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| November, 2007 (11) |
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 Monday, January 14, 2008
It's Not Chalk
Posted by anne
 Rosemary Simpson of Pastel Artists.Ca (PAC) informs me that the PAC spring symposium “Its Not Chalk!” will take place in April (11-13) at the Burlington Art Centre in Burlington, Ontario. Starting things off is a pre-symposium workshop conducted by landscape artist and Pastel Journal contributing writer Michael Chesley Johnson, April 7 through 10 (see his plein air pastel here) . According to Simpson, events will include full- and half-day workshops; seminars on critique, portfolio building, composition, color and design; a mini tradeshow, showcasing the latest in pastel supplies; and a luncheon featuring Berni Ward, representative for PanPastel artists' pastels. The PAC Members show will also be held the same weekend in the main public gallery of the center.
Pastel Artists.Ca, previously known as Pastel Artists Canada, is part of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS). It was founded in 1989 by a small group of
artists in the Golden Horseshoe area of southern Ontario, but its membership of
approximately 200 artists extends beyond Ontario's borders to include Canadian pastel artists from coast to coast. To find out more about PAC or the "It's Not Chalk" symposium, visit their website.
Head Harbour Light Rock (above; pastel, 9x12) by Michael Chesley Johnson
Shows and Events
1/14/2008 10:03:10 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00) 
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Not Too Late in 2008: Camille Pissarro at The Jewish Museum
Posted by jessica
 There’s still time to catch Camille Pissarro: Impressions of City and Country at The Jewish Museum in New York (until Feb. 3). The show features around 50 paintings and works on paper from New York area public and private collections—everyday scenes the Impressionist artist soaked in while living and traveling in rural and urban areas.
Overheard | Shows and Events
1/11/2008 4:46:29 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A Reminder to Park It
Posted by Sarah
 In September, we celebrated the winners of the 2007 “Paint the Parks” National Artists’ Competition and gave you a heads up on the 2008 call to entries. This is a (friendly) reminder that the deadlines are just around the corner. From the entry form: Your entry must represent any of the more than 390 areas supervised by the National Parks Service and will be judged within one of the three National Park Regions. The highest scoring painting from all entries is named the Grand Prize Winner. It, and the top 33 paintings from each of the three regions advance to the Paint the Parks100. All entries must be postmarked by May 31, 2008—No exceptions. An “early bird discount” is available if postmarked by May 1, 2008. Paint the Parks is open to all artists, anywhere in the world, professional or amateur. With a $10,000 purchase award for the Grand Prize and many other cash prizes and awards, "Paint the Parks" is one of the country’s richest art competitions. Get the full details and entry forms here.
Overheard
1/9/2008 8:34:56 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, January 07, 2008
Showstoppers: Asher B. Durand
Posted by anne
 Landscape artists, like Clive R. Tyler [featured in the February issue], who are driven to capture the emotional connection they feel toward the scene they're painting, usually find kinship in the contributions made to American art history by the Hudson River School of painters. One of the major figures in the movement, Asher B. Durand, turned to landscapes after an inspiring journey to the Adirondacks region of New York. There he saw and began to convey in his work a grand and poetic vision of the American landscape (see The Beeches, a work from 1845, at left). A survey of Durand's work can be seen in the retrospective, "Kindred Spirits: Asher B. Durand and the American Landscape," which opens February 2 at the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA). Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, the show makes its last stop at SDMA—the only west coast venue, so start making your plans! As a bonus, you'll also get to see "Plein Air Past and Present," a display of 20 paintings from the Southern California area, painted in the late 19th and early 20th century. Organized in collaboration with the Lux Art Institute, the display will run at SDMA concurrently with "Kindred Spirits." Inspiring art. Southern California in February. Say no more! The Beeches (above; 1845; oil on canvas, 60 3/8 x 48 1/8) by Asher B. Durand. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Maria DeWitt
Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914,
15.30.59, Photograph © 1992 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
1/7/2008 12:21:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, January 04, 2008
Art Caper for the Holidays
Posted by jessica
 While some of us were preparing for the holidays cleaning house and last-minute shopping, a couple of art thieves were hard at work in Brazil. On Dec. 20, within three minutes, burglars lifted from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari—both of which are uninsured, according to a museum spokesman. The robbers’ tools? A crowbar and a car jack. Click here for the story from ABC News.
Update (1/9/08): The paintings have been recovered, and in perfect condition. Click here to read more on Yahoo! Update (1/21/08): Now Sao Paulo state authorities want to shut the museum down. Click here for more from CBC News.
Overheard
1/4/2008 9:43:25 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Music to Paint By
Posted by anne
Todd Rustad, the nephew of the late pastel artist Richard C. Pionk, has created a CD of original piano music. The proceeds from CD sales will support the Richard C. Pionk Memorial Fund. The fund was set up at the Salmagundi Club, where Pionk had been president. Memorial funds will be used to promote excellence in oil and pastel art.
Sounds like a perfect way to acquire new music to paint by, honor the memory of a pastel master, and provide funds for the continuing support of pastel art! To listen to CD samples or to order a CD, visit Rustad's website. To read more about Pionk, see our earlier blog entry about his passing. Persion Vase With Pears (above; pastel, 19x25) by Richard C. Pionk
Art Inspiration | Overheard
1/2/2008 9:21:10 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, December 21, 2007
Warm Wishes
Posted by jessica
As we head out of the office to celebrate the holidays, we wish you the merriest of seasons. We’d also like to brag a little on our publisher, David Pyle, whose photo of this spectacular Hawthorn tree in his very own back yard was selected this year as our company holiday e-card. Again, many thanks for your support of The Pastel Journal this year. Anne Hevener, Editor Sarah Strickley, Managing Editor Jessica Canterbury, Associate Editor Cindy Rider, Art Director
12/21/2007 9:20:43 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Your Pastel Competition News Spot
Posted by Sarah
  The Pastel Society of the Southwest (PSSW) has announced the winners of its 26th Annual National Competition. The exhibit and workshop were held in November at the Irving Arts Center in the Focus Gallery. This year’s juror and judge was Richard McKinley. (To see photos of McKinley's workshop with the PSSW, click here.) This year's winners include: (Pictured here) Best in Show: Woman of Guatemala by Jan Weaver First Award of Excellence: A Lingering Memory by June Holloway Second Award of Excellence: Afternoon Shadows by Bob Rhom Third Award of Excellence: Red Aspen by Judy Pelt Landscape Award: Del Mar Area by Janis Krendick Still Life Award: Pomegranates by Barbara Strasser Portrait Award: Lola by Pam Hardigree Abstract Award: Breakfast by Loreta Feeback   Thanks to Pat for the skinny. If you'd like to annouce your society's news on our blog, please send the details to pjedit@fwpubs.com. (Images should be sized at 72 dpi.) To find a pastel society near you, visit our extensive listings.
Shows and Events
12/19/2007 10:19:20 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Creative Gift
Posted by anne
 The topic of gifts is certainly a popular one at this time of year, but I wanted to talk about creative gifts—as in talents—not creative gifts as in " clocky," the alarm clock that has wheels so it can roll off your dresser and come at you if you don't get up. Yes, I can see that clocky might be a helpful thing for me, especially on these dark, winter mornings, but even more helpful would be anything that exercises my creative muscles. Before it ceased publication in 2006, Artist's Sketchbook magazine was just such a ready supply of creative inspiration. Fortunately, the latest CD compilation at the F+W magazine store is Artist's Sketchbook 2005 and 2006 which includes nine issues of the magazine, all on a single CD for your computer. As a former editor of that magazine, I
have a soft spot for the publication and its mission to help new and
experienced artists alike discover and nurture their creative powers. Sketchbook
articles celebrate the artistic process with exercises to keep artists in the
flow and peeks inside real sketchbooks—the universal tool for artists. The June
2006
issue of Artist's Sketchbook, which includes features on
nature sketchbooks, travel journals, drawing portraits, painting to
music, and getting the most out of a trip to the Musee d'Orsay in
Paris—was the last. So, if you never happened on to this little gem,
now's a great chance to see what you missed.
You'll also find at the store CD compilations of our sister publications, Watercolor Artist and The Artist's Magazine. And don't worry, similar compilations of The Pastel Journal are in the works for 2008 (we'll be sure to alert you). Meanwhile, you can find excerpts from The Pastel Journal on the CD "The Best Art of 2005 and 2006,"
which compiles more than 500 images, all the winning art from the competitions of all three
fine art publications. The CDs are easily searched, easily stored and perfectly portable. How fun to
think you could stuff more than 500 works of art into a single
stocking? That's a creative gift that can actually inspire our creative gifts!
Art Inspiration | Tools and Materials
12/17/2007 4:36:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Paula Rego at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
Posted by jessica
 You might remember artist Paula Rego from the feature in our December 2006 issue, and even if you missed it (for shame!), we thought you might be interested to know that the figurative artist will be featured in a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts Feb. 1-May 25—the first major U.S. exhibition of the Londoner’s work. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the only U.S. venue for the show, which will include 25 of Rego’s narrative paintings, etchings, lithographs and drawings. We consider it a great excuse to plan a late winter trip to Washington, D.C.
Overheard | Shows and Events
12/13/2007 2:52:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Hobbies and Your Health
Posted by anne
A New York Times article confirms what we already know: having a creative hobby is good for us. According to the article, medical experts confirm that hobbies stimulate creativity and help sharpen one's focus. In a nutshell, when we're doing something we enjoy, our concentration releases chemicals in our brain that provide a boost of energy and increase motivation. So, I know this, and you know this, but do your workaholic friends know this? For those you know whose job is their hobby, let them know: Having a hobby improves job
performance. Gail McMeekin, owner of a career coaching
company, was quoted in the article as saying, "Any time you take a break from routine, you develop new
ways of thinking." Anytime we nurture creativity, then, we unleash new ways of
thinking, new ways of doing things, and the next big idea.
12/10/2007 1:56:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, December 07, 2007
Michelangelo Sketch Found in St. Peter's
Posted by jessica
A sketch of St. Peter's dome, which is believed to be one of Michelangelo's last before his death, was discovered in the basilica's offices, according to The Boston Herald. The sketch, drawn in red chalk, was created in 1563 for stonecutters who were working on the basilica. The artist died in 1564.
Overheard
12/7/2007 9:46:42 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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