The Pastel Journal Fall 2021

When you encounter the paintings of taverns, restaurants and coffee shops in “Cafe Culture” (page 20), you’ll understand right away the appeal of these gathering spots as subjects for painting. The moody lighting, the spots of rich color, the variety of shapes and elaborate detail—it’s all enticing to the eye of the artist. What I find most interesting, however, is how vital the human element is to the five pastelists featured in the article. It might be the striking light in the scene that first catches the artist’s attention, but it’s the personal interactions among the figures and the narrative qualities of the setting that become the main drivers of inspiration. “There are couples leaning into one another in intimate conversation,” says artist Teresa Saia. “The gestures speak volumes.” “The…

The Pastel Society of America’s (PSA) 49th Annual Exhibition showcases a stunning selection of the world’s most accomplished pastel artists from its consummate membership. The juried exhibit “Enduring Brilliance!” acknowledges the professional excellence of participating artists and helps promote the finest examples of pastel to the general public, the professional art world, art students and art collectors. This year’s jurors, Richard McKinley, Colette Odya Smith and Otto Stürcke—all PSA Master Pastelists, reviewed more than 1,300 images submitted by PSA member artists from all over the world. Awards Juror Emily A. Beeny, Curator of European Paintings at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, selected the works to be granted more than $40,000 in cash and material awards. The 2021 Hall of Fame Honoree, the highest honor that the PSA bestows upon…

These Five Fall Paintings Get Autumn Colors Right Enjoy a gallery of exceptional fall pastel paintings—along with pointers on how to achieve harmony, bold colors and more. artistsnetwork.com/go/ fallpaintings The Freedom of Pastel Painting Check out these five pastel painting tips for loosening up and achieving more confident results. artistsnetwork.com/go/ pastelfreedom From Dark to Light: How to Use Pastels on a Dark Surface Discover how James Kasperek uses a dark surface to create bright, light-filled pastel compositions. artistsnetwork.com/go/ darksurface…

An exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco de Young Legion of Honor aims to present pastel with a new angle, as it takes on five centuries of the medium’s influence, highlighting the technical and design processes at work behind the scenes and how those have evolved into contemporary practices. “Color Into Line: Pastels From the Renaissance to the Present” will display works from more than 80 pastel masters, including Rosalba Carriera, Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, John Altoon and Wayne Thiebaud. “With the appearance of a painting, the immediacy of a drawing, and the timeless matte finish of an ancient fresco, [pastel] is one of the most versatile mediums and adaptable techniques used throughout history,” says a museum spokesperson. “This exhibition will provide audiences a rare opportunity to…

Given the conventions of portrait painting—the usual expectation that the subject be presented in the most flattering light, preferably in opulent surroundings—a double portrait of a man and a sheep would seem a work more fit for satire than the salon. But John Collins of Devizes is no American Gothic. The English artist John Russell (1745–1806) often included animals in his portraits. He had written, “Let the embellishments of the Picture, and introduction of Birds, Animals, &c. be regulated by the rules of propriety and consistency.” A starchy piece of advice, and Russell seems to have followed it well enough. Mr. Collins was a wool merchant; presumably, the ram was a prize member of his flock. Both man and beast are painted with the greatest fidelity to their appearance. “The…

Dubbed “The Nature Coast” because of its abundant marine life and the many bird populations (including “snowbirds”) that migrate here, the Tampa Bay-Clearwater area of Florida is a plein air painter’s paradise. I used to travel here to paint at least once a year before I finally made it my permanent home in 2019. New York State of Mind Being from New York, I was used to landscapes dotted with mountains and farms, and I used a palette similar to that of the Hudson River School artists. It leaned toward the darker umbers and ochres, with ultramarine blue for my skies and alizarin crimson earth reflections in my sunsets. The Hudson Highlands boast dark weighty mountains that cast a warm earth reflection on the lower parts of clouds. You can…