United Society of Pastel Artists

May, 2009

THE PASTEL PALETTE

I must apologize for not getting this Newsletter out to themembership earlier, but I have just gotten back from theIAPS in Albuquerque, NM and my head is swimming withnew techniques, and new concepts that I will write up in thenext few days in order to pass on to all of you. I will also begiving a presentation, with handouts, at the next meeting, forall of you who are interested in the workshops I attended. Imust admit, I have to ask my grandson to help with power-point, so I hope you!ll all be patient with me. The nextmeeting is Thursday, June 10th at the El Toro Library, LakeForest at 6:30 p.m.

For your information, these are the workshops I attended:

Liz Haywood Sullivan!s Good Business workshop. I havelots of forms and information on record keeping, copyrightingand taxes. Artists seem to be notorious in not keeping goodrecords, and this workshop solved all my questions on thatissue!

Claudia Seymour!s “Shining Light on Still Lifes” workshop.Claudia is a very realistic still life artist and herunderstanding of light is amazing. I will have a handout onher techniques, along with lots of photos on her process.

Bob Bahr, the editor of American Artists magazine gave avery information workshop on how to get into art magazines.I will be giving out handouts to explain the methods themagazines use to find the artists for their particular issues.

Maggie Price!s “Incorporating Structures into theLandscape”. I!ll be showing lots of pictures of Maggie!spainting process and techniques, which seem to changeyear to year!

Alan Flattman!s “Landscape with Architecture”. Alan!sprocess is very unique to me and something I might actuallytry myself. Lots of pictures!

Margaret Evans, “Wet and Dry Pastel Techniques”.Margaret did a Venice Landscape using very unusualmethods. Of all the workshops I attended, this one was themost exciting. Hope you come and enjoy Margaret!sbeautiful pastel technique.

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At our last meeting we had Louise Lopina give ademonstration on Animal Portraiture. Louise used a suadematt board, which was a bit different, but the results werefabulous!

Louise explained that she shoots many photos, especiallyemphasizing shadows and light across the animal. She willtransfer her color photos in the computer to black and whitealso, in order to “see” those shadows clearly. As she startsher composition, she checks it many times using a smallhand held mirror.

She talked about her time in Africa while on art safari, aboutcharging hippos and false charges by elephants. Whiletalking she worked very loosely. She controls her values byusing the side of pastels. When she started on the eyes,she noted that she doesn!t detail them, which adds asoftness. When doing the fur, it helps to know the directionof the fur on the animal your painting. She tends to likeLudwig deep purple and a Cordovan, purplish with browncolor.

Louise doesn!t blend, except around the eye area. She usesthe blending to soften the eye. Sometimes she will blendthat area with a brush and she will use a light green in theeye, but not a super white. Louise uses a bit of every pastel,Unison, Richeson, Rembrandt, and Schmicke. Shecommented that she enjoys doing animal!s eyes best of all.She added that when she!s doing a dog or cat, she likes tofeel the animal, the muzzle, the back, etc., to get to know theanatomy of the animal.

As you can see, I was fascinated by Louise!s skill and youwill see below what I am talking about. Thank you, Louise,for a brilliant demonstration.

MEMBER NEWS

Lyndelle Stonick won a first prize at the San Clemente ArtAssociation!s Member Show and Joann Quinlivan took homea second prize in their category. The show will be up untilJune 19th, so I hope you get to see it.

I!m eager to impart any “art” news you have, so please emailme with any shows are you a part of, any award won. We!dall love to hear about it.

COMPETITION DEADLINES

Renaissance in Pastel 200916th Annual National Exhibition Connecticut Pastel SocietyDeadline July 7th

Prospectus www.ctpastelsociety.com

Mid-America Pastel Society2nd National Open ExhibitionCall for Entries: Deadline: May 3, 2010Download prospectus at www.midamericapastel.org

Pastel Society of the Southwest2009 National Juried ExhibitionOctober 16 through November 14, 2009Deadline: August 15Prospectus: Art Center of Plano, TX

1039 East 15th St Plano, TX 75074 (972)-423-7809

Pastel Society of Eastern Canada“Les Pastellistes” 14th editionInternational Exhibition, selected by juryNov. 6 – 15th, 2009Montreal, QuebecDeadline: CD received by August 15, 2009Write: pastel Society of Easter Canada Sylvie Vezeau, Membership Chairperson

724, Pierre-Hetu, Boucherville, QC J4B 8R7

Arkansas Pastel Society3rd National ExhibitionDec. 4-January 10, 2010

Doug Dawson, juror, Deadline: Digital entries Sep. 5th

Details available at www.arkpastel.com

Pastel Society of America37th Annual Pastel ExhibitionSept 8-27, 2009Deadline: July 1, 2009For application, contact PSA, 15 Gramercy Park South, NY,NY 10003 (212) 533-6931

MISCELLANEOUS

From the Pastel Artists Canada News:

There is a solution for storing pastels that are not framedimmediately. Cheap Joe!s has a Copernicus wall-mount dryrack, most likely intended for watercolor and other wet work.It comes in floor/table units and wall mount units, the latterbeing the most space saving. It has 20 moveable shelves,size 16x20, and costs less than $80, plus shipping. It!ssuper easy to install, just two screws. Visitwww.cheapjoes.com

The IAPS 13th Exhibition is available to view on-line atVentana Fine Art Gallery. Just google and you will see theentire exhibit before it opens this Friday.

USPA NEWS

I will be emailing all our members a prospectus for our on-line member!s show in a few days time. The first prize inthree categories will be a shared half page ad in CoastMagazine!s September issue. We would like to advertise

your work, along with our association and website. We willhave a professional and non-professional category, so weinvite all of you to enter the show. It!s a good way to getyour work “out there” to a public that will be wowed by thepastel artists in this organization. Maybe you!ll even sellyour art!

I do have a request that everyone from our organization, ifyou have a website, or a web blog with your art on it,PLEASE email Mary Aslin with the url so she can link it onour website. We think that, with the September ad, we mightget some exposure for our website and it would be to youradvantage to have your site linked to the organization. Younever know, you might have that one painting that someonecan!t live without.

At the last meeting Mary Aslin reported that we have hadalmost 900 hits over the last two and one half months beforethe meeting. That is pretty impressive and it would be veryadvantageous to all who link their site to ours.

We also have a new Co-President! Marie Tippetts of DanaPoint has graciously decided that she will help theorganization when I!m traveling. Marie has the knowledgeand insights that are needed to help make this organizationgreat. I hope you feel free to email her or myself if you haveany questions or can address any issues that come upregarding USPA.

ART QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Rembrandt van Rijn: “Practice what you know, and it willhelp to make clear what now you do not know.”

Keep Painting!!

Joann QuinlivanUSPA