Your Eyes to the World of Soft Pastel Art
Competitions
Main Course by Don Judah
Jan 11th
Don Judah "Main Course"
Don Judah‘s painting First Course (in this post) was selected as an outstanding pastel painting at the November 2011 BoldBrush competition. Here is how Don describes his art.
“Art has always been my first love. My formal education in art was limited to high school and college elective classes and a few excursions into available classes in the evenings when time would permit. After my retirement from forty four years in health care, I have had the opportunity to return to drawings and painting and continue my education in art. Over the last four years I have returned to the study of art beginning with the most elementary drawing classes available. In this beginning period of my education I was fortunate to find a life drawing class that has offered me an opportunity to continue to develop my artistic talents and move into pastel figure drawing. I have a love of pastel and enjoy the process of developing a painting from a simple gesture composition, into a charcoal value drawing and finally into a finished pastel drawing. Drawing the human figure is most challenging and the most rewarding experience. The most extraordinary aspect of painting the human figure is that it is ever changing. There is always something new to be found, some subtle form or transition from one shape to another. Every person and every pose is different. The continuing challenge is to attempt to capture that special essence of every subject you draw or paint. As you may assume most of my work over the last few years is focused on figurative art. I just finished transforming a small barn into studio at my home in Napa and I plan to continue to learn and paint and appreciate the opportunity to begin a new adventure in the world of art.”
Click on the image for the higher resolution.
William A. Schneider, IAPS 19th Web Show Winner
Dec 26th
The International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) has organized the second web show and you can see it on the society website.
The show chair was Paula Ann Ford, and jurors of selection were Alain Picard, Christine Ivers, Phil Bates. The Judge of Awards was Denise LaRue Mahlke. To see the winning paintings click on the artist name.
1. William A. Schneider
2. Dan Michael
3. Kim Lordier
4. Marj Lightle
5. Jennifer Rowe
HM: Mary Aslin
HM: Daggi Wallace
HM: Margaret Dyer
HM: Jeannette Cuevas
Dominique Bisson Winner of Les Pastellistes International 2011
Nov 29th
Dominique Bisson "Le temps des lilas"
Pastel Society of Eastern Canada 16th edition of Les Pastellistes International Exhibition selected by jury was held from November 4th to 13th, 2011. The top prizes were awarded to the following artists
1. Dominique Bisson, Le temps des lilas (see the painting above)
2. Carmen Caron-Lafrance, Artifices
3. Danielle Richard, Petite fleur
4. Siddick Nuckcheddy (île Maurice), Solitude sinistre
5. Mary Dorland, Here Come the Brides
PSA’s 39th Annual Pastels Only Exhibition
Nov 11th
Jimmy Wright
The Pastel Society of America held the 39th Annual Pastels Only Exhibition. There were close to 50 awarded artists. Top Award Winners, with prices over 1500$ were:
Jimmy Wright – PSA Founders Award given by The Flora B. Giffuni Foundation.
Bob Palevitz – Jack Richeson & Co. Award.
Theresa Emmett Allison – Art Spirit Foundation Dianne B. Bernhard Gold Medal Award.
Robert Carsten – The Flora B. Giffuni & Joseph V. Giffuni Memorial Award.
Tim Solliday – Great American Artworks – “Full Monty” Award.
Daniel E. Greene – Herman Margulies Award for Excellence.
Follow this link to see all top price winning works.
Aaron Schuerr Pastel Adventures
May 7th
Aaron Schuerr "River Glow"
Have you ever tried to paint outdoors with the frozen fingers? Or climbing to a peek of mountain to find that perfect spot for your next plein air painting? Looks like that is the specialty of Aaron Schuerr. He combines his love of outdoors and painting to capture those special moments when most of us run for shelter.
Aaron is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, is a dedicated plein-air painter based in Livingston, Montana. Working in both oil and pastel, he brings a quiet intimacy and sensitive rendering of light to the varied landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West.
Aaron won the Pastel Journal Gold Medal Award for Excelence in 2011 with the painting River Glow.
Jan Weaver, The Best of APS Show 2011
May 3rd
Jan Weaver "Watching"
Jan Weaver’s interest in art eventually led her to get B.F.A. in studio art from the University of Texas. She pursued her love of ceramics until 2000 when she turned her focus to drawing and painting. Jan never considered herself a painter, but making art is a learned skill and she was willing to be taught. That year she saw an artist-friend’s work in pastel and she was mesmerized by the intensity of the color. Jan knew right then that this was what she wanted to learn.
Jan’s painting Watching (in this post) was the best of show at the Austin Pastel Society 2011 Annual Juried Member Exhibition held this Spring.
The Austin Pastel Society 2011 Exhibition
May 1st
The Austin Pastel Society held the 2011 Annual Juried Member Exhibition this Spring. The accepted artwork is shown in the slideshow below.
Don Williams, The Pastel Journal Best of Show
Apr 24th
Don Williams "Hopper Car in Fog"
Night scenes of empty streets, ships and trains in a fog, old cars and gas stations… if you see it masterfully painted in pastels, you can be very certain it was done by Don Williams. His paintings are very quite and always show dramatic lights.
Don earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the Newcomb Art School at Tulane University. He paints in both oil and pastel, and also works in drawing media, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions and one-man shows at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the San Jose Museum of Art and the Sheldon Art Museum in Lincoln, Neb. The artist lives in Sonoma, California.
Don won the Pastel Journal Best of Show award for 2011 with the painting Hopper Car in Fog.
Abel Marquez
Jan 31st
Micoette Box, Pastel on paper
Abel Marquez is an argentinian artist living and working in Miami, Florida. He won the Ruth Richeson/Unison Pastel Award at the Pastel Journal 12th Pastel 100 competition with Micoette Box (21″ x 30″), this pastel was also awarded with the “Pastel Society of America Award” last September when the Pastel Society of America celebrated its 38th Annual Exhibition at the National Arts Club in New York City.
Malcolm Jarvis Autumn Landscapes
Dec 13th
Malcolm Jarvis is an internationally recognized artist who holds the Diploma in Design from St. Martin’s School of Art, London, UK. He lives in the rural county of Norfolk, England, and has spent most of his life with the vast skies, the miles of inland waterways and the windswept coast. Although he tends to use watercolor on his travels, the soft pastels are his favorite painting medium. In many of his paintings Malcolm explores the effects of light on the landscape. Malcolm draws inspiration from the English countryside as well as from the Mediterranean light. His work has been exhibited in England, Washington DC, South Carolina and Spain and he holds regular workshops in England, around the Europe and Mediterranean.
Malcolm is the winner and the runner up of the latest Get Dusty competition, held by the Pastel Guild of Europe.
In his words, “I hope you see my pieces as a response to nature, to beauty, to life, to that sudden awareness of being in the presence of a mystery that baffles understanding.”
Jill Stefani Wagner
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