Pastel News - April 2022

In our April Newsletter: • March 2022 Members Show Winners • March Challenge Entries and Winner • April Challenge • May Members’ meeting and Demo by Tara Will • Artist Spotlight: Rita Kirkman • Member Spotlight: Albert Handell

WISDOM by Betty James Best of Show in the Established Artists category in PSST’s 2022 Annual Member’s Show.

2022 Member’s Show

Restrain Visitor by Hanna Wu Established Artists - Second Place

Insight by Enid Wood Established Artists - Third Place

Center Yourself by Jeri Greenberg Established Artists – Honorable Mention

Squawking by Linda Dellandre Established Artists – Honorable Mention

WINTER’S LIGHT by Cynthie Hanks Best of Show in the Emerging Artists category in PSST’s 2022 Annual Member’s Show.

Standing at Attention by Kouida Putman Emerging Artists – Second Place

Hidden Meadows by Nhan Truong Emerging Artists – Third Place

Almost Home by Kae Kinley Dakota Award for Emerging Artist

Crown of Thorns by Kathie Skelton Emerging Artists – Honorable Mention Squirrel by Cheery Young Emerging Artists – Honorable Mention

MARCH CHALLENGE ENTRIES

LYNDA HUGHES

BARBARA HAWKINS

CAROLINA DALMAS

ADRIANA RAPOLLA

KOUIDA PUTMAN

KATHIE SKELTON WINNER OF THE CHALLENGE!

APRIL 2022 CHALLENGE TOPIC: Wild • During every member’s meeting you have a chance to win prizes. How? Participate in our monthly "Challenge!“ • A spin of the wheel will select a theme for your painting.

• The painting can be any size, but it must be done in soft pastels and painted during the month of the challenge.

• Send entry to adriana@pastelsocietyofsoutheasttex as.org • One entry per participant • You must be present to be included in the drawing for the prize • April's Challenge topic is WILD • Due May 6th by noon

March Challenge Entry by KOUIDA PUTMAN

May Demo Artist: Tara Will

A Maryland artist, Tara Will grew up watching the creative hands of her grandmother and had a love of creating from a young age. She attended Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland, double majoring in Art and Philosophy.​ Tara has participated in numerous national plein air competitions, painting from coast-to-coast. She enjoys painting quickly, trying to capture the essence of the space using bold colors and strong marks.

She predominantly works in pastels, but occasionally ventures into oils.

In 2017, Tara achieved her Master Circle Status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is a Signature Member of Maryland Pastel Society and an Associate Member of Pastel Society of America.

Tara has been featured in the Pastel Journal’s Magazine Pastel 100 in both 2017 and 2018.

NEXT MEMBERS MEETING Saturday, May 7th, 2022 This is an online meeting.

AGENDA • 10:15am – Socializing • 10:30am – Members’ Meeting • 11:00am – Tara Will’s Demo A Zoom link for the meeting and demo will be sent on May 6th to our members.

If you are not a member, or have not renewed your membership for 2022, please go HERE and sign up or renew before the end of April to receive your invite to this meeting and demo.

Artist Spotlight: Rita Kirkman

Rita Kirkman was born an artist. She has been using pastel since she was 11 years old and had her first paid portrait commission at 17.

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1988.

Meanwhile, in 1986 she began a 12-year career sketching quick portraits at amusement parks, and in 1988 she began a business drawing detailed pencil portraits from client photos.

Rita has continued to work on her skills through out the years, taking workshops with renowned artists and developing her own distinctive, luminous style and technique.

Most recently Rita won the Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Traylor Award at the SAALM 92 Annual Artists Exhibition with her painting “Cousins”, below. This is a large artwork -32x32 inches.

I have always been very attracted to Rita’s style. When she agreed to chat with me for this spotlight, I was excited to ask her about her process, which she generously shared.

She takes her own reference pictures so she can choose the best time to capture the kind of light and the direction of it she wants to paint. Then she manipulates the pictures, moving objects and adjusting values and intensity, until they look very close to how she wants to paint them.

She starts her painting process with an underpainting of quinacridone gold and terracotta acrylics that create a super warm surface. A lot of this underpainting shows through the cool pastel going on top of them and creates the vibrant glow her artwork depicts.

During the pandemic Rita had to figure out online workshops. That led to the birth of her Patreon channel, which is now over 2 years old and features over 90 videos to learn from.

Visit Rita’s Webpage and Patreon Channel!

Member Spotlight: Albert Handell Albert Handell was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1937. At an early age, a favorite activity of his was drawing with chalks on the city streets.

He began formal studies of drawing and anatomy at the age of 16. In 1954 he enrolled at the Art Students League of NYC to study drawing and anatomy with the late Louis Priscilla and the late Robert Ward Johnson.

Later he studied painting for 2 years with Frank Mason. From 1961 to 1965 Mr. Handell lived and traveled in Europe. In Paris he painted independently in his own studio, working from the mode at L’Ecole de la Grande Chaumiere and at the Louvre, copying old masters.

Albert recently became a member of PSST and we are delighted to have him!

Red Adobe by Albert Handell

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Sherry Killingsworth VP Membership and Communications: Adriana Rapolla VP Programs: Sally Hoyt and Cheery Young Secretary: Caroline Ratliff Treasurer: Lynda Hughes Webmaster: Kouida Putman Workshops: Lynda Hughes Members’ Shows: Lynda Hughes and Kathie Skelton

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Pastel Society of Southeast Texas (PSST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of soft pastel painting.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication, including accompanying artwork, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the PSST organization.

Copyrights @ 2022 Pastel Society of Southeast Texas