Pu r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t e llll

A nod to the Old World masters shines through in Mally DeSomma's vibrant

still life and figure paintings. "There are many masters that have inspired me -

Rembrandt with his chiaroscuro, Van Gogh and Mary Cassatt with the freedom

of movement and rich vibrant colors in their paintings," DeSomma explains.

For DeSomma, taking the traditional approach starts with a precise drawing.

The painting is then blocked in with either complementary colors or a mono-

chromatic palette using one middle value color with different pressure to create

the values. "Often I use acrylic

paint and cover the paper with a

brilliant yellow or orange as an

underpainting for a landscape or a

still life. For figure painting, I may

turn to burnt sienna to create a

more dramatic look," she says. To

keep colors rich and the lights bril-

liant as the painting develops, she

is careful to check her drawing and

steps back often from the easel.

Earthy objects such as fruits, vegetables, pottery and cloth with rich, vibrant

color often attract DeSomma's eye as she considers subject matter. "I choose

objects that have meaning to me. Maybe a vase or jar that was a gift from a

friend, or an item from my mother's or grandmother's home," she says. Local

farmers markets offer inspiration as she picks up produce in season to add to

her still life compositions.

She is a fan of NuPastel, Sennelier and Terry Ludwig pastels. "NuPastels are

great for drawing and blocking-in and they're a terrific blending tool," she

adds. "Sennelier and Terry Ludwigs create beautiful creamy strokes and in-

credible intense color." She finds Sennelier and Terry Ludwig brands offer

options to keep lights brilliant and darks rich. She prefers Wallis, Art Spec-

trum, and Sennelier La Carte papers which allow her to build up many layers.

"I find pastels always create a fresh, beautiful painting," she says.

As a pastel loyalist, DeSomma

started painting with the medium

early in her artistic journey. "I

love the versatility and gorgeous

array of values and colors," she

says. Ease of transport and set-

up is a plus. "I recently went to

France to paint with other artists

from CPS. I loved the ease of

pulling out my Heilman box and

setting up in minutes. I didn't have

the headache of dragging around

canvas, paints and turpentine.”

(continued on pg. 2)

Mally DeSomma: Featured Artist

1111

Published by the Connecticut Pastel Society Summer 2011

There is still time to enroll in a workshop

with renowned pastel artist and popular

instructor Susan Ogilvie. Workshops will

be held in Bantam,

CT in bucolic

Litchfield County.

The 4-day work-

shop will be October

10 to 13 and the 3-day

session will be held

October 15 to 17.

To register or for

more information,

contact our work-

shop coordinators

Carol T. Moore at

ctmoore4@optonline.net or Marilyn Caissy at

marilyncaissy@optonline.net.

Join a Workshop with Susan Ogilvie

The 2011 Signature Member Exhibition is

slated for November 4 through January 13 at

Hartford Fine Art in East Hartford, CT.

CPS greatly appreciates the efforts of

Elizabeth Rhoades, this year's show chair.

Six members will showcase their talent by

offering demonstrations throughout the

exhibition, including: Joanne Agostinelli;

Chris Ivers; Shauna Shane; Claudia Post;

Gigi Horr Liverant; and Clayton Buchanan.

For more information, contact Elizabeth

Rhoades at lizzierhoades@hotmail.com.

Here are key dates to keep in mind:

July 18: CD postmark deadline

Oct. 26: Last day to accept shipped work

Oct. 29: Receiving from 11 am to 2 pm

Nov. 4: Opening reception from 6 pm to 8 pm

Jan 14: Pick-up paintings from 11 am to 2 pm

Top: Primary Colors and Bottom:

Aquamarine and Opal Reflections by

Mally DeSomma

CPS Signature Member Show Announced

A devotion to teaching art also drives

DeSomma. Students often ask about

how she developed her unique style. "I

tell students that they can learn to paint

from me, but each of them will develop

their own style. I assure them that their

unique style will emerge," she says. "I

encourage students to experiment with

different mediums, but to also concen-

trate on one medium to get a good

sense of the technique,” she says.

She took courses at Paier School of Art

and Quinnipiac College and studied

with many master painters throughout

the years. “My experience has shown

me that it's much better to be taught the

traditional way. I enjoy bringing out the

artistic talents that each student has

waiting to burst out,” DeSomma says.

“It’s a shame that most people are

taught on the left side of the brain. As

we leave kindergarten, all the wonder-

ful imagination of a child is put on the

back burner. We disregard an important

part of our learning and creativity. Art

is so good for our health," she adds.

Mally DeSomma resides in Waterbury.

She is represented by and on the board

of Fine Line Art Gallery in Woodbury

and is represented by the Gregory

James Gallery in New Milford and the

PS Gallery in Litchfield. She can be

reached at m.desomma@sbcglobal.net

or 203.574.3954. Visit her website at

www.mdesomma.com.

Mally DeSomma (continued)

2

Complementary Colors Goldfinch by Mally DeSomma

Donna Rossetti-Bailey was juried into the North River Arts Society Festival of the Arts and the Pastel Painters of Maine International Exhibit at Heartwood College of Art. She won Third Prize in pastel at the Scituate Art Association “Art’s Alive” Juried Show.

Julie Hopkins won the Best Pastel Award at the Salmagundi Club Special President’s Exhibition. Her work was selected as one of the top 100 paintings in the Pastel 100 Competition sponsored by The Pastel Journal for which she received an honorable men-tion for the abstract/non-objective category.

Laurel Friedmann is spending the summer sculpting for the first time since college. She is creating a 3D illustration of The Tale of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse for the Enchanted Birdhouse project at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. The outdoor exhibit will be open during October.

Karen Israel won the Elizabeth Greeley Award at the New Haven Paint and Clay Club annual exhibit. She was juried into the Salmagundi Club's non-member show. She won an honorable mention award in the IAPS 2011 exhibit and won the Claudia Seymour Award at the Meriden Arts and Crafts Association show.

Peter Seltzer received the Fourth Place Award in the Still Life Category in the Pas-tel 100 competition hosted by Pastel Journal. He was selected to be a juror for the 2011 Pastel 100 competition. His work was selected for the Midyear Exhibition at the Butler In-stitute of American Art. He will be featured in the September issue of Artist's Magazine.

Janet A. Cook was featured in the American Artist Magazine and will be featured in the American Art Collector October issue. She was featured on the greatnude.tv web site about the Barebrush Show at the Rogue Gallery in Chelsea, NYC and won the People's Choice Award in the show. She was juried into recent exhibitions including the Ellarslie Open at the City Museum of Trenton, NJ, the Eternal Landscape Show sponsored by the Salmagundi Club and the IAPS Exhibition in Albuquerque, NM. She won First Prize at the Salmagundi Club "Square Foot, Round Feet" show.

Claudette Gamache received the IAPS Master Circle designation at the annual conven-tion. She received an honorable mention award in the Master Circle show and won an award of merit at the Pastel Painters of Maine International Show.

June Parker received the Best in Show Award at the Housatonic Valley Art League juried show in Sheffield, MA.

Marge Levine is exhibiting in the Ellarslie Open at the City Museum of Trenton, NJ to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Artful Deposit Gallery.

M'Lou Sorrin is participating in an exhibition entitled "Outermost Embrace" on display at the Cotuit Center for the Arts in Cotuit, MA through August 7.

Sanford Parisky was juried into the New Hartford Art League's Juried Show and the Housatonic Valley Art League's Show in Sheffield, MA. He will be exhibiting at the Mark Twain Visitor Center in October.

Jeanne Rosier Smith is in the "Pastels by Invitation" show this summer at the Creative Arts Center, Chatham, MA. She joined the Eventide Gallery in Essex, MA, and will exhibit at Sosebee Gallery on Nantucket in August.

Christine Ivers won Best in Show at the Art Guild of Middletown Open Show and Best in Show at Southington Arts & Craft Open Juried Show.

Lou Mazzotta and Rozanne Hauser are exhibiting at the Surf Club in Provincetown, MA, the Blue Moose Café and Gallery in Brattleboro, VT, and Wall Talk in Northampton, MA.

Gigi Horr Liverant exhibited in the IAPS Exhibition in Albuquerque, NM in June. She is exhibiting at the Granary Gallery in West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard.

Nance McManus is exhibiting at the Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, NM and the "Pastels by Invitation 2011" show at the Creative Arts Center in Chatham, MA.

Jeanne Ciravolo was juried into the IAPS Juried Exhibition at the Butler Institute of

American Art. She received an honorable mention in the Pastel Journal’s Pastel 100

Competition.

Member News

Purely Pastel is published quarterly. Contact Diana Rogers with news at diana.rogers@comcast.net.

201 1 CPS Members Show Award Winner s

Best in Show: Clayton Buchanan

CPS Award of Excellence: Shauna Shane

CPS Honor Award: Nancy Bunnell, Helen Davis, Karen Suponski

CPS Award: Kathleen Woolam, John Lawson, Dick McEvoy, Nancy Spanich

Pastel Society of America Award: Bonnie Potter

CPS Merit Award: Julie Hopkins, Jeanne Ciravolo

CPS Honorable Mention Award: Carol T. Moore, Susan Bosworth,

Barbara Groff, Rainie Crawford

Frank Federico Workshop Award: Joan Heffernan

Alain Picard Workshop Award: Jenny Lin

Guerilla Pochade Box Award: Rae Smith

Jerry's Artarama Nupastel Award: Pieter Lefferts

Diane Townsend Pastel Award: Karen Bahrenburg

Wholesale Framing Gift Award: Ellen Pelletier

Jerry's Artarama Rembrandt Pastel Award: Jeanne Rosier Smith, Joe Baker

A.I. Friedman Award: Mary Ann Sherry

River Road Gallery Custom Frame Award: Frank Federico

Frame and Save Custom Frame Award: Peter Seltzer

CPS Member-Led Workshops

Purely Pastel features upcoming work-

shops offered by CPS members:

Robert Carsten will be teaching a pastel

landscape workshop at the Lyme Art Asso-

ciation on July 23 and 24.

Jeanne Rosier Smith will be teaching a

national portrait workshop at Terry Ludwig

Studios in Colorado October 7-9.

Donna Rossetti-Bailey will teach a work-

shop at Terry Ludwig’s pastel studio in

Denver, CO in September 2011.

Frank Federico will be conducting work-

shops as part of the Pastel Painters of Cape

Cod “For Pastels Only On Cape Cod” ex-

hibit. Sessions will be held October 1

through 3 and October 5 through 7. He is

offering the "Painterly Pastel" Workshop at

the Gibson House B & B in Haverill, NH from

August 16 to 18.

Nance McManus is giving a workshop at

the New Mexico Art League September 8 to 10.

Sam and MaryAnn D'Ambruoso will offer

their annual Tuscany workshop in October

2012 along with a non-instructed paint-out in

November in Sicily.

Jane Wright Wolf won an honorable mention award at the Connecticut Women

Artists Annual Open Juried Exhibition at the University of Connecticut. She

received the Second Place Award at the Rowayton Art Center Mavis Fenner

Memorial Exhibition and the Third Place Award at the Marine and Coastal Exhibition.

Kurt Weiser won the People’s Choice Award at the Piedmont Pastel Society

Show in Charlotte, NC and the President's Award at the Tennessee Art League

Central South show. He was juried into the Art League of Hilton Head Exhibi-

tion and the Pastel Society of North Carolina exhibit in Greensboro, NC.

Robert Carsten won the Pastel Honor Award at the Academic Artists' Associa-

tion national exhibition. He received Honorable Mention at the IAPS exhibition

in Albuquerque, NM and achieved the IAPS Master Circle designation. His work

is featured in the July/August issue of The Artist's Magazine and he will be fea-

tured in an upcoming issue of the Pastel Journal.

Diana Rogers received the Hull’s Art Supply Award at the New Haven Paint

and Clay Club juried exhibition. She was juried into the Pastel Painters of

Maine's International Juried Exhibition at Heartwood College of Art.

John Conroy is exhibiting at the Laughing Gull Gallery on Fire Island, NY.

Patricia Ann Trapp’s show "Pastel Paintings" is on view at the Wadsworth Stable

on the grounds of the Governor Jonathan Trumbull House Museum in Lebanon, CT.

Kathleen McDonnell was juried into the Pastel Painters of Maine's International

Juried Exhibition at Heartwood College of Art, Kennebunk, ME. She was selected to

exhibit in the "Pastels by Invitation" at the Creative Arts Center in Chatham, MA.

Cameron Hampton is featured in the Blue Canvas Magazine July 2011 issue

and will participate in the Blue Canvas Magazine Launch Exhibition in Los Angeles.

Ovation TV recently acquired her work for its corporate offices in Santa Monica, CA.

he exhibited in the IAPS Master's Circle Exhibition in Albuquerque, NM.

Member News (contd.)

3

Shadow Figure by Clayton Buchanan

The Annual Members Show was held at

Gallery 53 in Meriden, CT in March and

April. A heart-felt thank you goes to show

co-chairs Stephen Linde and Ken Dusyn

and the many volunteers who organized

and put together this incredible show. The

Best in Show award went to Clayton

Buchanan. Congratulations to our tal-

ented prize-winners.

Feathers by Shauna Shane

Connecticut Pastel Society

Diana Rogers, Editor

22 Silver Birch Lane

Clinton, CT 06413

Published by the Connecticut Pastel Society

P u r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t eP u r e l y P a s t e llll