The Pastel Journal Fall 2024

As someone who loves to read but doesn't have unlimited hours of free time (who does?), it's important to me that I make good choices when it comes to my book list. Recommendations and reviews carry a lot of weight, of course, but sometimes what I'll have is a stack of worthylooking books and the problem is where to start. On these occasions I employ a trick I learned from one of my daughters: I read the first line of each book and see what happens. Nine times out of 10, one of these initial sentences will make an impression that sets it apart. It may be that each of the first lines is solid, even intriguing, but one of them will—for whatever reason—take hold of my imagination. This, it…

“The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse” explores the fascinating story of Impressionism from its birth in 1874 to its legacy in the early-20th century. Told almost entirely through the Dallas Museum of Art's exceptional holdings, the show reveals the rebellious origins of the independent artist collective known as the Impressionists and the revolutionary course they charted for modern art. The exhibition is a radical reintroduction to these outcast artists, exploring the experimental techniques and subjects that set a new course for art in the late-19th and early-20th centuries Breaking with tradition in both how and what they painted, as well as how they showed their work, the Impressionists redefined what it was that constituted cutting-edge contemporary art. The unique innovations of core members, including Edgar Degas (French; 1834–1917), Claude…

George M. Cohan (American, 1878–1942) was a prolific entertainer. He excelled as a songwriter, playwright, singer and dancer, producing dozens of Broadway shows and writing early20th century standards such as “Over There,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” “You're a Grand Old Flag” and “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Cohan's standing as the father of American musical comedy is commemorated with an 8-foot bronze likeness in New York City's Times Square. It's the only statue of an actor on Broadway. In 1916, his reputation ascendant, Cohan sat for a pastel portrait by Harrison Fisher (American, 1877– 1934). Fisher was, at the time, almost as well known as Cohan. Cosmopolitan called him “The World's Greatest Artist,” and although the title designation was promotional—Fisher was a frequent contributor to the magazine—it signified his popularity…

Recently, while I was doing a pastel demonstration, someone exclaimed, “You make it look so easy!” To which I quipped, “If only you could hear the voices in my head!” We all had a good laugh, and I explained that painting never feels easy. Easy isn't the point. Then I got tripped up by a thought: What if the people in attendance could hear the voices in my head? I'd be mortified! My internal monologue would clear the room. The Golden Rule Put another way, I would never talk to another person the way I talk to myself. I would never bully and belittle and second-guess a student. I would never tell them that they aren't good enough, that they didn't try enough, that their painting is failing, that they…

Painting expressively and loosely is a goal for many artists, but making that leap can be a challenge. Early on in my art journey, I received suggestions about painting more loosely and expressively. Being drawn to detail, however, I struggled with how to let go of that impulse. How does one get from here to there? I decided that I needed something to force my hand, literally—to push me to relinquish some power—to react rather than control. I've since found that creating a highly textured support forces me to react to the surface, and the resulting marks end up being looser. A few years ago, I began experimenting with textured grounds such as fine pumice gel and acrylic gesso. The textures imparted by these mediums helped me make that leap…

“The study of art is a lifetime matter. The best any artist can do is to accumulate all the knowledge possible of art and its principles, study nature often and then practice continually.”—Edgar Payne (American, 1883–1947) My first introduction to art-making was in my 60s, after having retired from teaching French and Spanish for 35 years. Fortunately, art found me at a time when I had the luxury to take classes and workshops from talented contemporary artists. To accelerate my artistic development, I embarked on a daily painting practice to push creative possibilities and improve my skills and techniques. I've now been practicing every day for more than five years. Over time, I noticed that the work I submitted to exhibitions was accepted more frequently than the paintings submitted before…