodmere Art Museum presents The Art of John Pierce Barnes (1893-1954) through Aug. 30, which features 24 pastels that were recently exhibited at The Butler Institute of American Art's pastel-dedicated Giffuni Gallery. According to Kathryn S. Stanko, curator of the Barnes collection, The Pennsylvania Impressionist worked at RCA and is credited with the design of the GE logo and a former RCA logo.

If you can’t make it by the end of August, Barnes’ pastels will also be on display this fall in Camden, N.J., in conjunction with the Camden County Historical Society and Museum along with RCA archives.

Click here to read a review of the exhibition from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pastel #5, untitled (pastel on paper, 10 3/8 x 8 3/8) by John Pierce Barnes

Win an Original Pastel Painting

Anne — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:38:08 GMT

How'd you like to own an original pastel painting, November Marsh (at left) by artist Duane Wakeham? Or perhaps a work by other pastel notables like Colleen Howe, Jimmy Wright, Barbara Groff or Gigi Liverant? These fabulous pastelists have each made donations of their work to the Pastel Society of America (PSA) for the organization's annual painting raffle held during the Pastels Only juried show in September. So, if you possess the winning ticket, one of these works could be yours!

Visit the PSA website to see all six paintings to be raffled. For tickets, which cost $5 each or $25 for a book of six, contact the PSA office at (212) 533-6931 or email pastelny@juno.com. Earnings from the PSA's raffle support the Flora B. Giffuni Atelier for Pastels, one of numerous programs the organization sponsors.

Digital FAQs

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:48:12 GMT

In the August 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal, Maggie Price offers advice on how to get the results you want out of the juried exhibition experience. She also compiles a list of Digital FAQs. Here's a little sample:

Q: How do I set the resolution on my camera? I don’t see anything about 300 dpi.
A: Set your camera to the largest file size or highest-quality setting possible. You’ll find directions for doing this in your camera’s manual.

Q: Should I use the ﬂash on the camera?
A: You can try it both ways, but generally if you have good light (shooting outdoors in mid-day with indirect light is often best) you won’t need the flash, which can create an uneven lighting effect and cause more problems than it solves.

Q: When I look at the image on my computer, the painting is kind of twisted—larger at one end than the other. How can I ﬁx this?
A: That’s called parallax and you need to correct this at the time you shoot the image. Set up your easel so the painting is perfectly vertical, then set up the camera tripod so the camera is positioned in the center of the image. Look at the screen or viewfinder and make sure all edges of the painting are perfectly square and straight with the edges of the photo area. If the image is skewed or twisted, adjust the camera until it is square with the plane of the camera lens.

Q: Should I include the mat?
A: No mat or frame should be included in the image, and the painting shouldn’t be shot under glass. When you bring the image into your computer, you’ll crop to the edges of the painting.

Q: What do I do to the image once it’s in my computer?
A: First, make a copy of it so you have a backup in case you need to return to the original. Then, working on the copy, crop to the edges of the image. If the image is rotated slightly, use your photo editing software tool to straighten it. If the image is too light or too dark, adjust it to match the painting.

To read Price's full treatment of the topic, pick up the August 2009 issue of The Pastel Journal.

Sam Liberman Pastels at the Butler

Jessica — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:02:47 GMT

Sam Liberman, who might sound familiar from our eighth annual Pastel 100 competition, is currently enjoying a solo exhibition at The Butler Institute for American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. The artist’s 33 pastels —landscapes, figures and florals—are on display through Aug. 16 in the Giffuni Gallery, a venue devoted to pastels and sponsored by pastelist Flora Giffuni.

“I am honored to have my work shown in this setting, where so many other excellent pastel artists have shown their work over the past years and in this museum which contains so many wonderful pieces of American art,” says Liberman.

Speaking of the Pastel 100 competition, there are only 40 days left to enter. Click here for details.

Pictured: Is It True (24x18) by Sam Liberman

Showstoppers: Pastels By Invitation

Anne — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:55:17 GMT

This summer, the Creative Arts Center in Chatham, Mass., is hosting "Pastels by Invitation." The national pastel invitational will feature the work of 30 to 40 nationally recognized artists, creating an exciting, inspiring collection of pastels. Featured artists will include Margaret Dyer, Alan Flattmann, Terry Ludwig, Richard McKinley, Liz Haywood-Sullivan, Al Lachman, Frank Federico, Maggie Price, Rosalie Nadeau, Claudia Seymour, Fred Somers and Kelly Milukas (her painting, Paris Tops, is shown at left), among others.

The show runs from August 6 to September 4 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 pm on August 8th.

Spectacular pastels on scenic Cape Cod. Sounds like a magical combination to me!

How to Create Better Paintings

Anne — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:08:56 GMT

Last month, the F+W Media Fine Art Group launched a new series of webinars. These live, one-hour, online classes can be attended from the comfort of your own home or office. My colleague, Maureen Bloomfield at The Artist's Magazine, and I conducted the last event on Shows & Competitions. Webinar participants raised a bunch of really good questions, and Maureen and I certainly enjoyed sharing our experiences, opinions and advice.

The next webinar event, "The Simple Secret to Better Painting," is coming up on Tuesday, July 14. In this latest webinar, artist and North Light Books author Greg Albert will be sharing his expertise on the subject of composition and design. The discussion will include such topics as varying intervals between picture elements, creating interesting shapes and croppings, achieving dynamic balance, creating an entertaining path for the eye, and more. These are the sorts of ideas that can turn our pretty good paintings into truly winning works of art.

Click here to register now for your seat in the class—and have your questions ready!

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

Pastel Society UK News

Jessica — 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

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

Jessica — 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.

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!

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

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

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...

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

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.

Westward, Show!

Anne — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:49:24 GMT

The Elk Horn Art Gallery in Winter Park, Colo., will present a new show with award-winning artist Clive R. Tyler next month, June 26 through July 12. The solo show, entitled "Telling the Story of the West" will feature more than 20 news pastel works, which portray the skies, the land and the animals of the American West that so inspire the artist.

Tyler will be giving a demonstration at the gallery on June 19 and is also offering a 3-day plein air workshop, June 20-22, in conjunction with the show June 20-22nd. Contact the gallery for more information.

Long Horns (above; pastel, 22x28) by Clive Tyler

Art in Arizona

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:50:57 GMT

A Pixar Artist Goes Plein Air

Anne — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:25:11 GMT

Bill Cone, a designer at Pixar Studios, has been supplementing his movie work over these last 13 years with pastel landscape painting (see Shadowed Face, at left). Now he's ready for the opening night of his first one-man show at the Studio Gallery in San Francisco. The show, built around Cone's four years of painting in the Sierra Nevada mountains, runs from April 15 through May 10. Visit the gallery website to find out more and to view a slide show of work from the show.

A show catalog, Light, Water & Granite, will be available at the gallery and through Cone's blog.

Cone's work at Pixar was the subject of a feature that appeared in the March 2008 issue of The Artist's Magazine. To read more the road trip that helped inspire his work on the Pixar movie Cars, visit our website.

Highlights from the Pastel Show in Chicago

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:46:06 GMT

The Chicago Pastel Painters recently presented their Second Biennial National Juried Exhibition, Pastels Chicago 2009, at the Koehnline Museum of Art in Des Plaines, Illinois. The selections and award recipients were chosen by Doug Dawson, MPSA, 2008 PSA Hall of Fame Inductee, and 2005 IAPS Master Circle. Among the artists receiving awards were Remley Martin, who won the Best of Show for Tubac Pots Series III; Al Zerries, who won First Place for The Eternal Redhead; and Tatijana Jacenkiw, who won Second Place for Solitude - Babusia in Pink I. (The winning paintings are presented above).

The Chicago Pastel Painters is a society of professional artists dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of the medium of pastel in the Chicagoland area.

New York City Pastels in New Orleans

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:06:09 GMT

Despite the unfortunate (and irritating) use of the term, chalk pastel, to describe the medium used in this work, it looks like an interesting show. I like the idea of transporting one neighborhood (NYC's Chinatown) to another (New Orlean's Claude Artist District). It might just be the excuse I need to drive over to New Orleans next weekend and hit every gallery in sight. It's only a few hundred miles away, after all...

Click on the card to link to the gallery's site.

Obama: The Art Show

Anne — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:49:50 GMT

A new exhibition, sponsored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, explores art inspired by the city's most famous recent resident. "Officially Unofficial: Inspired Art for Obama" is a multi-media display of prints, posters, photographs and videos that surfaced during the campaign—the artistic reaction to Obama's candidacy.

The show—curated by Chicago designer Scott Thomas, former Design Director of the Obama Campaign; Chicago artist Ray Noland; and Nathan Mason, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs—will feature both materials designed officially for the campaign as well as the independent work created by artists and designers from across the country, including Ray Noland’s “GoTellMama!” poster series and Shepard Fairey’s controversial “Hope” poster.

The show opens April 1 at the Chicago Tourism Center, 72 E. Randolph Street, and runs through May 15. For more information, visit www.explorechicago.org.

The exhibition poster, "Officially Unofficial," above, was designed by exhibition co-curator Ray Noland.

Showstoppers: Pierre Bonnard

Anne — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:39:14 GMT

Spring Break in New York City always sounds like a good idea, but now there's further encouragement for anyone who needs it: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's current exhibition "Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors." This is the first exhibition to focus entirely on the interiors and still lifes of the artist's later years, which he spent in Le Cannet, a village overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Featuring 80 paintings, drawings and watercolors, the show (on display through April 19) demonstrates the artist's position not so much as "the last Impressionist" as he once called himself, but as an early Modernist. From the museum's website: "... Bonnard transformed the rooms and objects that surrounded him into iridescent subjects, remarkable in color, light, and vision. Compelling metaphors for a range of sensations, the late paintings convey a disquieting effect. It is these luminous late interiors that define Bonnard’s modernism and prompt a reappraisal of his reputation in the history of 20th-century art."

According to Roberta Smith in her review in The New York Times: "While the Met show is a bit too uneven to make the case, it contains plenty of wonderful paintings that reveal the artist meditating on the nature of time, perception, memory and the ways and means of painting, while reviewing the glories of early modernism and tying up some of its loose ends. In addition, he brought back to Western painting a radiance of color little seen since the Sienese." Read the full review here.

Find out more about the exhibition and view an online gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website.

[above] Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867-1947), The Table (1925, oil on canvas, 102.9 x 74.3 cm) Tate. Presented by the Courtauld Fund Trustees 1926. © Tate, London 2008
© 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Cezanne's Legacy

Anne — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:47:00 GMT

The importance of Paul Cézanne as an influence on modern painters is summed up by Picasso's statement that he was "the father of us all." Today, the Philadelphia Museum of Art opens their new exhibition "Cézanne & Beyond," which features 40 paintings and 20 watercolors and drawings by Cézanne, along with works by artists for whom Cézanne has been a central inspiration—artists like Jasper Johns, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picaso. It runs though May 17.

This morning, on my dirve to work, I heard NPR's special correspondent Susan Stamberg's report on the exhibition for "Morning Edition." Listen to her conversation with the exhibition curators and with Cézanne "disciples" Ellsworth Kelly, the 86-year-old minimalist painter and sculptor, and Canadian photographer Jeffrey Wall, on the NPR website.

Pictured here, courtesy of The Philadelphia Museum of Art:

Paul Cézanne, (French, 1839 – 1906), Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair, 1877. Oil on canvas, 28 ∏ x 22 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Bequest of Robert Treat Paine, II.

Paul Cézanne, (French, 1839 – 1906), The Bay of Marseille, Seen from L’Estaque, c. 1885. Oil on canvas, 31 5/8 x 39 5/8 inches. The Art Institute of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection, 1933.

It's a Pastel Party!

Anne — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:39:55 GMT

The first issue of The Pastel Journal was published in March of 1999, which means the new March/April issue marks the magazine's 10-year anniversary! I was trying to think if I could recall how I celebrated my own 10-year-old birthday. Although the memory is vague, I'm fairly sure it involved a sleepover with my best friend. No doubt, after some cake and presents, we spent much of the evening dancing around the bedroom, holding whatever might serve as microphones, and singing along to Shaun Cassidy and Abba. Don't worry; we've come up with much better ways to mark the magazine's milestone. For starters, you can enjoy a new art slide show on the website, featuring 10 years of art from the magazine. What better way to reminisce than with four minutes of stunning pastels!

The special anniversary edition of the magazine, on sale now, is also filled with page after page of inspiring artwork—as we announce the 100 winners of the Pastel 100 competition, which also celebrates its 10 year anniversary! In addition, the issue includes a three-way conversation with key figures from the magazine's history—cofounders Maggie Price and Janie Hutchinson, and artist Deborah Secor—as they recall the "birth story" of The Pastel Journal. Maggie and Janie took a big risk when they launched the magazine, which has me thinking that maybe there is a place for Abba at this party. The band's mega-hit "Take a Chance on Me" is perhaps perfectly suited for the magazine's soundtrack. Two energetic artists took a chance and confidently set about their mission, creating a magazine devoted to pastel art and artists that continues to feed and motivate readers 10 years later.

Three cheers! No, 10 cheers!

Showstoppers: Sally Strand

Anne — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:02:25 GMT

Catch it if you can. A new solo exhibition "Across the Day," featuring new pastels and oil paintings by California artist Sally Strand, opened on February 5 at the Telluride Gallery of Fine Arts in Telluride, Colorado.

Whether painting a still life or interior—with or without figures—it is the light which captivates and inspires the artist. She has won numerous awards for her luminous pastels and was inducted into the Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame in 2007. Read a feature about the artist from our new sister magazine, Southwest Art.

The show continues through March 5.

Glass with White Roses (2008; pastel, 10 x 12 1/2) by Sally Strand

Marlene Dumas at MoMA

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:40:07 GMT

If you happen to be in NYC between now and February 16th, I wish you'd visit MoMA and report back on the Marlene Dumas retrospective, Measuring Your Own Grave, as it's sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime treat. From Peter Schjeldahl's review of the retrospective in The New Yorker:

"Dumas matters as one of a number of now middle-age painters who dealt with the apparent dead end of painting after modernism. ... Like Richter, Dumas confronts the problems head on by hewing, in paint, to the arbitrary givens of a photograph; in her case, photographs that she has found or has taken herself (usually Polaroids of people close to her)."

Read the entire article here: Unpretty Pictures.

Celebrating Oscar Season in Cincinnati

Jessica — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:09:46 GMT

We’re getting in gear for the Academy Awards a little early here in Cincinnati, as the Taft Museum of Art today opens its latest exhibition, Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen. The 36 costumes have been worn in blockbusters such as Titanic, Evita, Sense and Sensibility, Ever After and others. The fashion festivities continue through April 26.

Pictured here is Two-Piece Evening Dress worn by Kate Beckinsale as Maggie Verver in the film, The Golden Bowl (2000), set in the early 1900s. Costumes designed by John Bright; directed by James Ivory. Silk satin with lace.

Degas in Australia

Jessica — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:39:41 GMT

Our Aussie friends have no doubt already caught word of or been to see the blockbuster exhibition, Degas: Master of French Art, at the National Gallery of Australia, but for those who haven't yet, it's on view through March 22.

Among the major highlights of the exhibition—Degas' visual and literary inspiration, subject matter and themes in his work—is the focus on the artist's transformation and development of style.

The accompanying exhibition, "Degas' World: The Rage for Change," just opened on Friday and continues through May 3.

If you can't make it to Canberra, you can view a gallery of the included works and trailers of the exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia's website.

Edgar Degas, The Dance Class (c. 1873; oil on canvas, 47.6 x 62.2 cm). The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. William A Clark Collection, 1926

Andrew Wyeth, 1917-2009

Jessica — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:34:46 GMT

Sad note to end the week: American painter Andrew Wyeth died early today at his home in Philadelphia. He was 91 years old. Read more details from The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Our staff was fortunate enough to catch the exhibition, "Andrew Wyeth: Watercolors and Drawings," at the Cincinnati Art Museum in 2007—with a guided tour by the artist’s granddaughter, Victoria Wyeth, no less—which Anne wrote about in the June 2007 issue of the magazine. When Anne asked a question that Victoria wasn’t sure she could answer, Victoria phoned him using Anne’s mobile! (After which, Anne had to erase the number from her call log in front of Victoria, for security purposes.)

Personally speaking, it was particularly interesting to learn what being a part of the Wyeth legacy entails. “To make the connection that the people sitting across the table and living next door to you are the people in the paintings—once that clicks, it’s the most amazing thing,” said Victoria. “He always says, ‘Vic, I’m painting my life.’ And he is painting his life, but he’s painting my life, too.”

Selling (and Finding) Art on Facebook

Jessica — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:27:14 GMT

ArtNetwork Press invites you to listen (for free, via telephone or online) to one of the keynote speakers of its smARTist Telesummit 2009, “Facebook Expert” Mari Smith, and her presentation, "How to Sell Art on Facebook,” 7-8 p.m. (EST) Monday, Jan. 12. Click here for reservations.

Speaking of Facebook, have you found us there yet? If not, visit our page—search for ArtistsNetwork.com—and “become a fan” in the top right-hand corner of the page. There you’ll find information about our magazine as well as sister publications Watercolor Artist and The Artist’s Magazine.

Children’s Healing Art Project

Jessica — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:54:33 GMT

Those in the Portland, Ore., area still finishing up their holiday shopping need only make one more stop: the Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP) Holiday Bizarre. What’s CHAP about, you ask? It’s a Portland program consisting of a mobile team of teaching artists who create art with patients and families of patients in local children’s hospitals. CHAP’s Holiday Bizarre is a 27-day nonstop art-making factory at the 937 Condos that comes to a close Dec. 24. You’re invited to come and view works of art by the children CHAP works with in any day from noon to 7 p.m., and make your own gifts, wrapping and ornaments, too. The goal is to raise funds for the CHAP art programs and spread the healing power of art to the public—a gift that truly keeps on giving.

Postcards from the United Society of Pastel Artists

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:02:55 GMT

Click here to download your own copies.

More Must-See Pastels

Jessica — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:52:05 GMT

Hammer Galleries in New York present Sheldon Berkowitz: Reflections through January 7. You might be familiar with the artist; his work has appeared twice in The Pastel Journal (most recently, in the August 2005 issue). Berkowitz’s pastels over watercolor on paper are so strikingly realistic, we’d love to be there to see them up close!

Inkwell, Crystal & Pen (2008; pastel over watercolor on paper, 32x40)

Showstopper: Lorenzo Chavez

Anne — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:58:58 GMT

I've learned from pastel artist Lorenzo Chavez, who was last featured in the January / February 2008 issue, and who just served as a juror for our 10th Annual Pastel 100 competition (results coming soon in March/April 2009), that he's having a major one-man show at Pinon Fine Art, a gallery in Littleton, Colo.

The show celebrates the Colorado artist's 20-year long career painting landscapes that capture the beauty of the western states. "My 20-year journey of experiencing and expressing the beauty of the landscape has been a joy," Chavez says. "I have been honored and privileged to share this journey with others."

The show opens Friday, December 5, and runs through January 7, 2009.

Above: The Rocky Mountains (pastel, 18x24) by Lorenzo Chavez

Art in Arizona

Jessica — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:22:10 GMT

The Arizona Art Alliance Juried Fine Art, Exhibition, Sale & Expo takes place today through Sunday, featuring all kinds of artsy goodness: free two-hour workshops with saught-after artists such as Leslie B. DeMille, Betsy Dillard Stroud, Grace Haverty, Liz Kenyon and David Lloyd Bradley, to name a few; juried artist demonstrations; a quickdraw-paint-around; plein air paint out; and 8,400 square feet of display space. Stop by Fountain View Village (16455 Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills) if you’re in the area, and check the AAA website for more details.

Painting in the Park

Anne — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:58:46 GMT

Thirteen women painters from California, Utah and Nevada, painted together in Yosemite Valley last May. The work that grew out of this event, both plein air and studio paintings, are now showing at the Knowlton Gallery in Lodi, Calif., in a show called: "Yosemite on Canvas, 13 Western Artists Paint the Park."

Among the 13 artists are Terri Ford (featured in The Pastel Journal, December 2006) and Kim Lordier (featured most recently in June 2008). Other artists include Jean LeGassick, Debra Huse, Cynthia Britain, Kathleen Dunphy, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, Jeanette Le Grue, Camille Przewodek, Carolyn Lord, Zenaida Mott, Kate Starling and Anita Hampton. California artist Cynthia Britain explained the origin of the idea for the gallery website: “A group of us talked about this for about three years,” she says. “We wanted to paint together as a group of women. When we talked about doing this last year, everyone said they wanted to make it happen in 2008. From there things have come together effortlessly. When we had to decide where to paint, Yosemite was the place everyone wanted to go.” The exhibition continues through November 29. For more information, visit the Knowlton Gallery online.

Pictured above: A Grand View by Terri Ford

Exhibition News: Pastel Society of North Florida

Anne — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:53:14 GMT

Carrie Raeburn, Vice President of the Pastel Society of North Florida, filled me in on the award recipients selected for their recent 10th Biennial National Exhibition. Juror Anatoly Dverin awarded Best in Show to Diana DeSantis of Whitestone, N.Y., for Lititia. Bill James of Ocala, Fla., took first place for Colorful Dancers. Second Place went to Melody Bogle of Seagrove Beach, Fla., for The Tying of the Slippers, and Third Place went to Cyndi Marble of Loganville, Ga., for Roadside Attraction. I'm happy to share these paintings with you here. My congratulations to the artists!

Picasso and the Masters Face Off

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:36:32 GMT

Love a good debate? Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times serves up a spicy one in his recent review of a show at the Grand Palais that juxtaposes hundreds of Picasso's paintings with the master works that inspired them: Cranach and Titian, Poussin and Ribera, Chardin and Zurbarán, El Greco and Courbet, Degas and le Douanier Rousseau, to name a few. The resulting experience? According to Kimmelman, Picasso comes up short when compared to the masters. From the article:

"His achievements were Promethean and unparalleled in the last century, but having said that, as the show proves almost despite itself, Picasso ended up often mired in vain, backward-looking riffs on grander achievements. Perhaps it’s as the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson once put it, talking about Picasso’s failure to appreciate Bonnard. 'Picasso had no heart,' he said. That’s pretty harsh."

Read the full text by clicking here.