THE PASTEL PRESS

Newsletter of the Oklahoma Pastel Society

March 2007

 

Thank you, Jan Hutchinson, for sharing the Albert Handell pastel painting demonstration, via DVD, with us at the February meeting.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was completely charmed when Mr. Handell said at one point that using a particular shade of green “made him happy!”  Thanks also go to Donna Connelly and Judi Mott for bringing the great snacks.

 

And congratulations to Joey Frisillo, the winner of the Oklahoma Pastel Society’s $50 give-a-way drawing, open to out-of-town members only.  Happy shopping, Joey!

 

March Program

The Pastel Society of America’s annual show is one of the most prestigious events in the pastel art world.  Since the show is held in New York City, it’s probably safe to say that many OPS members haven’t had the opportunity to see the latest Pastel Society of America show.  Well, that’s all about to change.

 

Jan Hutchinson contacted the right folks with the PSA and they’ve sent the slides of the entire show for our March meeting program.  As Jan said, “we’ll either be intimidated or inspired but we sure won’t be bored!” as we view the latest PSA show.  Our meeting is on the second Monday, March 12, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the Will Rogers Garden Center (email or call Sue Ann if you need directions:  sueann@trademech.com or 405-330-5467.)  Since there are approximated 200 hundred slides documenting this show, we’ll be starting the meeting promptly. 

 

Snacks for the March meeting are being provided by Leona Russell and Linda Battles; just bring your beverage of choice.  (p.s. We need members to sign up for “munchy duty” for future meetings.  Have YOU signed up yet?)

 

 

Workshops – Past and Future

Dale Martin’s two-day “Portraits and Landscapes” workshop, held February 17 and 18, 2007, at The Rink Gallery and Antiques Mall, was a great success.  Dale is a great instructor and wonderful artist.  And the folks at The Rink Gallery and Antiques Mall were delightful too.  Thanks, Dale, for another great workshop!

 

Terry Ludwig has sent several pieces of his artwork as well as slides (which we’ll see before or after the PSA slide show!) to whet our collective appetites for his 3-day workshop coming up on August17, 18 and 19, 2007.  (He’ll also be teaching a workshop for the Ozark Pastel Society only a few days after he leaves OKC.  If you’d like information about that workshop, you can contact Joey Frisillo, not only a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society but also the current president of the Ozark group, at 918-242-3205 or by email at joey@joeyfrisillo.com.)  Just using any of Terry’s luscious pastels tells you that he knows a thing or three about painting in this medium.  And once you see some of his work in person at the March meeting, you’ll know you don’t want to miss his workshop!

 

The cost for Terry’s 3-day workshop is $225 for Oklahoma Pastel Society members and $275 for non-members.  Our treasurer, Janie Schmitz, is accepting a $125.00 deposit (which won’t be deposited until 30 days before the workshop) to hold your space for this workshop.  Payment-in-full needs to be received no later than 30 days before the workshop.  You can send your deposit to Oklahoma Pastel Society, P.O. Box 75696, Oklahoma City, OK 73147  and you can reach Janie at janiemwbs@sbcglobal.net and at 405-943-0330 (home) or 405-942-3489 (work.)  The number of workshop participants is limited to 15, so get your spot reserved soon!

 

NOTE:  To be as fair as possible, if you’re mailing in your deposit, the POSTMARK DATE on the envelope overrides the date on the check.   And, as always, if you’ve paid either a deposit or the total fee and find out at least 30 days before the workshop that you can’t attend, your money will be refunded.  If you find out you can’t attend less than 30 days before the workshop and your place can be filled, you get a full refund; if your place can’t be filled, OPS will refund all but the deposit. 

 

This workshop won’t be outdoors – we all know how brutal August in Oklahoma can be! BUT, as long as “the good Lord is willin’ and the creeks don’t rise,” we’ll have Terry’s workshop at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (formerly known as the Cowboy Hall of Fame) in Oklahoma City.  And to make it even better, the annual Prix de West Art Show will still be hanging at the museum. 

 

Member News!

Congratulations to Sheila Minnich for her “My Cup Runneth Over” painting, one of the Still Life and Floral Category Honorable Mention winners in The Pastel Journal’s “Pastel 100” Competition.  And honorary OPS member Clive R. Tyler received an Honorable Mention in the Landscape and Interior Category for “Where I Want to Be” as well as the Fourth Place prize in the Animal and Wildlife Category for “Beyond Range.”  You can see these wonderful paintings in the April 2007 issue (No. 49) of The Pastel Journal magazine.  Congratulations to both Sheila and Clive!

 

Tag News

TAG is hosting a party!  To coincide with the launching of TAG’s website in early spring, the board of directors of TAG is inviting members of all the current member groups, as well as any other interested groups, to a party.  Here are the particulars:  “Meet, Greet and Share Ideas” party (sponsored by TAG – The Art Groups; Advancing the Visual Arts in Oklahoma); Thursday, March 8, 2007; 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the new Oklahoma History Center, Atrium Bridge; 2401 N. Laird (N.E. 23rd and Lincoln Boulevard), Oklahoma City, OK  73105; for more information, please contact Suzie Chelsea at 405-614-0558. 

 

This party is “come and go” and open to anyone who makes art, likes art, is a member of an art group or would like to be a member of an art group. Just in case you’re not clear on this - everyone’s invited!

 

Some of our current representatives to TAG – The Art Groups have said they would like to “pass the baton” to other OPS members.  Debbie Flynn has volunteered to be one of our reps to TAG and Janie Schmitz has said she would stay on as a rep too.  TAG’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 20th, 2007; that might be a good time to take a look at TAG.  Please let Janie, Debbie or Donna know if you’d like to attend!

 

Membership Roster

Oklahoma Pastel Society rosters were sent to all members last month – either as an attachment to the electronic version of the newsletter or as a separate hard-copy mailing.  If any of your information as shown in the roster is incorrect, please let me know; we’ll publish the corrections in the next “The Pastel Press.” 

 

We have a new member to add to the roster – welcome Phyllis Baker!  Phyllis’ contact information is:  1316 Banner Avenue, Edmond, OK 73013; phone is 405-341-6822; email is Pdbaker@cox.net; and Phyllis’ birthday is March 13th (just around the corner!)

 

Annual dues for membership in the Oklahoma Pastel Society are a low $30.00.  Please note:  if you are a brand-new member who has joined OPS between February 1 and May 31, 2007, you’ll already be “in” for our membership year beginning June 1, 2007!  If you’ve been an OPS member for longer than that, please send your check, in the amount of $30.00 and payable to “OPS” to:  Oklahoma Pastel Society, P.O. Box 75696, Oklahoma City, OK  73147.

 

 

New Webmaster

OPS member Judi Mott has bravely stepped up to the plate (or should we say keyboard?) taking over the website maintenance duties from Jim Hiller.  If you have any questions or would like to ask Judi to add something to the website calendar, you can contact her at 405-350-2095 or via email at landondale@atlinkwifi.com.  Thanks Judi!

 

 

Shows & Events in the Pastel Community

International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) 2007 Convention will be May 11 – 13, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque NM.  You can download the flyer about the convention at www.pastelinternational.com or send a SASE to IAPS, P.O. Box 2057, Falls Church VA 22042.  Pre-convention workshops will be held on May 9 & 10, 2007; the Trade Show begins on May 11 at 6:00 p.m. and runs through May 13 at 4:00 p.m.

 

And more locally, various members of the Oklahoma Pastel Society are securing spaces for our members to exhibit their works.  Gabriella’s, that lovely restaurant at The Colonies (on N.W. 51st Street just off Western) has invited us to have a show to coincide with Terry Ludwig’s August workshop (more details to follow!)  We’re working on dates for the annual Fall show at The Great Frame-Up with Jim and Kathy Benson.  And one of our members is hoping to arrange for gallery space in the Paseo area for a  December show!

 

And few more things…

The Pastel Journal magazine always encourages pastel groups to send them photos/slides/digital images of the prize-winning paintings from their shows.  So, any of Oklahoma Pastel Society’s prize winners who have images of their prize-winning works need to contact Donna Connelly at Donna.E.Connelly@faa.gov.  Thanks!

 

Viridian Artaists “18th Annual Juried Competition” will be July 9 – July 27, 2007; juror is Charlotta Kotik, curator of Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum, NYC.  Awards:  Cash prizes, group exhibition, continuous lide screening for runner’s up.  Entries are due by April 13, 2007; $25/3 entries, $5 each additional.  For more information, got to www.ViridianArtists.com or send a SASE to Viridian Artists, Inc. @ Chelsea, 530 W. 25th Street, New York, NY 10001.

 

“MidAmerica Pastel Society of Greater Kansas City National Open Pastel Exhibiton,” June 15 – Sept. 2007; Albrecht-Kemper Art Museum, St. Joseph, MO.  Send a #10 SASE to P.O. Box 40369, 8010 Conser, Overland Park, KS 66204 or go to www.midamericapastel.org.  Entries are due by April 1, 2007.

 

The Power of Art:  Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities is a one-day workshop in May 2007 at The Lab School of Washington (DC) and sponsored by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.  For more information, contact The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/The Lab School of Washington, 4759 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20007; phone:  202-965-6600 or 202-944-3083; fax:  202-965-5106; email:  Emily.marchetti@labschool.org; on the web www.labschool.org.

 

Don’t Forget!

Slides from PSA’s Annual Show

6:30 p.m., March 12th

Will Rogers Garden Center

www.okpastel.org