Newsletter: April 2017 President s Message: Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to visit my daughter in north Arkansas between Harrison and Mountain Home. What is a long three-hour drive seemed to be over in half the time. Everywhere I looked driving through mountains and pasture land was a picture waiting to be painted. The new grass was bright green, the sage grass, my favorite, swept across the pasture and road sides in the most glorious yellow gold. The cedar trees were dark green, sometimes nearly blue, and their shadows purple, almost black. The tree trunks still had that black wintery silhouette look to them against the bright spring colors but the leaves that sprang from them were a delicate lime green, and others were tipped in a rusty red. And, scattered throughout were evergreens and redbuds and dogwoods in bloom. And to top it all off, the sky was a brilliant blue with huge lofty white clouds. These were pictures I think I could paint from my memory! As one artist to another, don't let this time of year get by without getting outside and painting. There won't be a more beautiful time until Mother Nature pulls out her fall wardrobe! Happy painting! Nancy Martin Meeting Update: Our April meeting featured a demo by Clarence Cash about plein air painting. Although he was working from a landscape photo for our meeting, he talked about how he works on location and demonstrated his techniques using oil paints. He emphasized the importance of working quickly to capture the image. Don t try to follow the light, he stated. If you don t finish before the light changes, he continued, you can make it pretty back in the studio. He works from a palette of primary colors, which he mixes on site. He starts with a wet brush drawing and blocks in a loose wash, then uses a paper towel to move some of the color around. Create the illusion of today, he concluded. Does the painting remind you of the feeling of the day?
On May 2, we will meet at the Innovation Hub at 6:00 PM in place of our regular meeting, The address is 201 E. Broadway in North Little Rock s Argenta neighborhood, between Verizon Arena and Main Street. Announcements: Sheliah Halderman and Marlene Gremillion are showing their art at Garvan Woodland Gardens for the month of April. Sheliah will also be doing a demo in pastels for the Traditional Art Guild group in Hot Springs on May 18th at 9:30 AM. Shirley Anderson and Caryl Joy Young are showing their art at Garvan Gardens for the month of May. Shirley also invites us to an evening of Art and Music at the Art Group Gallery in Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR, on May 5 th, where her work is being shown. Shirley Anderson has been named the Exhibition Chair for the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) and is also coordinating the Friday Night Fiesta event at the 2017 IAPS Convention. Reminder: Please check for any unreturned library materials you may still have, and return them to Yvonne at our next meeting. The following items are checked out at this time: Doug Dawson Plein Air Painting DVD (Claudia) Christine Ivers Cityscapes Night DVD (Shelley) Richard McKinley Bold Underpainting for Lively Landscapes DVD (Debbie) Aubrey Phillips Painting with Pastels DVD (Claudia) Liz Haywood-Sullivan Painting Brilliant Skies and Water, book (Susan) Maggie Price Creative Freedom, book (Dottie) Pastel Artist International magazine Sep/Oct 2002 (Babs) NOTE: Dottie Funk has donated two new videos to our library: Richard McKinley Bold Underpainting for Lively Landscapes Aubrey Phillips Painting With Pastels
Carole Katchen presented a demo of her new technique of painting with pastels on top of collaged pastel paper at the Art Outfitters Materials Extravaganza on April 1. Carole Katchen with her nearly-finished painting, Ah, Sunshine! Below are two of the stages as the painting developed: She used Art Spectrum sanded paper ripped into pieces and glued onto very heavy acid-free paper or thin museum board, using Liquitex modelling paste or gel medium and weighting it down with heavy books so it dries flat. Some of her tips: Shapes, shapes, shapes. Look for shapes that is what gives you good design. Build up layers and layers of pigment until the image becomes solid. She does some fingerblending early, but less as the work develops. Build up texture with lots of strokes in different colors. Start with shapes and keep building on that. She said that the challenge with her style of working is deciding how much detail to develop. Carole s technique will also be featured in Pastel Journal later this year.
Shows and Exhibits: Bill Burgin will curate a pastel exhibit at the St. James United Methodist Church May 3 - July 5. All APS members are encouraged to email images to him of works to be considered no later than this Sunday, April 16. He will choose the pieces that will be included, which will then need to be delivered to the church on May 2 at 10:00 AM or at a time arranged with him. For more information, contact him at burgistew@att.net. The Mena Art Gallery is having a Small Works competition, and entries open April 15th, with an entry deadline of July 15th! They would love to have lots of pastels entered!! Here is the link for the prospectus: https://callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?id=4316 Workshops: We will have two APS mini-workshops in the coming weeks at the Butler Center. Use the form at the end of the workshop descriptions to register for either or both. Just be sure to indicate on the form which workshop(s) you wish to attend. (NOTE: In addition to these two, Susan Hurst also plans to offer a portrait miniworkshop on September 9, with details yet to be announced.) Landscape Painting in Pastel on a Pumice Surface By Marlene Gremillion April 22, 2017, 9:30AM-3PM, Butler Center, Little Rock, AR Donation: $25 (APS) This helps support the APS National Show Contact Person: Sheliah Halderman sheliahalderman@sbcglobal.net This one-day workshop in soft pastel will teach you how to handle pastel on a pumice or sandpaper type paper. You will see that it is really a great surface to work on since it will hold a great deal of pastel. You will be painting a simple landscape concentrating on the sky so be sure to bring your photo to work from. We will do an underpainting in pastel and wet with a brush adding texture, let it dry and then apply pastel. Marlene will prepare the paper with a pumice finish, which you may purchase for $2 per sheet that is about 11x15 size. Marlene Gremillion is a Signature member of the Arkansas Pastel Society and the Mid- Southern Watercolor Society. She shows her art work at the Butler Center in Little Rock and at an Eldorado art gallery.
PASTEL PAINTING TREES By Shirley Anderson May 20, 2017 9:30 AM 3:00 PM Butler Center, Little Rock, AR Donation $25 (APS) This helps support the APS National Show Contact Person: Sheliah Halderman sheliahalderman@sbcglobal.net This one-day workshop in soft pastel will focus on several techniques for painting different types of trees. Methods that will be used to render trees in the landscape include watercolor under wash, oil under wash, and pan pastel under painting. You will be painting your favorite trees (or the ones that present the biggest problems to you) so bring the photographs that you want to use. Shirley will also have some photographic references. You will need a small set of pastels plus whatever you want to use as an underpainting watercolor, oil, pan, or plain pastels with a solvent. If you are going to use watercolor, remember that your paper must be mounted. You will need at least one sheet of pastel paper 11 x14. Shirley will have some papers available if you let her know what type you would prefer. Shirley Anderson is a Charter Member of the Arkansas Pastel Society, as well as a Signature Member. Her work may be seen at the Art Group Gallery in Little Rock, AR, and the Central Park Fusion Restaurant in Hot Springs, AR. Complete form and send with check made out to Arkansas Pastel Society for either or both workshop(s) to: Sheliah Halderman 2 Sacedon Circle Hot Springs village, AR 71909 Name: Address: Phone: Home Cell E-mail: Which workshop(s) are you registering for?
ARKANSAS PASTEL SOCIETY Presents a Pastel Workshop with CHRISTINE IVERS Explore the Dark Side November 6 thru 9, 2017 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212 Experiment with the purest of pigments on Chris s hand-made boards which we will make on the first morning of the workshop. Materials to do this will be available for purchase at the workshop for a nominal fee. Discover the fun of texture while working in a relaxed atmosphere that will focus on temperature, atmospheric perspective and drawing. Demos and critiques are always included. Chris will even spend a little time teaching you how to take better reference shots for either day or night paintings and how to take better photos of your finished pieces (even if they are under glass) for competition entry. Pre-registration required. A great workshop for the artists of any level! REGISTRATION FEE: Members: $375 Non-Members: $400 For more information, contact: Margaret Lincourt at Margaret@usscanman.com or 501-786-3318. For more information about Chris log onto: www.christineivers.com
Christine Ivers, PSAM/IAPS MC Explore the Dark Side A NightScape Pastel 4-Day Workshop Hosted by Arkansas Pastel Society November 6 th thru 9 th, 2017 REGISTRATION FORM Registration will be accepted on a first-come basis. You are not registered until we have your deposit and registration form. Workshop Fee: $375 Members $400 Non-Members A deposit of $100.00 must accompany all registration forms. Cancellation/Refund Policy: The remainder of the cost is due thirty days before start of the workshop. Cancellation prior to October 6, 2017 (thirty days before start) will result in the return of the deposit if your place can be filled from the waiting list. Cancellation during the thirty days prior to the workshop will result in forfeiture of the deposit. It will be your responsibility to fill your slot during that 30-day period prior to the start of the workshop. Make check payable to Arkansas Pastel Society and mail with form below to: Arkansas Pastel Society Margaret Lincourt 2605 Charter Oak Drive Little Rock, AR 72227 Cut along line and return with your deposit check. I wish to enroll in the Explore the Dark Side workshop November 6 th thru 9 th, 2017. Enclosed is my deposit check # in the amount of $100.00 Or payment in full deposit check # in the amount of $375 Members, $400 Non-Members Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Cell: Email:
Dates to Remember: March 30 April 29, 2017 April 22, 2017 April 29, 2017 Garvan Gardens Show, Hot Springs AR Marlene Gremillion mini-workshop, 9:30-3PM Landscape Painting in Pastel on Pumice Surface Pick up paintings at Garvan Gardens, 9-11 AM. May 2, 2017 May 3 July 5, 2017 May 20, 2017 June 1, 2017 September 3, 2017 September 9, 2017 APS monthly meeting. We will meet at the Innovation Hub in Argenta. Exhibit at St. James United Methodist Church Shirley Anderson mini-workshop, 9:30-3PM Pastel Painting Trees Registration begins for 7 th National Juried Exhibition at onlinejuriedshows.com Deadline to enter 7 th National Juried Exhibition Susan Hurst portrait mini-workshop, 9;30-3PM November 6-9, 2017 November 10, 2017 - February 24, 2018 Christine Ivers workshop Explore the Dark Side November 6-9, St James United Methodist Church 7 th National Juried Exhibition at the Butler Center May, 2018 Richard McKinley Workshop Fall, 2018 November 2018 Members Only Juried Show Argenta Branch Library Garvan Gardens Show, Hot Springs AR