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# Friday, July 24, 2009
Digital FAQs
Posted by sarah

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.


Shows and Events | Tips and Techniques
Friday, July 24, 2009 3:48:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sam Liberman Pastels at the Butler
Posted by jessica

Liberman.jpgSam 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






Overheard | Shows and Events
Thursday, July 23, 2009 8:02:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Showstoppers: Pastels By Invitation
Posted by anne

_DSC1327_home_page.jpg
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!



Shows and Events
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:55:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2]
# Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thanks for Your Pastel Input
Posted by jessica

Thanks to those of you who took our editorial survey. I’ll be poring over the 1,000-plus submissions all day! We really do take your feedback into our brainstorming meetings, so you can rest assured that you have had a part in shaping the future of your favorite pastel magazine.

Now, where's my coffee?


Overheard
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 3:01:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Monday, July 13, 2009
Pastel News Flash
Posted by anne

iapslogo.jpg
The International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) has just launched a new item for pastel news junkies. A new IAPS e-newsletter will provide notice of upcoming pastel competitions, exhibitions, events, and other news of interest to pastelists. Be the first to know! To sign up, visit the IAPS websi
te and look for the sign-up box. And while you're on the website, check out the member society art showcases, the free article downloads, and more!

Overheard
Monday, July 13, 2009 3:05:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Return to Me: Creative Spark Winner
Posted by sarah

KMargulisAfter the Storm.JPGIn the June 2009 issue of the magazine, Jimmy Wright challenged readers to reinterpret elements in a subject-specific series. We're now pleased to announce that Karen Margulis of Marietta, GA, is our editors' choice and the winner of our fine art media gift basket, a $250 value. Margulis remarks of the experience, "I love thisKMargulis_Closer In.JPG challenge because I like to paint series of the same subject and this is a great idea to get me thinking outside the box and getting more creative with my subjects. For the challenge, I chose After the Storm (18x24), which depicts flowers from a low viewpoint, to reinterpret. I thought it would be interesting to get up close and personal with a few of the flowers with Closer In (10x8). I imagined I was an insect under a flower that has has just weathered the passing storm. I kept the same color palette and played up the light of the setting sun. Thanks for the spark! I see a whole new series of wildflower paintings!"

Our runners up include Diana Sanford with her three Ancient Lake paintings; Linda Boatwright with Hot Trees, Cool Shade and Gila Rhythms; and Karen Ann Patton with Along the Ormond Loop and Florida Marsh. These remarkable originals and reinterpretations appear below.

Diana Sanford:






Linda Boatwright




Karen Ann Patton



Art Inspiration | Tips and Techniques
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 6:30:31 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2]
# Monday, July 06, 2009
How to Create Better Paintings
Posted by anne

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!




Shows and Events
Monday, July 06, 2009 7:08:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Thursday, July 02, 2009
The Pastel Journal Reader Survey
Posted by sarah

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.


Overheard
Thursday, July 02, 2009 7:43:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Monday, June 29, 2009
Society Art Events: Pastels in Indiana
Posted by anne

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


Art Inspiration | Shows and Events
Monday, June 29, 2009 7:14:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
# Wednesday, June 24, 2009
New Issue!
Posted by sarah


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.


Art Inspiration | Tips and Techniques | Tools and Materials
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 5:29:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]
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