Pastel Society of Virginia Events and Deadlines ~ Potomac Artworks

3.20.2014

Pastel Society of Virginia Events and Deadlines

It is a busy season for the Pastel Society of Virginia. Happy Spring!

First, we have an reception on March 30 at Goodwin House:

Then we have an artists' entry deadline for a judged exhibit on April 12:

This opening reception is May 18 from 2-4pm at the Gumenick Family Gallery at the Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road, 23060. Awards will be presented at 3pm.

And, finally, we have another artists' entry deadline at USGS shortly after the previous one, April 21:

Our next exhibit after these will be in September and will feature small works at "For Art's Sake" at Gayton Crossing on Gaskins Road in Richmond.

Please join us as a new member, as an exhibiting artist, as an admirer, and/or as a collector of fine art soft pastel paintings. Keep up with us on Potomac Artworks, on Facebook ("Like" us there), and on our PSV website.

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The Charm of en Plein Air

Much of my work is done en plein air, French for "in the open air." People often associate it with the Impressionists, but the move to paint outside preceded them by a number of decades. The trend to appreciate landscapes as a genre at all was new for the time.

Several characteristics contribute to the distinctive beauty of en plein air painting. They are generally smaller in size in order to be able to capture a scene in a single sitting. Because of the time limit and environmental factors such as the sun and shadows moving, they often lack extensive details and might appear slightly fuzzy or unfinished. Lastly, they tend to have a freshness and spontaneity which makes them impossible to compare to traditional and methodological studio work. That said, my own studio work tends toward the same feel as en plein air, which then identifies my overall style: softness with an edge.

My aim when painting en plein air is for alla prima paintings, which roughly translates for me as "what happens outside, stays outside." It adds another level of difficulty to the work.

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3.20.2014