Oklahoma Pastel Society


		Phyllis Baker renewed her interest in art after a full career and life raising three children. She started studying with Leslie Lienau and quickly found a friend and mentor and that was the direction and inspiration she needed. She lives in Edmond with her husband and their three dogs. She is a member of OPS, OVAC, EAA and IAPS and is represented by The Dean Lively Gallery in Edmond, Ok.

		Linda Battles became interested in art at a young age, but did not pursue it seriously until taking art classes at a local college for fun. She currently works full time as a graphic designer, but her true passion is pastels. She is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society and the Oklahoma Art Guild.

		Donna Branson recently reignited her childhood passion for pastels after a 26-year career in apparel design at Oklahoma State University. She is a widely acclaimed apparel researcher whose academic career included teaching, research and administration as well as numerous awards and distinctions. She enjoys painting landscapes and figurative works and has taken pastel workshops with Doug Dawson, Clive Tyler, Becky Way and Mitsuno Reedy. She also works in oils and studied with Jerry Fresia. She is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society, the Stillwater Art Guild and the Tolar Tuesday art group. Donna lives in Stillwater with her husband, Mike, and was honored to win two awards at the Spring 2009 OPS show.

		Pam Brewer has painted in oils for many years and is new to pastels within the last year. She enjoys painting landscapes and won first place in the OPS miniature show. She is Oklahoma Pastel Society Workshop Chairman extraordinaire!

		Terry Cox has just recently discovered his love of pastels during an introductory art class at The University of Central Oklahoma in 2008. Although most of his work has been portraits, which he enjoys, he would like to begin painting landscapes as well. Terry lives in Choctaw, Oklahoma with his wife and daughter and is a stay-at-home Dad trying to paint during naptime. More of his work can be seen at his website.

		Diane Downes: As a former native of the Cape Cod, Massachusetts area, Diane's artistic talent began to mature when she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1986. She was introduced to pastels by accomplished portrait artist, Patricia King and continues weekly sessions in Patricia's studio. She has also taken numerous classes under the instruction of professional pastelist, Carol Klein, Associate Curator of Art for The Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Diane exhibited at the annual Utica Square "Art in the Square", in Tulsa and displayed and sold several paintings in 2007 in the Love, Art & Chocolate Art Gallery in Jenks, Oklahoma.

		Joey Frisillo is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and an Associate member of Oil Painters of America and Women Artists of the West. Her work is exhibited at Color Connection Gallery in Tulsa. current work is inspired by nature's subtle beauty in her Oklahoma surroundings and other intriguing locales. "The longer I live in Oklahoma the more I appreciate its subtle beauty." Her pastels and oils are enlivened with rich layers of color and texture. For more information on awards and workshops, check out her website.

		Sherry Hicks has a BA in Art Education. Her pastels are a product of her Southwest Oklahoma roots. Sherry's artwork is known for its Oklahoma perspective. Her pet and wildlife portraits are always in demand.

		Linda Hiller has studied with Sara Oakley, Dale Martin, Maggie Price, Sean Dye, Gary Lennon, and Richard McKinley. Linda's artwork hangs in homes throughout the USA. She is also a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild and the Edmond Art Assn. See more of her work on her website.

		Jan Hutchinson grew up in Oklahoma and has always loved the beauty of the outdoors and the amazing variety of God's creation. She is a member and current president of Oklahoma Pastel Society, as well as a member of Pastel Society of the Southwest and Oklahoma Art Guild. Jan painted in oils for more than 20 years until a chance encounter with pastels ignited a fervor for interpreting the world through pastels. Further studies with Gary Lennon, Lorenzo Chavez, Clive Tyler, Becky Way and many other fine teachers have been both enlightening and encouraging. Jan is an award-winning artist whose works hang throughout the United States. She describes her work as a continuing journey that is at the same time frustrating and exhilarating. See more of her work on her website.

		Robert Kaiser retired and is persuing a life-long dream in the arts. He sparked his interest in pastels after taking a classes with Gary Lennon and Linda Hiller. Bob also enjoys wood and stone carving, stained glass, photography, and woodworking.

		Debby Kaspari grew up near San Francisco, sketching and observing nature in the hills and marshes at the edge of the city. A graduate of California College of the Arts, she pursued a career in illustration with a strong emphasis on drawing. As a dedicated field artist she uses her signature gesture drawings, field notes and camera to accentuate the rhythms and movements of her animal, plant and landscape subjects to create beautiful paintings. Her work has been shown in Art and the Animal, Society of Animal Artists; Impressions of New England, Art of the Animal Kingdom and American Artists Abroad, Bennington Center for the Arts, Vermont; Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum; and Focus on Nature, New York State Museum. Honors include Harvard Fellowship /Artist in Residence, Harvard Forest (2008) and the Don and Virginia Eckelberry Fellowship (2007). She has taught field sketching and nature journaling and created exhibit graphics and large murals for the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Debby lives in Norman with her husband Mike. See her website and her blog.

		Patricia King is originally from Sacramento, California, and now resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She pursued her interest in art at a young age. She completed her formal art education with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Sacramento. She has traveled extensively, and has resided in Madrid, Spain for four years. She has studied with several local and national professional artists including Daniel Green, but is largely self-taught. She is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society, and the Pastel Society of the Southwest. Patricia has won many awards including top honors from the California Arts League, and two awards from the Pastel Society of the Southwest 2009 show. “I have been painting all of my life. After using many mediums and being influenced by several great artists, I decided to focus on Portraits in Pastel. I love working with pastels. The vivid colors…subtle surface tones…crispness and perfection …make pastels my preferred medium.” She continues to teach and welcomes students to her studio by appointment See more of her work on her website.

		Jimi Layman is a charter member of the Oklahoma Pastel Association and currently serves as co-editor for the association's newsletter, The Pastel Press. She studied for a number of years with artist Gary Lennon and is currently studying oil painting with Dennis Parker. Her subject matter is usually landscapes and still lifes but she has been known to do a portrait from time to time. In addition to working in pastel, she also works in colored pencil and graphite.

		Leslie Lienau was raised in New Mexico and since 1991 has made Oklahoma her home. She studied with Ted Seth Jacobs at his school Ecole Albert DeFois in Central France. Since then she combines her explorative and impressionistic style of current works with the training of classical realism, allowing her to draw on the artistic voice within. Her work reflects the quiet beauty and simplicity of selected soft pastel landscape and still life compositions. Her work has been exhibited in a solo exhibit at the Governor’s Gallery at the Oklahoma Capitol, Oklahoma City, OK. Her work was chosen for the American Art in Miniature Show at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK in 2008 and 2009. Check her website and her blog to see more work.

		Gary Lennon teaches art at Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech and the Fine Arts Institute in Edmond. Gary has painted over 150 murals in California and Oklahoma. He is a member of the Mid-Del Art Guild and OPS.

		Sheila Minnich says, "I've received Honorable Mention two years in a row in the Pastel Journal Competition and also in the Artists Magazine for a colored pencil piece. Animals are my favorite subject in pastel, the medium just works so well to get the look that I want. I especially like working on suede matboard or velour paper. I've taken many, many workshops from nationally known as well as internationally known artists. I call myself a "workshopaholic". I always come away learning something. Being an artist has opened my eyes to all that is around me, and each day I walk out my door, I feel as if I'm walking into a gallery of Divine Creation. It's been a wonderful trip. I would like for the viewer to look at my work and smile."

		Linda Probst was an unappreciated child muralist, an art major in College, and an employee at Oklahoma Publishing Company before marriage and family. Most of the last 20 years she has worked with school children, watching them create and cheering them on. After retirement, she pulled her pastels and paint brushes off the back burner, joined OPS & EAA and met some very talented people. A trip to India has influenced some of her current work.

		A native of Osaka, Japan, Mitsuno Ishii Reedy began her career in mid-1970's painting portraits, still lifes, and landscapes for collectors throughout the United States. She was elected a full member of Pastel Society of America in 1978, an associate member of the Pastel Society of Japan (Gendai Pastel Kyokai) in 2001, has been listed in Who's Who in the South and Southwest and Who's Who in American Art. Reedy's commissioned portraits include corporate and civic leaders, college deans, doctors, military officers, and family and children's portraits. Her portraits of the famous opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti were presented to him in 1982 when Mr. Pavarotti gave the first of several charity concerts. She also enjoys plein-air paintings, as well as still life paintings and figure studies in oil, pastel and Cente pencil. Reedy is represented by Howell Gallery, OKC. See more of her work on her website.

		Don Reynolds Jr. says two good things happened to him in 1995: he received his first social security check and spent part of it on an art class. He soon discovered a passion for charcoal and pastel portraits. “When I’m working on a portrait,” Don says, “There’s often something about the subject that captures my soul. And sometimes – when God’s in His heaven and the stars are just right – the completed piece reflects this unique relationship. “ Don lives in Tulsa with his wife, Rose. You can see more of his work on his website.

		Charlotte Rodgers has studied with the master pastelist Ben Konis of Amarillo and with Urania Christy Tarbet. She has won numerous awards, including first place in OPS fall shows in 2005 and 2006, and her work hangs in many private collections. She is past president of the Amarillo Art Association, and is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society and the Central Art Association of Oklahoma City. See more of her work on her website.

		Sue Ann Rodgers: Landscapes, still lifes and the (rare!) portrait are favorite subjects for Sue Ann. Workshops and on-going classes taught by Gary Lennon, Julie Miller, Dale Martin, Becky Way, Lorenzo Chavez, Sara Oakley, Terry Ludwig, Clive Tyler, Marie Kash Weltzheimer, Dennis Parker and Jerry Brown (all exceptional artists) supply the foundation for her continuing adventures in art. “They’ve all taught me to see and that makes all the difference in the world!” Sue Ann is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society, Sooner Scribes Calligraphy Group and the Oklahoma Art Guild.

		Janie Schmitz has studied with Gary Lennon, Julie Miller, Sara Oakley and Janeice Linden. Janie’s art has wonderful color, a superb form that tantalizes your imagination. Janie is a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild and a founding member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society (OPS).

		Anita Tacket is a retired teacher and currently working in real estate sales. A class at Francis Tuttle with Linda Hiller has opened a new medium to her - PASTEL. She has worked in watercolor and turning wood, making bowls and vases.

		Jude Tolar spent her childhood drawing mermaids and Hawaiian girls and her college years doodling on class notes. At the time a psychology degree from OSU seemed more practical than her fine art prospects. After a stint as Staff Artist for the OKC library system, she studied art/illustration at Oklahoma University. She freelanced in graphic design and illustration for many years and wrote and illustratedand children's books. In 2006 Jude's focus turned to pastel painting. Pastels provide an immediate, fresh way to express the joy and beauty she sees around her. She prefers to work from life, either en plein air or indoors. The acreage Jude shares with her husband, Jim, in Stillwater provides many outdoor subjects. Her still lifes use personal favorites and quirky finds from estate sales and markets. Jude has learned much from pastel workshops with Becky Way, Terry Ludwig, Clive Tyler and Dale Martin. She also owes much to her Tuesday art group, the Oklahoma Pastel Society, Oklahoma Art Guild and Stillwater Art Guild. She's won numerous awards for her pastels. Her latest, biggest thrill was winning two Best of Show awards in the same week in March, 2009.

		Becky Way draws inspiration for her more impressionistic landscapes from local adventures and other travels. Objects found in Way's stilllifes are often favorite family antiques or borrowed objects. Most of her pastel paintings are painted with Ludwig Pastels on Wallis paper. Way teaches painting and drawing workshops in Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas. She is currently represented by House Gallery in Oklahoma City. Check out her website.

		Marie Weltzheimer's subjects consist primarily of still-life, figures and landscapes. Her award winning artwork is widely circulated. Her credits include multiple Who's Who entries. Her artwork has also been published in two Rockport art books. Marie is a member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society (OPS) and the Pastel Society of America (PSA). Check out her website.

		Ronda Zenker has studied with Gary Lennon, Julie Miller, Mitsuno Reedy, and Dale Martin. Ronda’s artwork speaks to your imagination through her wonderful use of form and color. Ronda is a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild and a founding member of the Oklahoma Pastel Society (OPS).

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