Pastel Society of America

Pastel Society of America

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A Review of Pastel Painting and Technique

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Master Pastelist 2003: Among the newly designated Master Pastelists at the 31st Annual Exhibit was Junko Ono Rothwell. Her painting, titled“Resting,” received the Pastel Society of the Southwest Award. See p. 4 for review of show.

Also named Master Pastelists: Alice Mayo, Diane Rosen and Lucille T. Stillman.

Winter 2004/Volume 31, No. 2

Special on

‘plein air’

painting

pp. 10-17

C O N T E N T S

4 The 31st AnnualExhibitBy Peggy J. Rose

10Plein Air PaintingBy Gil Dellinger

14A MeditativeApproach to PleinAir PaintingBy Catherine Kinkade

18Create EvocativeClassical Figureswith an AbstractUnderpaintingBy Diane Rosen

20Working withMultiplesBy Maceo Mitchell

24Tester of PastelLightfastnessGives Talk at PSABy Claire Paisner

26About BooksBy Claire Paisner

8Ask a MasterPastelistBy Rae Smith

PastelagramWINTER 2004

The Pastelagram is a publication distributed toall members of the Pastel Society of America,Master Pastelists, Honorary Members, PSAdonors and advertisers. The contents of thispublication may not be reproduced in whole orin part without the consent of copyright holder,PSA. We welcome all editorial submissions,although we reserve the right to edit any unso-licited material. © Copyright 2004

Photo

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Seen at the 31st Annual

Dianne B. Bernhard,

Joe Hing Lowe, Mrs. Lowe, and Pierre

Honoree Sylvie Cabal

Vivian Tsao, PSA, and Duane Wakeham, PSA

Diane Rosen, PSA, in front of her pastel

Lila Gold and guests

Jimmy Wright, PSA, with his pastel

Daniel E. Greene, PSA, Wendy Caporale, PSA,and Flora Giffuni, PSA (back to camera)

Dianne B. Bernhard, PSA, and SteveDuane Wakeham, PSA, and Rae Smith,

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 3

Greetings fellow PSAmembers! Our Society’srecent accomplishmentsare emblematic of PSA’s

strategic planning in establishing newground breaking opportunities forpastelists everywhere. The courageous,enthusiastic support of PSA’s Board ofGovernors has provided the where-withal to turn the stuff that dreams aremade of into spectacular reality.

First, for those of you who wereunable to see the 31st AnnualExhibition at the National Arts Clubin September, be assured that theexhibition was extremely worthy ofthe praise it received. “Reviewingsuch a show is a daunting prospect, forno critique of ordinary length couldhope to do justice to its rich diversi-ty…” J. Sanders Eaton‘s review in“Gallery&Studio” (Nov.-Dec. 2003,Jan. 2004) took note as well of thecomment in the 31st annual catalog,that pastel is “an important player inthe world’s arena of contemporaryart.” The invitational showing of“Pastels of Europe 2003” was a wel-come addition to this year’s annual.

The PSA Outreach Exhibition atthe Terence Cardinal Cooke HealthCare Center in New York was a com-pelling and rewarding experience forall involved. AiméeDawson, Director ofCommunity Relations, assisted by herable staff, organized a beautiful show-ing of member pastels on August 6th.PSA gave two pro bono back-to-backworkshops for the residents of theCenter. The response was heart warm-ing. We are especially grateful to thenumerous pastel vendors who donatedmaterial for this event. PSA will beproud to continue its participation inTCCHCC’s “Articulate,” summer

exhibition programs.Great news issued forth at the 31st

awards ceremony from our dear founderFlora Giffuni - the establishment of a

permanent gallery devoted to pastels atthe Butler Institute of American Art,Youngstown, Ohio. The GiffuniGallery and Flora’s donated material ofthe history of pastel mark the museumas one of the most important reposito-ries of pastel art and information any-where. We salute you and thank you,Flora, for all you have done for ensur-ing the future of pastel.

Pastel Society of America is thesum total of all its members. The suc-cess of the coming year 2004 is essen-tially up to all of us participating inthe many exhibitions offeredthroughout the year. Several highlyinteresting ones are soon to beannounced. Don’t be deterred bycosts and lost painting time; artisticefforts and professionalism are insep-arable. Everything we accomplishpromotes substantive credibility toone’s personal history.

Innovation and tradition arehandmaidens of artistic identity; theCurator series is an excellent exampleof forging ahead together in the com-pany of our peers. “Private Views:Faces, Places and Figures” (DianeRosen, PSA, and Jimmy Wright,PSA, curators) December 2-29th,Marquis Gallery, National Arts Club,NY, was relevant with surprisingmeans of artistic invention. Thesesmaller scale series of exhibitions offermuch on many levels. PSA memberartists were well represented from allover the country.

Finally, see PSA’s Sunday SpringWorkshops listed in this issue andconsult our PSA web site – others do.Lots more coming our way.

From all of us — to all of you outthere, a happy and prosperous NewYear!

Barbara FischmanPresident

GroundBreaking

Opportunitiesfor Pastelists

New wing at the Butler Institute of American Art

Resident at Health Care Center views PSA exhibit

Honoree Pierre Tchakotine withFlora Giffuni—31st Annual

Aimée Dawson of theTerence Cardinal CookeHealth Care Center

at the Butler Institute. The plaque hepresented to Mrs. Giffuni hung in theGrand Gallery of the National ArtsClub for the duration of the “PastelsOnly” exhibit, and will later be installedand dedicated in the Giffuni Gallery atthe Butler. Also mentioned were plansto have additional pastel paintings onexhibit at the Butler, as well as a contin-uous video concerning “the ageless his-tory of pastel,” as phrased by Mrs.Giffuni.

Alden James, president of theNational Arts Club, spoke of beingexcited to once again be able to “launchthe 2003-04 exhibition season with ourace,” the Pastel Society of AmericaAnnual Exhibit. He spoke with warmaffection of Mrs. Giffuni as a living leg-end: “Israel had its Golda Meir, Englandhad her Margaret Thatcher, and theNational Arts Club has Flora Giffuni.”He then proceeded to present her with a

partnership” offered by the PastelSociety of America and its president,Barbara Fischman. Mr. Tchakhotinealso reiterated this appreciation for thecollaboration between Europastel andthe Pastel Society of America.

Honored as this year’s “Friend ofPastel” was Dr. Louis A. Zona, executivedirector of the Butler Institute ofAmerican Art, for his support of con-temporary pastel artists. He announcedthe newly established “Giffuni Gallery”

This year’s Annual Open JuriedExhibition, our 31st, expres-sed a joyousness in the cele-bration of pastel as a medium

with incredibly broad ranging possibili-ties. Expanding this joy internationally,the Pastel Society of America continuesto embrace pastelists from all around theworld, as evidenced by the entries fromsix countries! And as part of PSA’s ongo-ing commitment to support pastelistsnationally and internationally, we wereprivileged to have representative paint-ings, previously exhibited in recentEuropean shows, by Russian, French,Italian, Spanish and Bulgarian artists.

HonoreesAt the exhibit’s Awards Ceremony,

Sylvie Cabal (founder and president ofArt du Pastel en France) and PierreTchakhotine (responsible for theEuropastel exhibits in 2002 and 2003)were named this year’s “Hall of Fame”honorees for their work individually andcollaboratively to promote exhibitionsof pastelists in Europe and to broadenknowledge and acceptance of this medi-um. Ms. Cabal, “honored and happy tobe here today,” thanked Flora Giffuni forshowing the way, and expressed heartfeltappreciation for the “deep and strong

Brian Cobble, “Hatch Alley,” first prize winner of the Art Spirit Foundation, Dianne B. BernhardGold Medal Award

4 P A S T E L A G R A M

BY PEGGY J. ROSE, PSA

The 31st Annual Exhibit

We were privileged

to have representative

paintings previously

exhibited in recent

European shows...

A Celebration of Pastel in ItsMany Possibilities

Left, Joe Hing Lowe,* “RedRobe,” which received theAmerican Artist ProfessionalLeague Award for TraditionalRealism

Below, Nancy Popenoe,“Chinatown” (Ridgewood Art

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 5

framed gingham fabric heart, emblemat-ic of his deep regard for her.

As usual, there was an incrediblevariety in the subject matter of paintingsin the exhibit as well as in the very indi-vidualized handling of pastel, with arange of realism to abstract, whichbecame a testimony to the creative pos-sibilities of this wonderful medium, andan incredible challenge to this year’sawards jurors – Dr. Zona, DebraBermingham (recipient of a number ofgrants and awards; represented by DCMoore gallery), and Charles Basham(represented by Jerold Melberg Gallery).

Award WinnersVery well deserving of the Dianne

B. Bernhard Gold Medal Award wasBrian Cobble’s large painting, “HatchAlley.” He ably and precisely capturedthe atmospheric moist haze of lightreflected from an old fence, the cartracks midst puddles in the still muddyalleyway, and the quiet solitude absentof any people. The glow of the sunlitfence pulls you in past the foregroundshadow, and the strong angles and pre-cise straight edges of the buildings andfences with the long cast shadows andbare branches lend a stark mood of iso-lation to the painting.

The Herman Margulies Award waspresented to Dianna Ponting for herpainting, “Textures.” Also precise in itsrendering, this much smaller paintinghas an intimacy born of the closer view,and the deep, rich wine red of thetranslucent apple figurine, repeated inthe red curvilinear ribbon on a whiteappliquéd cloth set on a dark antiquetable. Ponting, an award winner lastyear as well, spoke to me of working tocapture the last fleeting bit of wintersunlight shining through a small win-dow onto her intuitive, almost acciden-tal selection of objects.

Gang Gu was awarded the AndrewGiffuni Memorial Award for the paint-ing, “Spring,” of a hay strewn farm yardstill having traces of snow. I especiallyenjoyed the contrast of vivid concen-trated areas of color on the rooster andhens themselves – striking notes of ver-million on the cock’s comb and chin.Interestingly, there were a number ofother paintings in the show this year uti-lizing chicken imagery, as well -- amongthem Dawn Emerson’s “FlamencoChicken,” a more impressionistic por-trait of a single rooster, wings spread andan intense glare in his eye, painted withbroad, lively strokes of pastel.

Diane Rosen’s painting, “TwoBathers XVI,” receiving the Joseph V.Giffuni Memorial Award, utilized avery different approach to the pastelmedium, with cropped figures largewithin the format, and limited color onan acrylic underpainting; with thisaward, Rosen achieved Master Pastelistrecognition this year.

“Summer Solstice,” by Anne GableAllaire (Mrs. Pearl Kalikow Award),aptly expressed the harshness of thesummer sun created by the intense con-trast between the acid yellow green ofthe pasture, and black green shadows ofthe background woods. A more angular

*Master Pastelist


and stylized approach to the image of acrystal vase and deep red roses was takenby Wang Xiang-Zhen, in “Red Roses”(The National Arts Club Award).

Like Brian Cobble’s “HatchAlley,” Daniel E. Greene’s “BleeckerStreet” (Joseph V. Giffuni MemorialAward) also utilizes strong perspectiveangles in its view of a subway platform.Interestingly, the location of the van-ishing point is fairly similar in both,despite the difference in format andlocale.

Especially fine examples of a moretonalist approach were seen in RaeSmith’s “Morning Mist #7” (Jim LynchAward), which plays green grays androse grays in subtle contrast with eachother, and Duane Wakeham’s very satis-fying, subtle cool analogous harmoniesin “Laguna de Santa Rosa” (PastelSociety of the West Coast Award). I wasalso struck by Andrew McDermott’scityscape “Raining on Robson”(Connecticut Pastel Society Award)which wonderfully captures the wetsidewalk’s reflections silhouetting thepedestrians’ legs, as they bow their headsin the dismal gray weather. AliceMayo’s “Late Afternoon on the GorgesRiver, France” has a cool but light filledharmony with its play of greens, lightpinks and violets (New York CentralArt Supply Award). Mayo, OnoRothwell and Lucille T. Stillman havealso achieved Master Pastelist recogni-tion this year.

Julia Beers’s “Into the Woods”(Strathmore Artist Papers Award) was agem — a small painting contrasting barelimbed trees in front of other trees onwhich fall foliage still remained, with allof this behind the contrasting horizontalline of the grass. Another landscape Iparticularly enjoyed for its color and pas-tel application was Kim Casebeer’s“Keeper of the Prairie” (Colonel GeorgeJ. Morales Memorial Award, Ruth

“As usual, therewas an incrediblevariety in the

subject matter ofpaintings in the

exhibit…”

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Kim Casebeer,“Keeper of the Prairie,” recipient of the Colonel George J. MoralesMemorial Award (Ruth Reininghaus)

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 7

Reininghaus). Mingshi Hang’s “Forest”(from China) was interesting for itsabstract quality and design. Profound inits quiet, on the other hand, was JoeHing Lowe’s “Red Robe,” with aChinese robe hung adjacent to akerosene lamp bearing a milk glass lamp-shade coated with a timeless oily dustresidue (American Artist ProfessionalLeague Award for Traditional Realism);the same feeling of dusty atmospherepermeates the rest of the painting, visu-ally anchored by the jade green vase,booklet and figurine on a worn woodentable below. Maceo Mitchell’s “ ‘Chorale’ 30 Pears” (Art Times Award)utilized a visual theme and variationsseen in multiple harmonies, all in thesame key.

In Nancy Popenoe’s “Chinatown”(Ridgewood Art Institute Award), I par-ticularly appreciated the contrast intypes of lighting – the very warm livingvibrancy of the neon lights above thesidewalk overhang, which in turn cast acool, color-draining fluorescent lightonto the sidewalk and the isolated, wait-

ing figure leaning against the wall.Doug Dawson’s “Evening Hour”(Shirley Weiss Epstein Award) captureda cool twilight contrasting with the cars’warm headlights.

Another cityscape, larger in scaleand very different in mood with its starkmidday light, was Rhoda Yanow’s “RoadCrew”; the front of a large truck domi-nates the left third of the painting, withmost of the crew watching the fellowworking in the trench.

Paintings Complement EachOther

Jeff Webb took great care in hang-ing the show, with much attention tohow pieces interrelated (his painting,“In The Studio,” received the LouisaMelrose Gallery Award). Along onewall he grouped several paintings of ani-mals, contrasting the more graphic“Blackie” (by Jean Seymour, PastelJournal Award) with the more tradition-ally rendered paintings. Another, veryinteresting vertical grouping played thehyper-real, neutrally toned enlargement

Rhoda Yanow,* “RoadCrew”

*Master Pastelist

in Jaye Schlesinger’s “Tape Dispenser”(Dick Blick Art Materials Award), incontrast with the wonderful flamboyanceof the slashing strokes in ElaineAugustine’s “Floral Mosaic” (PastelSociety of Oregon Award) and BarbaraKern-Bush’s loosely rendered “Red Shoe’s#14.” On another wall, I enjoyed theplacement of mechanically related sub-jects: Bill Creevy’s “Desert Cadillac”(Savoir-Faire/Sennelier Award) nearDaniel Greene’s “Bleecker Street” sub-way station interior, and CharlesTimkin’s “1522” of a train’s rods andwheels (M.H. Hurlimann ArmstrongAward).

As much as I take pleasure in itevery year, this year’s exhibit seemedespecially noteworthy and enjoyable tome. Very sincere and appreciativethanks for a marvelous exhibit need to beclarioned to Rae Smith, exhibition chair,Jeff Webb, hanging committee chair,Barbara Fischman, president, and every-one else who assisted in making the 31st“Pastels Only” Exhibit such a spectacularsuccess.


At the time I created my first“On Goldfish Pond” paint-ing (1989), the idea of aseries did not occur to me.

I was on vacation in Puerto Rico, andthe hotel where I was staying had awonderful tropical fish pond. I had theopportunity to sit there by the pondand just look at and observe the fishmoving in the water and their interplaywith the reflections of the pond’s sur-roundings. I sketched and took notesand photos.

I so enjoyed doing this painting,and shortly thereafter I came uponanother pond with an entirely differentsetting. This one was not at all like thefirst, but it inspired the same kind ofpainting experience.

If you really look and observe,each fish in a pond is so unique — thesame color fish will be different colorsdepending on how shallow or deep it is

in the water, how the light is hitting it,how close it is to shore, and how slow-ly or quickly it is moving.

At this point, I still was not think-ing “series.” I just knew I was still fasci-nated with the problems and experienceof painting ponds. As I continued find-ing ponds and painting them, it was alsoa bonus that these paintings were win-ning awards in juried exhibitions, andthat the galleries which exhibit and sellmy work were selling my fish pondsalmost as quickly as I could paint them.

I just completed the 60th “OnGoldfish Pond” painting, which is apastel. Some of the sixty have been oilpaintings. This past summer, I wascommissioned (through one of my gal-leries) to create a large oil of a fishpond. I learned that the client whopurchased it is meditating before itbecause he feels it is so spiritual.

My paintings vary in size only

“On Goldfish Pond” #6, 191/2”x 25”

ASK AMASTERPASTELIST

We continue to invite read-ers to ask Master Pastelistsquestions about their work.In this issue the question isaddressed to Rae Smith.

RAE SMITHBY RAE SMITH, PSA

The QuesTion:

What attracts you to the

process of working in a

series, for instance, your

pond series, and do you

see yourself at some point

ending that series and

perhaps embarking on a

different one?

Inspiration for the Pond Series of

“If you really look and observe,

each fish in a pond is sounique—”

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 9

because each composition (in my eyes)lends itself to its own size. I work inrectangles (horizontal and vertical),elongated horizontals, and squares(which is a favorite).

I am still enthralled by what hap-pens in a fish pond! This series willprobably end when I am no longerinspired by these happenings.

As I review my work, I realize Ihave other series that just grew as thefish pond series did. Atmospheric andmisty scenes are also a must for me topaint. I am up to #11 of “MorningMist” paintings, although a few havedifferent titles. Another love of mineis scenes of stormy landscapes.

It is a confirmation that thesepaintings, which have such personalmeaning for me, also find resonance inothers, providing encouragement thatkeeps me returning to my source ofinspiration.

“On Goldfish Pond” #17, 251/2” x 191/2”

“On Goldfish Pond” #46, 18” x 24”

“Morning Mist” # 7, 18” x 24”

“Stormy,” 15” x 21”

Other Favorite Themes of the Artist


It’s 4 a.m. and I am heading to the coast to paint.

I live two and a half hours from the Big Sur

coast, but I make the drive often because of the

stunning views. The color and light are so

interesting because the coast sits on a deep shelf with

very little sand in the water, so the colors of the water

are indigos and Prussian blues like nowhere else on

the West Coast. It’s January, so the surf will be high,

and the light southerly all day. Recent storms have

passed, making the air clear and crisp.

I hit my favorite spots on the Garapata State Park

coast at about 7 a.m. I always try to get to these spots

before sun is up so I won’t be pressured to start work

too quickly. I like to study my subject for a consider-

able time. Failures for me come when I have not

planned carefully enough and when I jump too quick-

ly into a painting. I take time to really observe, enjoy

the surroundings, look from various angles and imag-

ine a variety of solutions to the problems I see. When

you are paintings, think how you will simplify and

how you will adjust color while you plan your idea. A

good question to ask yourself is, “What adjustments

BY GIL DELLINGER, PSA*

Pointers on Outdoor Problem SolvingPlein Air Painting

*Master Pastelist

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 11

do I have to make and still retain themood I see.” It is, after all, mood thattouches the viewer and causes theresponse. Detail can help sell pictures,but mood is the primary avenue ofcommunication in landscape painting.

I keep my equipment simple. I usea Sauter easel box, but there are manyways to carry and hold your pastels.The Sauter box is a combination carry-ing box and pochade (sketch box). Itattaches by a quick release to a cameratripod. Dakota Art Pastel sells a goodbox that goes on a French easel, as doesRicheson. In addition to my Sauterbox, which contains 140 soft pastelsand a tripod, I have a set of 95 colors ofNuPastel. All my pastels are reallyorganized, easy to set up and easy tofind. In my workshops, the first thing Istress is that pastels must be easy to getto. Think about it. The rhythm ofthought and hand/eye control neces-sary to create a picture is mostenhanced when resistances to the cre-ative process are removed. If your pas-tels are in boxes on the ground orplaces you can’t reach, you will not usethem. So before you go out to work,make certain that you are ready to bemobile and fluid.

I do not use any one brand of panelor paper for my support. I carry a cou-ple of dozen sheets in a small portfolio,and then some extras in my Sauter box,as there is a place for paper storagethere. I have various colors of Cansonand Art Spectrum, as well asAmpersand boards and Wallis Belgianlinen toned paper. Most are in smallsizes. I find it so much easier not towork much over 12 x 16 inches onlocation. I do work up to 18 x 24 inch-es, but I choose a size that is not largerthan what I can finish in about twohours. Otherwise, the light will havechanged too much and I will lose myinitial idea. It is easier, however, tohold an idea in the late afternoon than

”Big Sur,” 24” x 36 “

“Yosemite Falls,” 26” x 18”


in the morning. In the late afternoonthe light movement is constantly deep-ening, therefore you can be workinginto your idea. In the early morningthe sun is always moving away from theinitial idea, therefore it is harder tomaintain what you originally saw.

When working outdoors, I addressmyself to mood, composition and spaceas the first issues. I do not think ofcomposition from side to side or top tobottom but rather I compose in thecube of the space, so that I am addi-tionally looking from front to back. Iuse shadows interweaving and overlap-ping in space to create distance. Asthey recede they get bluer, grayer ormore neutral. Objects in the fore-ground have more contrast andstronger light and shadow than those inthe background. I also diminish thelights as they recede. Since I paint a lotin the early morning and late afternoon,I find a tone for my lights, like a yellowochre, and use it in the entire picture,diminishing the value as it recedes. Forexample, if the dominant tone is anochre, I would use it in the greens aswell as subtly in the whites of the foam.Unity is created in this manner.

Some common problems thatdevelop on location should be noted, for

instance, the problem of the “balloon-ing composition”! If the objects to beplaced in the space are too big, you mayfind that your composition expandswhile you are painting and doesn’t fit onthe paper. Use some object as yourtouchstone and make certain it fits inthe space you have created for it. Defineits edges and make sure the proportion,width to height, is correct. Then mea-sure all other objects against it. Using awindow to position it is helpful — youcan make one out of cardboard or buyone. Dakota Art Pastel has an excellentone in stock. Or you can make a line atthe top of the picture beyond which youdo not want to expand. This shouldtake into account the fact that the frameor mat will overlap. You do not want atree, for example, to rest against the bot-tom or top of the painting. If you’replacing a tree in the middle ground, seta line at the top beyond which it is notto extend. Measure carefully so you getthe proper width of the tree compared toits height, then place it in its space andset all other shapes in relationship to it.If you still find your compositionexpanding, then practice making smallconvincing objects. Remember thatfailure is an important part of theprocess.

A second problem is that your val-ues don’t properly sit in the space youwish them to occupy. Schmincke hassolved this problem for you because theirpastels are labeled in such a way that alltheir “O” designations, for example, arethe same value. They will all sit in thesame space. If you are using a pastelwithout such a labeling system, thenhold the pastel up so it is next to thevalue in space that you are trying toachieve. Squint at each to see if theycome close to each other. That shouldresolve the issue.

A third problem is that sometimesyou must change what you see in orderto make the picture, or individual shapes

“I find a tone for

my lights, like a

yellow ochre,

and use it in the

entire picture,

diminishing the

value as it

recedes.”

“Glorious Dawn,” 20” x 30”

Dellinger (continued)

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 13

in the picture, look spatial-ly correct. Often it is nec-essary to adjust a value or ashape to make it read prop-erly. Practice will allowyou to make such adjust-ments in a scene and stillkeep the mood.

Finally, in finishing apainting outdoors, figureout a way to take it homesafely. Cover it by taping itface down to another surface so it won’tmove. Waxed paper works well. I solvethe problem in the following way whenI’m on a long trip. I decide on a size Iwill use during the trip. Then I take apiece of masonite that is slightly larger. Iplace a piece of waxed paper the size ofmy picture against the masonite. Whenthe picture is completed, I tape it facedown on the waxed paper so it will notmove. I lay each succeeding pictureagainst the one before, with a piece ofwaxed paper separating them. Each oneI tape down so it won’t move. If youhave a second piece of masonite, you

can sandwich the lay-ers of paintings as youwould press a leaf.There is minimalwork upon returningto the studio.

There are someadditional things youwill need on location:sun screen, bug spray,bungie cords for lash-ing down in a strong

wind, duct tape for almost anything.And forget the umbrella! If it rains yourpaper won’t work well with your pastel;if it’s windy, your easel and pastels could“kite.” And you should paint in theshade. The heat from the sun willchange the consistency of the tooth inyour paper, and your eyes will adjust tothe shade if you turn your paper so it isnot directly in the sun. This may behard at first because it is different fromthe strong lighting of the studio, but youwill do better work once you’ve done itfor a while.

Happy Painting!!

“Sometimes you

must change what

you see in order

to make the

picture…look

spatially correct.”

TheJim Markle

Pasteleaselbox

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or call (616) 458-8559.“Spring,” 24” x 36”

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We know pastel is wonder-ful, but have you consid-ered that it is the idealmedium for landscape

“en plein air”? Landscape is probably the most dif-

ficult, and most wonderful subject mat-ter for a painter. Was it Georgia O’Keefewho said that no one can teach you todo a landscape? It is just too personal.

Becoming one with the landscape.That’s what painting is about for me. AsI paint outdoors, time ceases to exist; Ionly know I am separate from the land-scape when I move.

It is all well and good to listen tosuggestions for ways to develop a “senseof place,” but ultimately, the landscapewill work for you only to the extent ofyour own passion about it. It is as muchan internal “landscape” as outside.When the viewer can feel your subjectmatter coming from within as well aswithout, the pastels will sing.

Painting “en plein air” is oftenpreparation for a more refined studiopiece. But the plein air piece is oftenenough all by itself—not better or worsethan a studio piece. It just feels different.

There’s an exhilaration in making

the most of the fleeting moments as thelight changes. The challenge of deci-phering all the chaos and excitement ofNature flowing in as raw data to under-stand and simplify. Immediate; chang-ing; always surprising. There is so muchto look at!

Out there, it’s vital to simplify.

Simplify the PaletteVery few pastels are needed; a “lim-

ited palette” serves perfectly and keepsthe baggage weight down. Sometimes Ican get away with as few as five colors,never more than about 24. It’s a pleasant

*Master Pastelist

BY CATHERINE KINKADE, PSA*

The Voice of the Landscape

A Meditative Approach to Plein Air Painting

“Champagne Fields I,” 21” x 26”

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 15

surprise to discover how much you canget out of very few materials. Primary[red, yellow, blue] and secondary hues[the mixture of two primary hues],appear fairly seldom in nature; it sur-rounds us with “tertiary” hues — combi-nations of the three primaries

I discovered an invaluable tool forchoosing a palette. Writing in 1972,Hereward Lester Cooke described a fas-cinating way to explore one’s personalcolor sense that I’ve been using for years— for myself, as well as for my students.It’s a simple way to consciously andunconsciously find a unique personalcolor palette for studio work and for aslimmed down palette for the field. [See“Personal Color Chart” sidebar.]

From this I develop a “Plein AirPalette.” [See sidebar.] To simplify colormixing on site, I make two referencesheets in my sketchbook: (1) contiguoussquares of each of my Plein Air Palettepastels and (2) a sheet showing all thehues these pastels can generate, especial-ly tertiaries from the “least likely” com-binations.

Simplify Nature’s ComplexitiesSketches and explorations help me

see what’s essential in the search “tobecome the landscape.” Most landscapepaintings simply talk too much.

There’s no better way to approach anew place or start the day gently, medi-tatively, than a Silent Walk with sketchbook and black flair tip pen. I makenotes to myself as well as sketch… Softeyes. Note peripheral vision. Let go.

Where is north? Where will thesun be in 20 minutes, an hour? Andwhere will the shadows be then? What isthe underlying form of the landscape?When I understand the underlying form,the voice of the landscape becomes myartistic voice.

Plein Air Palette

Set apart the pastels you used for yourPersonal Color Chart. Make sure youhave some warm colors, some cool.

If you haven’t included them, add the pri-maries [red, yellow, blue], plus black andwhite.

Consider the season: add a pastel or twowhich is appropriate — perhaps some-thing delicate and leafy for spring, aflower color you love for summer, some-thing “earthy” for fall, blue violet or sil-very for winter.

Add one for your regional landscape —for example, dark green for New Englandor the Pacific Northwest, deep Prussianfor ocean, dark mars violet for Frenchvineyards, or English red and yellow ochrefor Arizona.

Add one or two “you can’t live without.”

Select your least favorite pastel [asidefrom the primaries, black and white,]mark it with masking tape and use it asan “accent,” to add a fillip at the veryend of a piece.

You should have about 24-30 pastels.Leave the rest at home.

Simplify the Process Once an interesting composition

has emerged from the landscape and I’vedone the prep work, it’s time to take adeep breath, and let go — without plan-ning ahead, just letting it flow. That’sthe moment of becoming the landscape.Whatever comes out is fine. Standingthere surrounded by nature, there’s noconcern for a “finished piece;” no expec-tations to match against what’s pro-duced.

Personal Color Chart

Make a grid of twenty one-inch con-tiguous squares [say, 5 rows x 4 rows]on good white paper. Fill eachsquare with a single color. Any color,in any value, any hue. You can repeatcolors or put a different color in everysquare, as long as the overall effectseems harmonious to you. There areno wrong choices. Don’t mix colorswithin the squares.

“Cranberry Bog with Barn,” 18” x 25”


Top to bottom: “Winter Rocks:SHAN,” 24”x 30”

“Corn Hill Falls II,” 151/2”x 20”

Sure, there’s backing away and tak-ing a look at the piece upside-down tosee what it needs — perhaps a few laststrokes. But essentially it is whatever itwas meant to be for this particular day.

With no more than two hours towork outside on a sunny day, I try to dothe same site at the beginning of the daywhen shadows and colors are warm, andat day’s end when the shadows elongateand shade into violet. On gray days theshadow play disappears, but everythinggrows softer and more harmonious asmiddle values dominate, no less appeal-ing in its own quiet ways — with manymore hours to capture it.

Outdoors it helps to think insequence: from croquis to value sketchto color sketch to finished piece to stu-dio piece. A “ritual”, not in any sense oflimitation or rigor, but a “settling down,”to honor something of value to you.

The first time I really became awareof this process was in a sumi-e class withMaster Moto Oi. We ground our inksilently for an extended period of timebefore beginning to paint; it made allthe difference.

As a side note, my non-rigorous rit-ual includes a warm up for extended sit-ting by doing slow Qigong or yogastretches.

And a final note: Take all sugges-tions with a grain of salt. Go out, focuson what it is that you want to say, take adeep breath and enjoy the experience ofpainting en plein air at every possibleopportunity.

“One can sense the style and attitudeof ritual in almost any action that is doneexpertly, with full attention to the pre-sent.” —Alan Watts

© Catherine Kinkade 2003. All rights reservedWebsite: viridianfineart.com or catherinekinkade.comPhotography: Peter Jacobs, Fine Arts Photography

“There’s no better way

to approach a new

place or start the day

gently, meditatively,

than a Silent Walk with

sketch book and black

flair tip pen.”

“Truro Locusts I,” 29” x 24”

Kinkade (continued)

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 17

Pastels for Plein Air Painting

Isuggest to my students that they buy the very best materials [pastels andgrounds] they can afford. Inferior materials are devastating for a begin-

ner and no professional would use them.

I personally prefer Unison, Diane Townsend, Terry Ludwig [amazing greens],and Schmincke.

Basic kit: Hues preferred without black or white added unless noted [*]• Primaries: cadmium red or rose madder; lemon or light yellow; ultra-marine blue [not pthalo!]

• White: Pure white occurs naturally very seldom in nature, and is bestused sparingly unmixed.

• Black is one of the best mixing tools you have. It will not only deep-en colors where needed [the cast shadow under bushes, dark fir treesor the edge where the water meets the land], but in the case of mix-ing with red and yellow, hands you a whole set of tertiaries that areperfect in the landscape: earthtone red-violets and vegetative greens.

• Neutral mid-gray: wonderful for color mixing as well as value• Additional: dark blue violet * ; chrome green light; permanent redlight [=orange] or scarlet

What to add next [optional]:• Mars violet [or use the red with black]; high value raw umber *; highvalue blue gray * for skies and scumbling atmosphere over distantimages

• Other possibilities: red violet [fuchsia] for accent or to mix withgreen; cobalt; pthalo blue for accents, sky/water, mixing tertiary greenin shadow; yellow ochre; mouse gray [a wonderful purpley gray];green gray; Prussian blue or indigo *, raw sienna; naples yellow; awarm gray; and neutral grays to give you a full range between blackand white.

Supplemental hues, especially in shades of vegetable and grayed greens,grayed purples:

Consider the wonderful landscape assortments made by Unison,Rowney, [especially for grayed violets and greens and warm gray] orDiane Townsend [dark hues]; the Schmincke landscape assortment,which comes in its own handy wooden box; or Sennelier’s half sticks.Portrait assortments will do just as well. [It will have some warm andsome cool colors, but the landscape assortment may have more vegeta-tive greens in it.]

Plein Air “Kit”

n Folding chair, such as the “Howda”seat, with good back support

n [Optional] Folding easel, withpronged feet; attachment for workinghorizontally or vertically

n Soft-sided briefcase or airline carry-on with large wheels, into which every-thing else listed below fits:

n Portable masonite board

n Sketch book: good quality whitepaper, that opens back on itself. If itdoesn’t have a band, add an elasticband or ribbon. I make a “pocket” atthe back for a viewfinder, my “PleinAir Palette” and mix charts.

n Cushioning: newsprint or paper usedfor grounds in sheets or a pad; I per-sonally like the feel of several blotters.

n Museum tape

n Small air canister

n Pastels: see sidebar “Pastels for PleinAir”

n Plastic or wooden case to hold pas-tels such as Artbin case, with foaminserts

n 6B pencil or 6B graphite stick; contecrayon (sepia or bistre), stump stick;kneaded and plastic erasers; blackSharpie marker or drawing pen

n Grounds cut to the size of yoursketchbook or board: [Save end pieceto test your pastels.]

n For value studies: small, good qualitywhite paper, or sketchbook

n For color studies: quarter sheetCanson Mi-Teintes in white or gray,craft brown [unfortunately notarchival], or handmade deckle edgepaper such as Pearl’s

n Grounds for larger piece — thelargest you can carry in your pack, inan assortment of types and hues, suchas Canson Mi-Teintes loose or in a padwith glassine interleaves, or myfavorite, sandpaper. Consider comple-mentary colors, dark gray or black,which produces wonderful sparkle,especially in dappled full-value rangescenes.

Suggestions for What to Take With You

Grounds


Like most art students, I experi-mented with many pastel tech-niques while in school. Onethat I really enjoyed was to

create an abstract underpainting for theclassical figures that have always beenmy preferred subject matter. Much ofthe acrylic underpainting was leftexposed, and line was as important asform. Over the years, I shifted closer totraditional realism with a dominanceof form over line, and a highly finishedsurface. Fast forward to the 21st centu-ry: a world of virtual realities whichincreasingly eclipse any certitude oneused to feel about visual perception.How, if at all, can the external world betruly known, let alone represented?Confronted with this widening spiralof visual and psychological ambiguity, I

needed to rethink my approach to thefigure. I wanted to introduce a sense ofthe indeterminacy that permeatestoday’s digitally altered culture. I foundmyself returning to the technique Ifavored in my early experiments withpastel, though for different reasons.

Interpreting classical figures withan abstract underpainting is myattempt to reconcile this dimension ofambiguity with what the eye sees. Mypastels remain rooted in realism, butwith a vision of reality beyond logicallyordered experience. A major influencein this work are Degas’ figure composi-tions of dynamic, candid, unusuallycropped nudes. His pictorial narrativesof isolation, self-absorption and arrest-ed motion seem particularly releventAs Richard Kendall says in “Degas By

“Two Bathers XIII,” 25” x 39”

An early work, “Blue Turban,”32” x 23”

Create Evocative Classical FiguresWith an Abstract Underpainting

BY DIANE ROSEN, PSA*

*Master Pastelist

Himself” (Richard Kendall, Editor,Little, Brown and Company (UK) Ltd.,1994, p.9), “The subject of movement,whether of a racehorse, a dancer or ablurred face in a crowd, came to preoc-cupy (Degas), and perhaps to summa-rize those essential qualities of moderncity life—speed, energy and ambiguity.”

For me, this enigmatic spacebetween thought and action, the intan-gible and the tangible, is embodied inthe interpretation of classical figureswith an abstract underpainting. Acrylicpaint is dripped, dropped, spattered,smeared or scraped onto the paper pro-ducing an evocative pictorial subtext of“accidental” shapes and forms. Thepaper I use is a sturdy Fabriano Murillothat stands up to repeated applicationsof paint and numerous layers of pastel.The monochromatic underpainting issometimes applied thickly for denseswaths of color; sometimes it is dilutedand splashed or brushed into a thin,translucent wash. From a practicalpoint of view, the abstract ground cre-ates visual interest that is more appeal-ing to me than beginning on a blankbackground. Equally exciting is how itweaves the play of chance and theunconscious into the composition.

Once the underpainting is com-plete I begin to consider the composi-tion of the figures, working from a largereserve of photographs I have taken. Todevelop each painting, I select andphotocopy eight or ten images, cutthem out and “pose” them together likepaper doll puzzle pieces. For me, thecropping and arranging of these smallimages (3x5” or 4x6”) replaces any pre-liminary sketches . When I have a com-bination that I like, I sketch it directlyonto the prepared paper with soft vinecharcoal. If the initial placement isn’tpleasing, or if the figures don’t work onthe larger scale (usually 27x39”), I wipeoff the sketch and restart as many timesas needed until it feels right. This phasealways takes the longest, usually severalweeks, because the composition is soimportant. Again, Degas is an inspira-tion during this phase of the work.From studying his technique and also

the great masters who influencedhim—such as Mantegna, Raphael,Michelangelo—I found that, for Degas,a pose or multi-figure composition hadto serve not only the aesthetic balanceof forms, but also the psychologicalaction of the picture.

As the work progresses, parts of

“Two Bathers XVII,” 39” x 27”

“Dancing Bathers X,” 24” x 36”

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 19

Continued on page 27

the underpainting dominate or recede,often yielding an unexpected reso-nance with the representationalimagery. In the traditional, academicmethod, I work from dark to light andlay in all the shadow tones first.Maintaining a muted palette of umbers,ochres, siennas and some greenish tones,

The Search

for a New

Direction

multiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiples

multiples


Pastels energize the colors of stilllifes the way large stone spacesenhance the lush sounds of theorgan. But when I first worked

in color, I chose watercolors and col-ored pencils before turning to pastels. Ithen discovered I have a natural affini-ty for pastel, long after I had developedan interest in color and color theory.That interest first emerged during myearly years of teaching at a communitycollege in a Detroit suburb, in research-ing class projects; books by artist-theo-reticians like Faber Birren, Johannes

Itten, Wilhelm Ostwald, Albert H.Munsell and Joseph Albers got me torethink subject matter in terms of toneand visual effect. I made conventionalstill lifes until about 10 years ago, whenI felt the need to move in anotherdirection, one that would amplify therichness of the pastels while exploringthe multiple tones of the theme Ichose. By then I had technical skillwith the pastels and I recognized theircolor potential — an almost endlessvariety of colors, tints, tones andshades.

“ ‘Chorale’ 30 Pears,” 30 3/4” x 45 1/4”, a prize-winner at the 31st Annual

multiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplesmultiplemultiplemultiplmultip

multiples

BY MACEO MITCHELL, PSA

Working with

I had always harbored an interestin well-designed and well organizedunusual images and decided that thiswas a direction to pursue. My first suc-cessful attempt was a drawing on a

sheet of illustration board dividedinto five rows of four squares,

each exactly the same size. Ineach square I drew a differ-ent fruit, with some rowshaving the backgroundfilled in and others leftwhite. Although I waspleased with the result,there were problems of

keeping the surface clean, so I devised amethod of doing each drawing sepa-rately on individual pieces of board(Sennelier La Carte pastel board) andmatting them together in a harmoniousarrangement. This proved to be verysatisfactory for what I was trying to doand I’ve continued to use it over theyears.

Many other artists have utilizedmultiples or repeated images in theirwork, and no doubt I have been influ-enced by some, if not all, of those that Ihave encountered. But no one artisthas shaped my imagery. The formatthat I was now using of multiple repeat-ed images allowed me to reinforce theideas I was trying to convey. I was striv-ing for something with more cohesive-ness, something that had a more consis-tent look about it and that conveyed acertain mood. After several drawings ofmultiples with mixed fruit, I transi-tioned into portraying individuals of asingle variety — all Bosc pears, forexample, or all Granny Smith apples —with a simple background. I then wasset to explore the color values avail-able.

Recently I’ve been working on aseries of drawings I refer to as “colorchorales.” The name came to me oneday while listening to the “SecondOrgan Chorale” by César Franck. Irealized that the mood of that piece iswhat I am trying to create visually inmy multiples. Like different voices in amusical chorale, my multiples strive forharmonious effects out of widely differ-ent tones within a formal setting.

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 21

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There are many ways to arrangecolor chorales. One method I’ve usedis a variation on the value scale. Forexample, I will do a drawing withtwenty or thirty elements (apples,plums, pears, etc.), all drawn on equal-sized pieces of board and arranged inrows of four or five across, with five orsix vertical rows; the backgrounds areall the same color, but each row is of adifferent value, usually with light rowson the top and darker rows on the bot-tom. This background can be endless-ly varied (warm or cool grays or differ-ent colors, and so on). Sometimes Iposition the lightest row at the centervertically, with the darker tones to theoutside, and at other times the lightestelement is at the center surrounded onall sides by darker elements. In everycase, I work with different individualfruits that I select from greengrocersand fruit markets around town. I neverget bored because each fruit is differ-ent, and I approach each as a separateportrait. One could achieve the same“color chorale” effects by arrangingpaper cut-outs of various hues, but itwould not be as satisfying. There issomething human and sensual aboutorganic objects, as opposed to rectan-gles and other geometric shapes. It’smuch easier for me to relate to a piece

of fruit than a rectangle and maintainmy interest with color. And pastel as amedium is far more enjoyable to methan cutting pieces of paper.

I also like to take advantage ofsome of the natural characteristics ofhuman vision by putting some of mysubjects on a black or dark background,for example, and the same subject on awhite or very light background. Thehuman eye perceives the same objecton a light background as more subduedand larger while the darker backgroundintensifies the color. The final arrange-ment exploits this juxtaposition of col-ors to create something totally uncon-ventional out of seemingly convention-al still life subjects. There are endlessarrangements — squares, vertical orhorizontal rectangles of any number ofrows, even just one row can work. Andany number of color schemes, comple-ments, adjacents, triads, and so on, canwork.

I love working with many differenttypes of fruit and vegetables, but I dohave favorites. Bosc pears have a sen-suous texture, are pleasing to draw and,most importantly, they have a neutraltan color that seems to work with anycolor scheme, allowing for greater flex-ibility. Another approach I’ve used inmy multiple series is oversized fruit,where the edges of the fruit extendbeyond the edges of the paper. One ofmy best examples is “Six Apples”(three red and three green) on con-trasting backgrounds. Color steps inthis instance are not as significant asmuch as the complementary contrast incolors of the same values placed besideeach other.

Many artists work on instinct, butI find that color theory provides anendless source of inspiration and com-plexity. While I still do individualsubjects, especially on commission,there’s something in repetition for meto think about harmonically as I draw,and the formal study provides a way toreflect the chorales I hear and see inmy head.

“Six Apples,” 34 3/4” x 26 1/2”

“Pyramidal Watermelon,” 21 3/4” x 22”

“Many artists

work on instinct,

but I find that color

theory provides an

endless source of

inspiration and

complexity.”

Mitchell (continued)

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 23

PSA Spring All-Day

Workshops2004

Workshop hours are 9:30-4:30.

$85 PER PSA MEMBERPayable one week in advance to Pastel Society of America, Inc.

15 Gramercy Park S., New York, NY10003. Please include workshop datesand/or name of instructor(s) on check.

Monday – January 19“Flowers and Fruit Still Life”

Richard Pionk, PSA

u

Sunday – February 8“Wild Flowers”

Jimmy Wright, PSA

u

Sunday – March 21“Still Life/Portrait”

Joe Hing Lowe, PSA

u

Sunday – April 25“Multiple Figures”Diane Rosen, PSA

u

Sunday – May 16“Outdoor City Scapes” Danny Hauben, PSA

u

Sunday – June 6“Painting Central Park”Frank Federico, PSA

pSa MeMberS’ Gallerywww.pastelsocietyofamerica.org

LOOK FOR THE PSA MEMBER

GALLERY ON THE WEB!

www.pastelsocietyofamerica.org

featuring pastel paintings from

PSA member web pages.

All members of PSA have their names listed on our membership page. Full SignatureMembers may have an expanded listing on our site for as little as $70 per year.

THIS INCLUDES:� 2 color thumbnail paintings that can be enlarged

� a 100-200 word biography

� artist contact information (name, address, phone, e-mail, etc.)Additional paintings may be added for $30 each per year. Members with expandedlistings are highlighted in the membership list and a click of the mouse will go directly to their page.

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTSPSA members can announce upcoming workshops and exhibitions on our website.The fee for each listing is $35. Signature members who have their own expanded personal web pages on the PSA site are entitled to one free listing per year, with feeof $25 for any additional listings. Send announcements and check to PSA office.

Requests for information about these listings should be e-mailed [email protected] or call the PSA office (212-533-6931)

At PSA School for

“Pastels Only”


artists in the work ofASTM, a strictly vol-untary organization,which one does nothave to join as a mem-ber in order to attendits meetings and workon its projects.However, if one wantsto vote on proposalsand standards, thenmembership is required(dues are $75 a year).Members of ASTM testart materials, developstandards for theseproducts, and try toobtain voluntary cooperation frommanufacturers and companies 1) toconform to these standards, 2) to labeltheir products accordingly, 3) to informconsumers about risks, if any. In thecase of pastel lightfastness, this wouldmean that the companies would adoptASTM’s methods for testing pastels andwould develop a rating system for eachstick based on these standards.Conformance to a standard will requirefull disclosure about the pigment con-tent in every pastel (which some com-panies already provide on their colorcharts and/or on the wrappers of indi-vidual sticks).

25 Years of WorkGottsegen said that when ASTM

started investigating art materials about25 years ago, the manufacturers would

“UV light gets us all in the end,but in the meantime we should doeverything we can to produce artworkwhose materials are as stable as we canmake them.”

The speaker was Mark D.Gottsegen, associate professor of art,University of North Carolina atGreensboro, addressing a group inPSA’s studio October 8. Invited as partof Pastel Society of America’s “openhouse” series, he gave a slide presenta-tion and talk about his work withASTM International (AmericanSociety for Testing and Materials).This organization deals with the devel-opment of voluntary standards formaterials in wide sectors of industryand commerce, including artists’ prod-ucts.

Gottsegen has been particularlyinvolved with the development oflightfastness specifications for pastelsticks, but the ASTM subcommitteewhich he chairs (DO1.57) concernsitself with many areas regarding artists’paints and related materials, includinghealth hazards. The subcommittee alsotests products in a variety of media inwhich artists work. In fact, ASTMlabeling for standards is already used onmany art materials, but not pastel sticks— or papers, which are also subject tocolor change. Alterations over time canbe gradual (which many don’t notice),or colors can be stable for a while, fol-lowed by sudden change.

Thus his goal is to involve pastel

not divulge content. However, whenthe organization showed the companiesthat chemists could determine ingredi-ents anyway, they started to reveal thecontent (but not the formula) of theirproducts. Presently, a few brands havetheir own lightfastness rating systemprinted on each wrapper, often basedon the “blue wool” test, whichGottsegen considers scientifically unre-liable. Some companies do their owntesting, some rely on testing by manu-facturers who supply them with pig-ments. He praised Rembrandt andSchmincke, at least, for full disclosureof the pigments contained in eachstick. Sennelier also identifies the pig-ments in each color. Gottsegen is try-ing to recruit pastel artists because hefeels they are in the best position toconvince pastel makers that it is in

TeSTer of paSTel liGhTfaSTNeSSGiveS Talk aT pSaSeeks Volunteers to Press for ASTM Standards for Pastels

BY CLAIRE PAISNER, PSA

A variety of testing instruments used by Gottsegen: from left, alab-sized zenon tester, a salt-spray chamber, and a fluorescentlight instrument

W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 25

everyone’s interest to produce lightfastcolors in cooperation with ASTM.

White Paper on WallGottsegen recounted his own

experience with a piece of art in colorpencil, which was given to him byanother artist. He placed it in a dimhallway of his home, but it lost its colorcompletely, leaving him with “a framedpiece of white paper on the wall.”

The speaker said he hopes to dupli-cate the recent success his group has hadwith businesses that produce color pen-cils. Over the last 10 years, ASTM stan-dards have been developed for the light-fastness of color pencils; some compa-nies have complied with these standardsand will now label their productsaccordingly. As a result, these compa-nies offer two grades of color pencil sets,one for those professionals who valuelightfastness, and one for consumers whoare not concerned with such properties.The former category is only slightlymore expensive and tends to have fewerof the brightest colors. However, inmany cases, substitutes for the fugitivecolors were developed but at a highercost, which many artists are willing topay in order to assure a higher quality.

60% Fail TestGottsegen and his group started

investigating pastels for lightfastnessabout four years ago. Since it is impos-sible to test the thousands of pastels onthe market, he placed samples of about300 sticks from different manufacturerson Wallis paper, selecting primarilyhues from middle value range, includ-ing some colors that he suspected ofbeing unstable (reds, pinks, violets)and, to be fair, some he believed would

A table top zenon tester with the door open and pastel samples inside

test favorably. Overall, 60% of the test-ed sticks failed the test as measuredagainst specifications developed by hiscommittee (the same ones that wereapplied to color pencils). His researchhas identified different levels of light-fastness, and the committee placesproducts in Lightfastness Categories Ior II. His testing is done with equip-ment that he has purchased and main-tained with his own resources andwhatever grants he has been able toobtain from independent sources. Themachines do accelerated testing: about400 hours of exposure produce resultsequivalent to, perhaps, 100 years oflight exposure in a museum setting. Hediscusses his results privately with eachmanufacturer because his purpose is notto embarrass them but to obtain theircooperation. Until pastel companiesadopt ASTM standards, Gottsegenthinks it makes sense for artists to testtheir own sticks by putting patches ofcolor in direct light for three monthsand comparing them to identicalpatches that are tucked away in a draw-er or box.

During the question and answerperiod the speaker was asked if UV-pro-tected glass is effective. His answer wasyes, if you can find out how long theUV coating is expected to last. He wasasked if white pastels change color, towhich he replied that some do. Inresponse to other queries, he said thatpastels are not completely opaque, andtherefore underneath layers of unstablecolors can affect the overall lightfast-ness; that fixative does not completelystop an unstable color from changingand often darkens some colors.

Gottsegen apologized for being thebearer of bad news. Sometimes, henoted, artists have their favorite huesand are as reluctant as manufacturers toacknowledge the problem and makechanges in their habits.

For additional information, contact MarkGottsegen, 336.674-7899. E-mail:[email protected]. Also: www.astm.org

“We should do

everything we

can to produce

artwork whose

materials are

as stable as we

can make

them.”

circles. In addition, her nar-rative providesuseful informa-tion about colortheory, value,c ompo s i t i o n ,choice of materi-als, and tips onsafety and conser-vation.

But what dis-tinguishes this bookfrom other basic textson pastel is the mark-making. In languageeasy to follow, she

instructs readers to place strokes closetogether, then to make them fartherapart so that some paper is showing; tosuperimpose a new color over afirst layer with varying degrees ofpressures, to create a gradualtransition from dark to light, todo a set of strokes each with a dif-ferent direction or movement.Other exercises illustrate the useof the side versus the tip of sticks,ways of making lines of differentwidths, methods of stick controlby varying the pressure, the usesof the harder versus the softerpastels, the effects of layeringdark over light versus light over dark,methods of correcting mistakes by paint-ing over them versus brushing them offand trying again. In each case she is notsimply explaining but showing. Aninformative chapter is devoted to blend-ing, how to do it and whether to do it.

After exploring the subtleties of dif-ferent kinds of marks, Heywood uses theterminology she has developed to leadreaders through several demonstrations:an orange, a red-green apple, a simplestill-life set-up, a landscape and finally, asubject less often covered by “how to”books, a cat portrait. The pages are dot-ted with dramatic compositions of land-scapes and seascapes by the author andseveral examples of animal portraiture.


NEWLY RELEASED PAPERBACKS ONDRAWING

“The Art of Figure Drawing: The Complete Guide to ClassicDrawing Techniques”By Clem RobinsCincinnati: North Light Books 2003; 143 pp.

Clem Robins was trained at theArt Students League and teachesanatomy and figure drawing at the ArtAcademy of Cincinnati. His book,which is lavishly illustrated, is intendedfor art students who are serious aboutdepicting the nude body in a crediblemanner. The author, who has a fineexplanatory knack, passes on theinstruction of the ages, adding his own

c o n s i d e r a b l einsights.

While strong-ly recommendingseparate anatomystudies, the textconcentrates onthe artistry of thedrawn nude, whatmakes a figure“convincing.” Theauthor’s discussionof artistry, compris-

ing the first half of the book, includeswhat to put in and what to leave out(cast shadows tend to fall in the lattercategory); how to suggest anatomicalstructure without overmodeling; theanalysis of body masses; methods ofshading to explain form, including linepatterns and ink washes; the use of var-ious types of lines, i.e., heavy to imper-ceptible, as well as calligraphic andconstruction lines; the handling ofedges, the application of laws of per-spective, the role of composition; andequilibrium, thrust and action in thehuman body.

Robins’s final chapters provideinformation about drawing tools, tech-niques, and body proportions, along

“Pastels Made Easy”By Anne HeywoodNew York, NY: Watson GuptillPublications2003; 144 pp.

Anne Heywood, PSA,has an engaging approach toacquainting newcomerswith the medium of pastel.From the start, it is ahands-on system. Sheconcentrates on the char-acteristics of pastelstrokes, different kinds of strokesand different ways of combining them,and asks her readers to accompany herin placing color swatches in boxes and

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W I N T E R 2 0 0 4 27

with step-by-step demonstrations. Among the author’s general obser-

vations: “Beginners copy what they see,while professionals fashion imagesdesigned for other people to see.”…“Images are built of cues, not copiedminutia.”…“With time, the twoapproaches—drawing what you see anddrawing what you know—will meethalfway.”…Good composition in nudefigures “lies in an effective partnershipbetween artist and model.”

Instructors in any medium mightfind this book to be a good complementin courses on portraiture and figures.

“Practical Guide to Drawing”By Vicenç B. Ballestar and Jordi VígueNew York, NY: Watson-GuptillPublications2002; 320 pp.

PastelagramPastel Society of America

Board of GovernorsFlora B. Giffuni

Barbara FischmanRae Smith

Rhoda YanowChristina Debarry

Barbara HibbsAlden Baker

Mary HargraveSidney HermelMaceo MitchellClaire PaisnerDan Slapo

Brenda TribushJimmy Wright

Legal Advisor

Joseph Salomon

PSA/NAC Workshops, Student Exhibition

Florence Wozar

Outreach Committee

Elissa Prystauk

Eileen Serwer

Office Manager

Cindy Harisch

Founder & Hon. ChairPresident & Chair1st Vice President2nd Vice PresidentTreasurerRecording SecyCorresponding Secy

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email: [email protected]

PsA members who are interested in

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Leave your number and we will get back to you.

Translated fromthe Spanish, thisbook, which targetsthe beginner, hashundreds of appeal-ing and freshly ren-dered illustrations.Ballestar, the illustra-tor, shows how to pro-ceed from simple ges-tural lines and basic

geometric-like shapes to accurate andcomplex drawings. A large variety ofsubjects are covered: landscape,cityscape, floral, still life, face, figure andanimals. The authors also include chap-ters on hands and feet, the sensuality ofthe nude figure, the expression of eyes,special textures like glass and metal, theuse of chiaroscuro, sky studies, atmos-pheric effects, caricature, and gesturalfigure drawing.

Co-EditorsClaire Paisner, Barbara Fischman

AdvertisingKathleen AgnoliArlene Juter

We gratefully acknowledge the contributionsof all writers in this issue of the Pastelagram.

t

Pastelagram designed and produced by The Hamill Group, Inc.

Pastelagramt

In MemoriamMy beloved Laura Marguliesdied on August 27, 2003.She was an inspired officehelper in the early days

of PSA.I have planted a tree in her name in Israel.

Flora B. Giffuni

I also like to let the original paper colorenliven the surface by using an eraser topull out highlights or generally lighten atone. Occasionally I go back over areasof pastel with additional paint and, afterit dries, rework it in pastel. This processof adding and removing goes on repeat-edly until what seems to be the right bal-ance is achieved between what is thereand what is implied.

The figures are rendered with def-erence to solid, classical form, but theirsemi-transparent quality teases the illu-sion away from certainty. They seem tomaterialize and de-materialize with theviewer’s shift in focus. The viewer ispushed to see the figures from a newperspective, moving back and forthbetween the insubstantial and thematerial: are they two different people;two aspects of the same person; oneperson’s memories or longings? Thistechnique of interpreting figures with

an abstract underpainting was funwhen I started using it as a student.Now it has evolved into an excitingway to create my pastels while explor-ing the elusive territory between thefamiliar and the mysterious.

© Diane Rosen 2003All paintings shown are pastel over acrylic

Continued from page 19Classical Figures

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AID

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Documents

Pastel Society of America