Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 1

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

The first APS meeting of the year was Sunday,

9/22 at Norris Conference Center, on Anderson

Lane at Burnet Road in Austin featuring a

portrait demo by APS member Cindy McBride.

If you missed the demo, be sure to visit her

website – you will wish you had been there to

watch and learn!

I hope you had a chance to see the impressive

APS exhibition “Pastels in the Pines” at Lost

Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St in Bastrop.

The show ends October 30, so there is still time

to visit. The Art Center is open Monday -

Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. Thank you to the

33 APS artists who are participating, and to

Maribel Mast and Signe Cox for organizing it.

Members can now register online for the March

7 & 8 Jeanne Rosier Smith Workshop “Making

Waves” Workshop. Full tuition is $290. Only 8

waitlist seats are open for registration.

My PanPastel® mini-workshop will be at 11 am

on Sunday, October 27, prior to the APS

meeting, at the Norris Conference Center. All

materials provided. Bring your own subject

matter. You may bring PanPastels if you already

own them. They are available for purchase

(optional) at Asel Art Supply in Austin

<aselartaustin@gmail.com>. Registration is full,

so is open for waitlist only. Register online here.

We need help with some of our important and

rewarding jobs in APS. The posts currently

vacant include:

• Mini-workshop helpers (handle

logistics and registration for Bethany

Field’s mini-workshop).

• Non-juried Exhibition helpers (find

venues to show our art, write and

distribute prospectus, collect entries,

make labels, hang show, organize

reception, strike show).

• Host for the annual December holiday

party.

Please consider your interests, time, and talents,

and let us know if you can take on one of these

vital roles. You’ll receive more than you give,

because you’ll get to know other members

better, learn new skills and share your expertise

with people who truly appreciate you.

I look forward to seeing you at the October 27

meeting at Norris Conference Center.

Many thanks, Enid Wood

Austin Pastel Society President

APS ANNUAL JURIED MEMBERS

EXHIBIT AND COMPETITION Plan to participate and show your support for

our APS annual exhibition!

Call for entries begins November 15.

Jeanne Rosier Smith will be our juror/judge

and workshop instructor. Details are on our

website and in this newsletter.

Members can submit up to five pastel paintings

for $45. Each painting should be a maximum of

45-inches in either direction, inclusive of the

frame.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 2

Here are a few more highlights:

• Call for Entries: begins Friday,

November 15, 2019

• Final day for submission: Friday,

January 31, 2020

• Painting drop-off: Sunday, March 1

• Strike date / Painting pick-up: Sunday,

April 26

• Reception and Awards

Ceremony: Sunday March 29, 2 – 4 pm

The complete prospectus will be available soon.

APS DEMONSTRATIONS

October 27, 2019: Enid Wood, PSA

Enid will

demonstrate the

application of

PanPastel® as an

underpainting for

her soft pastel

paintings. She will

also teach a

PanPastel mini-

workshop that

morning from

11:00 to

2:00. You’ll learn

how to apply PanPastel to your support, how to

mix colors, block in a painting using PanPastel,

layer PanPastel over an ink underpainting, and

how to layer with pastel sticks or pastel pencils

over PanPastel.

Enid’s work has won a multitude of local,

national and international awards. She is a

signature member of the Pastel Society of

America and the Pastel Society of New

Mexico. Enid teaches painting workshops

locally and nationally, and is in demand as a

juror and judge for pastel exhibitions. Her

paintings appear in private and corporate

collections throughout the world. She is also a

frequent contributor to Pastel Journal.

Tooth of Time by Enid Wood, 18 x 24

Note: The October and January APS meetings

will be held at the Norris Conference Center

at 2525 W Anderson Lane, in the Magnolia

Room.

January 26, 2020: Bethany Fields, PSA,

IAPS/MC

Bethany will

demonstrate the

use of reference

photos as an aid,

not to duplicate,

a finished

painting,

experimenting

with color, color

harmony and

underpainting techniques. More details will

soon be provided. Bethany will also provide a 4-

hour mini-workshop prior to the meeting.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 3

Canyon Fenceline by Bethany Fields, 12 x 12

Bethany is an American contemporary artist

working in pastel. She has gained national

recognition with exhibits at the Salmagundi

Club, National Arts Club, both in NYC, and the

Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio. She

regularly hosts and teaches workshops around

the country and is a signature member of the

Pastel Society of America and the Degas Pastel

Society and is a Master Circle member of IAPS

(International Association of Pastel Societies).

She is an active member of American Women

Artists and the American Impressionist

Society. Bethany has recently been featured in

the prestigious Pastel Journal magazine in both

a featured article and as an honorable mention

winner for the 2017 Pastel 100. Her work was

also chosen as a finalist in Artist’s Magazine

Annual Art Competition in 2016 and 2018.

Check our website for these demo details:

• October 27: Enid Wood

• January 26: Bethany Fields

• February 26: Brenda Hash

• March Demo: Jeanne Rosier Smith

• April 26 Demo: Joycelyn Schedler

• May 24: Jan Weaver

• June 28: Annual Garage Sale

2019 APS “PASTEL IN THE PINES”

SHOW AT LOST PINES ART CENTER

The Lost Pines Art Center (LPAC) is a lovely

facility in historic downtown Bastrop, located at

Pastels in the Pines. The public reception was September 7, with live music, refreshments and some wonderful artwork by over 30 of our APS members. Click here for more photos.

Lost Pines Art Center 1204 Chestnut Street

Bastrop, TX 78602

The show is on display through October 28.

2020 WORKSHOP

Making Waves: Seascapes, with Jeanne Rosier

Smith

Saturday & Sunday, March 7 & 8, 2020

Location: Apache Shores Community Hall

14919 General Williamson Dr.

Austin, TX 78734

(The studio is located in Lakeway, TX)

Jeanne Rosier Smith, internationally acclaimed artist

In this workshop, learn to create the illusion of

crashing waves in pastel. Go beyond the flat

blues of photographs and enliven your seascapes

with the colors in your memory.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 4

Turnabout, 8x8, by Jeanne Rosier Smith

Find more details on our website.

LEARNING AND SHARING: A

BEGINNER’S JOURNEY By APS member Yingying Chen

Soft Pastel and

Pastel Paper

In April 2018, I

started to learn soft

pastel painting. As

a beginner, I started

cheap. The first

pastel set was a

Mungyo beginner

set from Amazon. The pastel paper I used was a

Strathmore pastel pad. I liked neither of those.

The pastel dust came off the paper and I blew

hard -- which made a huge mess. I even started

questioning if I should continue.

I got a lot of help from online classes and

watched some videos on YouTube. I decided I

would give it a try again.

This time I bought a box of Sennelier soft

pastel and Fabriano Tiziano paper. I was really

fascinated by the vivid colors that the pigment

of the soft pastels have. I used this set to paint

some floral paintings. I absolutely fell in love

with it and started to explore more soft pastels.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 5

My next set of pastels was Prismacolor

NuPastel 96. It’s a hard pastel, but good for

quick sketches. Right now, I do daily sketches

to practice and this is a very good set to use for

that. Also, I bought a Rembrandt set. It’s softer

than Nupastel but much harder than Sennelier.

Somehow I didn’t quite like this one, so it was

shelved.

I decided to invest in Sennelier since I loved the

previous set I bought. It was the full set of

Sennelier 525. It cost me a lot. I felt happy even

just looking at the colors! But unfortunately, I

don’t use this one often because it’s kind of a

pain to have a huge box near me when painting.

I do look for colors I need if I can’t find them in

my other sets.

Sennelier 525 set.

Once, I saw the paintings from Vera Kavura on

Instragram and was really amazed how she did

those. She said she used Unison. I couldn’t help

but buy two Unison sets -- one for landscape

and one for portrait!

Immediately, I shifted from Sennelier to Unison.

I felt more control with Unison pastels. I also

bought some Terry Ludwig pastels based on

great feedback from Facebook pastel groups. As

of now, Unison and Terry Ludwig are my

favorites. I use them for most of my paintings.

I tried many pastel papers as well, including:

• Sennelier LaCarte Pastel Card

• Pastelmat

• Velour

• Legion Somerset Velvet

• Canson Mi-Teintes

• the new Canson Mi-Teintes Touch.

For now I use Mi-Teintes a lot, since it’s cheap

and it works. The trick is to use the back side of

Mi-Teintes instead of the front side. It’s

smoother on the back side and easier to work

with. For a detailed portrait, I use LaCarte Pastel

Card. It’s a sanded paper.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 6

Demo Painting

Landscapes and animals are two of my favorite

subjects to paint. For this sharing, I spent 2.5

hours on a landscape painting using a reference

photo taken by my friend.

Normally I will pick the pastel paper with a

color that’s close to most of what I need to

paint, so I can actually “borrow” the paper

color. Today I couldn’t, since I ran out of dark

color papers.

First I tape the four sides of paper so my

painting will be the standard size of 11x14

inches. In this way, I can easily buy frames from

Michael’s, which is much cheaper than a custom

one.

When I do the landscape painting, I only draw

out the blocks where things will be located --

instead of any details. Then I worked from top

to bottom, from left to right to avoid smudges.

In the next image, I mostly used Terry Ludwig

and Unison.

I like to mix different shades of blues to get a

variety of colors. I blend with my finger or a

foam.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 7

For the trees, I usually start with the dark colors

such as dark purple, dark blue, and so on.

On top of the dark colors, I add the details with

bright colors depending where the light is.

To see the full picture, go to

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2uxGcLl-1o/.

More of my paintings are at

https://www.instagram.com/softpastelpainting/.

I’m still practicing, learning and exploring. But

with 1.5 years of experience, I’m much more

comfortable working with soft pastel. I just won

the animal category Best in Celebration of Art

in the Arkansas Juried Show, which was a nice

surprise. I encourage any beginners like me to

try more, find your own favorite pastels and

paper, and enjoy the learning process.

Webmaster’s Note: Write a “Sharing &

Learning” article to post in the newsletter, and

your pastel artwork can be displayed on the

APS website Home page for a week or more!

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 8

PASTEL TIPS AND TRICKS

Got a technical tip to share? Let us know and

we’ll publish it in out next APS Newsletter!

Plein Air Tips

Note: If one of our APS members (or a few, co-

operatively) would put together an article for

plein air newbies, about equipment and other

suggestions, that would be a great contribution

to me and others.

The outdoor temperature here in the Austin area

will soon be perfect for plein air painting. The

biggest challenge is to select an easel and

portable system to carry just what you need for

outdoor comfort and pastel painting.

There are lots of articles to help with that, but

first-hand knowledge from an APS member that

paints in our area and climate would be

wonderful.

In the meantime, APS member Mary Olivera ,

who also enjoys plein air painting, summarized

some info taken from Stefan Bauman and Ryan

S. Brown in an article written for Plein Air

Newsletter and Outdoor Painter.com.

Plein Air Painting Tips from two Artists:

Stefan Bauman

1. Practice setting up your easel a few times

before your first outing. Navigating an

umbrella can be a humorous endeavor for

others to observe, so practice where and how

to hook it up to avoid frustration and wasted

time.

2. Your first mark should be the horizon

line. This grounds your painting and

immediately navigates the space.

3. When dressing for the outing, think thin-

to-thick. Wear layers of clothing to avoid

colder-than-expected or steaming hot

conditions.

4. Painting outdoors is a little like camping.

Be courteous and respectful with nature and

your fellow painters while out painting. If

you are in a very wild area, expect natural

things to happen. Bug bites, wildlife,

unexpected weather conditions, or a

potential angry farmer, as well as the best

painting subject matter, are all part of the

plein air experience. Leave no trace behind.

5. Have a sense of humor at the easel. This

keeps things simple and not overworked—

not to mention, the “fun factor” is definitely

increased.

Ryan S. Brown

1. Learn to see the whole — all elements in a

work must work in harmony to support

the whole.

2. Use your mirror. This helps provide a

mental separation with the piece that

brings clarity.

3. Learn to see it as it is, and not how it was

— separate yourself from the small steps

that made the work better in order to see

whether it is fully resolved yet. Self-

critiquing is difficult because we see

everything that has gone into the piece.

When we make a change or a correction, it

is easy to convince ourselves that it’s right,

or that it’s fully resolved, because we see

how much better it looks than it did in

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 9

previous stages.

4. It’s necessary to blind yourself to how

much better it looks and see it as though

you’ve never looked at it before. Try to

figure out whether it’s fully resolved or if it

still needs some adjusting.

Links and videos about Plein Air Painting:

APS Lending Library has several video titles on

plein air painting instruction

Artist Network: Plein Air Painting in Pastel

Outdoor Painter: Home of Plein Air Magazine

Heilman Designs (plein air equipment)

MEMBER DISCOUNTS

Carry your APS membership card with you

when you shop for art supplies. Ask about

discounts.

Asel Art Supply: Present your APS membefor

a 25% off regular priced art supplies. The store

is located at 510 W. MLK Blvd, Austin TX

78701. Manager: Lisa Wright.

Special Offer for APS Members – A FASO

Artist ‘Gold Plan’ Website for Only $30

Your first year & free help moving your

website, free domain name, https for a secure

website. Click to start your new Fine Art Studio

Online website now! Password is painteveryday.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

APS wishes to share recent news about our members that offer pastel art classes, demos, workshops,

won awards, juried into shows of interest, exhibits they are part of, plein air meet-ups, etc.

Yingying Chen won the Pets/Animals/Misc Category Award with the Artists of NW

Arkansas National Show for her painting “Snow Day.” Our APS Home page features this

painting, since she provided the “Share and Learn” article for this newsletter!

Jan Weaver will be showing her latest bird series at Hyde Park Grill Westgate from Nov 24

– Jan 5. She welcomes our APS members to venture over and take a look!

Nana Carrillo is juried into the Pastel Society of the Southwest 2019

National Juried Exhibition. She also won Best of Show at the Luling Oil

Museum show.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 10

Neva Rossi Five of my paintings were juried into 4 National Juried Exhibitions in

the coming months. Ava in Apricot can be seen at the New Orleans Art Center in New

Orleans, LA exhibition from Oct 8 - Nov 3.

Ava in Attitude was accepted in the Pastel Society of the Southwest Exhibit, Oct 1 –

Nov 1, at Tower Gallery in Grapevine, TX.

I will have two in this next exhibition, Kirsten with Green Earrings and Orange Kimono. They will be

on exhibit with the Arkansas Pastel Society’s Reflections in Pastel exhibit at the Butler Center for

Arkansas Studies in Little Rock, AR, Nov 8 - Feb 22, 2020.

Dog Walker, Rome is going to the Maryland Pastel Society’s Shades of Pastel Exhibit at The

Strathmore Mansion in North Bethesda, MD, from Nov16 - Jan 5, 2020.

I’ll teach a workshop titled “Sketching & Painting the Draped Model – Yes You Can!” at the Victoria

Art League on October 26 and 27. Let me know if you are interested. Space is limited to about 6.

Albert Handell is holding a Taos, NM Mentoring Workshop –

October 6-12, 2019

6 ½ day meeting: Indoor/Outdoor Pastel & Oil Painting. Tuition

$975.

The Sundance Studio at the new Kachina Lodge, 413 Paseo Del

Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571

Rita Kirkman

Workshops: Jump start your creative New Year’s resolutions! Rita will teach a

workshop at the Georgetown Art Center on January 18-19, 2020. Rita's classic

pastel workshop focuses on painting small and often to rapidly improve skills

and expand knowledge. Learn to capture light and loosen up with Rita's

innovative under-painting technique. Instruction emphasizes composition and

techniques for a small format, value and temperature control, how to creatively interpret your photos and

how to stay productive with your art within a busy lifestyle. For beginner to advanced. Contact Donna

Staten to register.

Exhibits: Rita Kirkman's newest Renaissance portrait "Young Diana" (never before seen!) has been

accepted into the Connecticut Pastel Society's Renaissance in Pastel 26th Annual National Juried

Exhibition. Held at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, CT, the show will run from October 11 –

December 6, 2019.

Another new portrait by Kirkman, "The Ruby Princess" (8x6 inches) was accepted into the Pastel

Society of Southeast Texas Art of the Pastel National Juried Exhibition, to be shown at the Gallery at

Round Top in Round Top, TX, October 19 - November 16, 2019. Reception is October 19, 4-6 pm.

Rita also has two paintings included in the Pastel Society of Colorado online show, Chroma, online right

now through October 16, 2019. And "Eight or Nine Sheep" (15x30 inches) has an Honorable Mention.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 11

Only ten paintings were awarded, out of 86 paintings in the show! (Her other painting included is

"Persephone" which won 3rd in Show at our APS exhibit this spring.)

View the show at https://www.pscshows.com/online-show.html.

Nancy Lilly and Mary Olivera

The Big Little Art Show is Dec 1 – Jan 1 at the Round Rock Public Library.

Six award-winning women artists are displaying diverse works of great appeal

with affordable prices. Works are created using mediums such as encaustic,

oils and pastels.

Artists include Barbara Chenault, Jane Copeland, Nancy Lilly, Mary

Olivera, Pat Payton, Karen Pickels. By offering works on a small scale, the artists hope to open the

opportunity for everyone to purchase original art. Framed and ready to give for the upcoming holiday

season, don’t miss this chance for that perfect gift. Meet the artists at the Opening Reception is

Thursday, December 7th, or at Christmas Family Night, December 8th. The show runs from

December 1st through January 1st.

Julie Schmidt In addition to my single painting at Lost Pines, in Bastrop I have 3 pastel pieces in the

Lakeway Painters Exhibit at The Hive in Bee Cave, 5 pieces in the Corridor of Art in the Bunkhouse

Gallery exhibit and 6-8 pieces at Art on 12 in Wimberley (ongoing-in leased space).

Cindy McBride teaches pastel portraits from live models every Wednesday morning at The Coppini

Academy of Fine Arts in San Antonio.

Anna Lisa Leal has works also available at Art on 12 Gallery in Wimberly, TX

Juried Shows Acceptance:

• Pastel Society of North Carolina - Pure Color (On Line Show) - for "Twisted" - Sept 1-30.

• Pastel Society of Colorado - Chroma (On Line Show) - for "Paraiso Blanco" - Aug 16- Nov16.

• Pastel Society of the Southwest - 38th National Pastel Show - for "Copper and Jade" Oct 1-31.

Western Trappings on the Llano - Llano County Museum - Oct 19 - Nov 2.

Enid Wood

Still Life and Florals in PanPastel, Monday, August 5, 1 - 4 pm,

Bastrop Lost Pines Art Center, $65.

PanPastel Underpainting for Land and Sea, Friday, November 15, 1 - 4 pm, $65. Bring

your own subject matter, portable easels, a few pastel sticks and pastel pencils. This workshop is in

conjunction with Enid's exhibition in November, 2019, at Gallery of the Pines, Lost Pines Art Center.

Enid Wood is delighted to report that one of her recent floral paintings will appear in the Pastel Society of America Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance at the National Arts Club in New York City. The show runs from September 3 - 28. Enid’s painting is one of 180 chosen from 1,620 entries. Enid is teaching a PanPastel® mini-workshop prior to our October 27 APS meeting at Norris Conference Center. It’s filled but there are a few waitlist seats available. APS website.

Austin Pastel Society August 2019 Newsletter

Page 12

Anita Dsouza My pastel painting ‘Lion in the shade’ was juried into the Oak Ridge, TN art show this

year. Picture of the piece (sorry, no picture of me with the painting as yet) and some details are

below. Open Show 2019, 51st Annual

The Oak Ridge Art Center's Open Show is a juried mixed-media exhibition

showcasing the exceptional work produced throughout the region.

Arthi Arumugam received 5th place in the

International Contemporary Art Competition.

She received 5th place in the Contemporary

Art Gallery All Color International

Competition for her pastel “Magical Eye.,”

which is 80% soft pastel and 20% colored

pencil.

Her pencil drawing, “Old Man,” was selected for exhibit at the National Society of Arts 34th juried

exhibition.

Geneva Johnson “Potpourri in Art” is a joint effort by APS members Suzanne

Chaney and Geneva Johnson to have a mixed media art exhibition at the North Hills

Gallery at North Hills United Methodist Church, 7050 Village Center, Austin 78731 (at

Far West Blvd) beginning Jan 3, 2020. If you want to join our efforts to present about

50 paintings -- from pencil sketches to abstracts -- and bringing out your artwork put

away in drawers, desks, closets, please contact us:

SuzanneChaney@gmail.com and/or gbjhp61@yahoo.com for details.

APS Members – please do submit up to three (3) images of your pastel paintings for our APS

Online Member Gallery and Artist pages. You may include: • your artist website, blog or social media site

• painting titles, painting sizes (h x w)

Send your images to webmaster@austinpastelsociety.org. Send large file sizes, about 1200

pixels wide, if possible. A DropBox folder can be used, if needed.

https://www.austinpastelsociety.org/member-gallery/

Artwork from our Member Pages will be randomly selected to display on our Home page during

the summer and a few other dates.