The energy is high and the excitement intense at the 7th International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) convention taking place right now in Albuquerque, NM. Because there's nothing that makes you quite as hungry as air travel, Sarah (managing editor) and I started things off with lunch at a restaurant which we afterward learned was named after a famous madam out of Albuquerque history--a signal of what we knew would be an interesting few days in the Land of Enchantment!

Our afternoon was filled with the wisdom of artist Richard McKinley who welcomed us into his all-day workshop "Interpreting the Landscape." As Richard demonstrated his technique, he spoke about the importance of knowing your concept and making choices that support it. "Without a concept, it's just another good painting." he said. "Think about what you want to do with it, and then follow the serendipty," later adding: "Approach your painting as though you're a child who's been given a puzzle without a box top. See with the innocence of a child again--with wonder and fascination."

We just launched our first cover art survey in which we invited art enthusiasts to help us choose the cover art for the magazine. We've received a number of interesting comments. Many voters were drawn to the "rich color" and "attractive composition" of cover A, which also demonstrates a level of realism to which many said they aspire. Others liked the "freshness" and "vibrancy" of cover B. If you haven't already voted and would like to, go to: http://links.mkt230.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTY0NTg5S0&r=Njk4NjE3Mzc0S0&j=MjU1MDY1NjMS1&mt=1

We are excited to introduce The Pastel Journal blog. Here we can share art-related news items that are taking place right now even though the next issue of the magazine is weeks away. And all the little tidbits we have to cut from artist interviews in order to turn a two-hour conversation into a 6-page print article--now we can pick them up off the cutting room floor! We'll also be bringing you news about products, materials, conferences and shows, and perhaps some rantings about the blessings and bloopers of life on a magazine. You'll be hearing from all of us here on the editorial team, so we thought for starters, you might like to meet us:

Anne Hevener, the Editor of The Pastel Journal, has worked on a variety of art titles since 1991. Anne has enjoyed art-making since the third grade when she was sought out by classmates to decorate handmade, brown-bag book covers with her drawings (Tweety Bird was a specialty). Now she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for art with her two daughters, ages 9 and 6--both promising young pastelists, of course.

Sarah A. Strickley, Managing Editor of The Pastel Journal, comes to the magazine with a background in the literary and academic world. Sarah has served on the editorial staffs of a variety of arts magazines and publications, and her interest in fostering arts communities has led to work in several grassroots not-for-profit organizations. A relative beginner in the pastel medium, she has yet to discover a good way of keeping her Italian greyhound, Balou, out of the pastel dust.

Jessica Canterbury, our Associate Editor, has never been to Canterbury, England, but--as an English major--spent plenty of time analyzing Chaucer in many a lit class. Jessica’s childhood dream to become an artist received this admonition from her dad: Artists don’t wear undergarments. Nevertheless, she currently combines her love of writing and visual art on The Pastel Journal.

Cindy Rider is the Art Director of The Pastel Journal. Cindy knows her way around InDesign and PhotoShop, but she launched her graphic art career in the days of arc lamps, type spec, paste-up and ruling pens. "I love what I do today as much as I did in the beginning," she says. Cindy and her husband Mike have three grown children and three “beautiful, intelligent, kind and fun-to-be-with grandkids.” Hard to detect any partiality on the part of this grandma!