PSTB Newsletter

A Message from Our Presidentby Lorraine PotockiThe Baton has Passed

As I reflect on 2015 and all that we have done to continue to grow the Pastel Society of Tampa Bay in membership and in programs, I am amazed. The workshop instructors came to share their pastel knowledge with us, but also went away with a new appreciation of who we are, experiencing our Florida sunshine and PSTB hospitality. We’ve developed an even stronger partnership with the Dunedin Fine Art Center. And, we are now a non-profit organization.

Many thanks to Kathy Detrano and to all past presidents of PSTB. I’m not hoping to fill any of your shoes, rather, to capitalize on all past successes, and see what this new pair of shoes (or sandals) can do.

Let’s all have an incredibly fun 2016 as we continue to grow as an organization and as artists.

Happy New PSTB Year!

Lorraine Potocki A Message from our Outgoing President by Kathy DetranoNow that I have come to the end of my term as President of PSTB and am confident that it is in the very capable hands of Lorraine Potocki, I want to thank everyone who has helped, supported, cheered, worked, participated, volunteered or otherwise got involved in PSTB in the past few years…you have made my efforts worthwhile! It was such fun. It was those years of close association with you, my fellow PSTBers, that have made the time so fulfilling.

And in those years you have helped me grow PSTB into a mature regional pastel society. We nailed down our tax exempt status and are now a fully documented 501 (C) 3 non-profit corporation; our by-laws are written and available should anyone have trouble sleeping and need something to read (grin); our membership is strong; and our spirits are high! We have worked hard to design a program that features a variety of activities, have been blessed with talented workshop and demo artists, and enjoy a close relationship with our fellow art association, the Dunedin Fine Art Center. It is through this joint effort that we have been able to offer some extraordinary workshops, with more to come!

So, thank you all for your support and love. It has been a truly amazing journey with all of you.

Kathy Detrano

Our Tenth “Possibilities in Pastel” Show by Cathy DevineOur big annual show is coming up fast! I have lots and lots of help getting it put together, I’m happy to say. We have a great group of members in PSTB.

For all of you entering (and I’d love for that to be everyone), please read over this year’s prospectus carefully, as there have been a few additions and changes from previous years. Be sure to mark your calendars for the entry drop-off date of Sunday, January 31, from noon to 3 P.M. Early or late entries will not be accepted. A big shout-out to Karen Baker for opening up Stirling Studios for us on a Sunday. It is much appreciated.

I would like all entrants to please email me at ccdevine@mac.com with your entry information ahead of the drop-off day. Just send me your name, the title of any artwork you are entering, and your asking price. Indicate “NFS” if you are not willing to sell it. I would like to have your entry information no later than Friday, January 22. We tried this last year, and it was a great help in getting the title cards done in advance. This really makes the hanging of the show go faster and smoother.

“Possibilities in Pastel X” will run from Tuesday, February 2 through Friday, February 26. I hope to see you all at the show’s Opening Reception and Awards Presentation to be held on Friday, February 12, from 5:30 - 8:30 PM.

Many thanks, Cathy Devine, Show Chair

January 2016

Recently, an enthusiastic group of Pastel Society of Tampa Bay artists gathered in Studio G of the Dunedin Fine Arts Center at 10:00 AM on January 9 to participate in a “Paint Around” with Mary Louise Pollock. What a fun and exciting time we had! Mary Louise began by dividing us into three groups. In the center of the room were tables holding various types and colors of pastels. Around these tables were three sets of easels holding a reference photo on a tablet and next to it an easel holding a sheet of sanded paper taped to a board.

With timer in hand, Mary Louise directed the artists in each of the three groups to begin painting, each taking a turn for five minutes to work on the painting. Mary diligently called out “Time!” to signal when each artist would pass the baton er… pastel to the next artist and so on. After each team member got a chance to work on the painting, then Round Two was started, with each artist taking another turn. After round two, the three paintings were brought up to the front of the room and the entire group began discussing them and offering critiques on each.

Then the three groups took their paintings back for another 10 minutes to complete them. This was a fast paced, exciting round of painting - it was exciting watching the various artists

work on areas of the painting with their teammates cheering them on and offering critiques/ideas. The end results were three beautiful paintings (right) which, amazingly, looked as though they were created by one artist instead of several! The three paintings will be donated to the Dunedin Fine Arts Center for their March and April fundraisers.

PSTB Paint Around - Creativity Unleashed!by Barbara A. Lewis

Many thanks go to Mary Louise for organizing this fun event, all the artists who brought the wonderful pastels and materials to use, the delicious goodies and everyone who participated. As a first time Paint Around participant, I learned so much working with everyone and look forward to doing this again soon!

Fine Art Center from 1978-1985, where Debbie Eckstein was the director at the time. He received Teacher of the Year Award from Pinellas County in 1985. He taught watercolor, oils and figure and has fond memories of his time in the Tampa Bay area. After moving to Connecticut, he started to devote more time to pastels. In the same upcoming Pastel Journal issue with Anna Wainwright, Lyn Asselta is also featured. Lyn taught our yearly February workshop in 2014 and was a member then...though not now. She keeps in touch with many who were in her workshop.Also, in November Kathy Detrano won the Art Spirit Foundation Gold Medal Award for Excellence at the American Artists Professional League’s 87 Grand National in NYC....no photo of Kathy since she was finishing the McKinley workshop on the weekend in NY when the awards were given. The pastel, “Warm Morning” is shown below. What Kathy finds exciting about this (besides a juicy check!) is that it was essentially the third highest award in a show that featured all media, including sculpture. So pastels are holding their own, even in the NY art scene!

A big congratulations goes to our long time member, Anna Wainwright. She is a featured artist in the February 2016 edition of the Pastel Journal with her painting, “Traces of Memory” (above). She also won kudos from them as an Honorable Mention in the Pastel 100 competition last April for her painting, “Evening’s Last” (below).

Another congratulations goes to our member, Gwenneth Barth-White, who received an Honorable Mention for her portrait, “Skylar” (right), in the recent IAPS online show, the 27th Juried Online Web Show. She has also been featured in both the Pastel Journal and the Artist’s Magazine. Gwenneth will be doing a demo for PSTB and DFAC in March and we are thrilled that her painting was chosen as the cover art for DFAC’s Winter Catalog. On the newcomer front, PSTB recently signed up new member, Frank Federico. If that name sounds familiar Frank was the Pastel Society of America’s Hall of Fame Honoree in 2012 and won Best of Show at PSA’s annual exhibition, Enduring Brilliance, in 2013. The pastel, “Magic Light,” (top right) is in the Permanent Collection of the Butler Institute of American Art. He was also a featured artist in the Pastel Journal in April 2012. Turns out Frank taught at the Dunedin

PSTB Member News

PSTB Member News

One Way of Cleaning your Pastels by Susan KissAre you always thinking about new ways to keep your pastels clean? At least to where you can “see” what color that particular stick is. I stumbled onto a YouTube, posted by Marla Baggetta, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uaIV9QbAEw, that shows one way of cleaning pastels. It’s a great idea using cornmeal and a wire mesh basket in a plastic container with a fitted top (below). Maybe you have tried similar approaches? A Rubbermaid-like storage container with deeper sides works well. I formed a wire mesh basket to fit inside the container. Some duct tape along the top edge covered the sharper edges. You can buy wire mesh at Home Depot. It should be light weight and easy to mold and the openings no more than 1/16 of an inch wide, so those smaller pastels don’t slip through. To clean, you add a little cornmeal to the container, lower the basket inside and add a bunch of pastels, then fill the container with cornmeal. Put the top back on and shake it. When you lift the basket out, your pastels look gorgeous. The first time I brought my small box of newly cleaned pastels to the beach I was amazed at how those colors sparkled in the sun.

The painting above “Pluff Mud” by Eve Miller was accepted into the 2016 National Art Exhibit sponsored by the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda, Florida .Eve attended the Richard McKinley workshop and says, “I learned so many ways to utilize texture in my paintings at the Richard McKinley workshop. I thought that this workshop was well planned and in a wonderful venue. Since the workshop I have experimented with gesso, gesso and pumice, and gesso and Valspar. When I tried gesso with resin sand I found it too dense. Perhaps I will try it again. The important thing is that it’s a lot of fun to explore and see what surprises ensue. Wishing all a creative New Year.” Melinda Hamsher has been finding models for her paintings via Craig’s List. She has sold three portraits and is inspired as the families love her work (right).Melinda also found a solid oak desk (below) on Craig’s List for $40. It was originally intended for her husband’s tools but with it’s shallow drawers Melinda is using it for her pastels. Drawer after drawer of colors at easy reach.

Newsletter TeamNews Receivers - Mickey Huffman and Judy MoaklerEditors - Susan Kiss and Lynn KopalaManaging Editor & Graphic Designer - Christine EckerfieldIf you would like to submit news for the next newsletter, please email Mickey Huffman at huffmanms@sbcglobal.net or Judy Moakler at moak67@yahoo.com.

PSTB News

Painting at John Chesnut Park at Dusk by Kathy DetranoIn the last newsletter, Lynn Kopala gave a great description of painting at the end of daylight at both Anderson Park (west side of Lake Tarpon) and John Chesnut Park (east side of Lake Tarpon). As I read that article I was reminded of a scene that I had witnessed at John Chesnut Park just a few weeks before. It was Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, the second day of the Richard McKinley workshop. We had painted the entire day en plein air at John Chesnut Park, around the little alligator pond. The weather was wonderful, not too hot, not too cold…Goldilocks weather, just right! The sun had shared its warmth with us, too, that day. And as the day drew to a close, Richard and I packed the car to leave. As I was coming out of the hut for one last trip to wash up, I noticed Richard drawn back to the edge of pond. I looked over and across the pond the angle of the setting sun, lighting up a selection of trees, was spectacular. I snapped a photo (right) as quickly as I could, knowing that the light was a momentary gift that I needed to remember. That photo became a wonderful reference for a studio painting a couple of weeks later. Not only did the reference work well for the painting, but it also brought me back to that lovely day we all shared at John Chesnut Park. Moral of the story: Lynn is right. Go to the park, paint in the afternoon, and make sure you stay until the sun starts to go down. The light may change too fast to paint but you will be treated to some of the most beautiful angles of light, flashes of illumination, and reflections of light, which the park, and Florida, have to offer.

Why I Paint in Pastels by Melinda HamsherAbout three years ago my Mom’s friend gave me multiple sets of pastels she had in her closet for 20 years. I wondered, what am I supposed to do with dirty dusty chalk?

I tried to draw a few things on a well-known brand of so-called “pastel paper” with disastrous results. So back in the closet they went. Shortly afterward, I met Karen Baker at an art event and started to complain about the pastels, and how could she work with that stuff? Those who know her, know how she responded to that! So I worked with and got inspired by Karen, got a few videos and books, and got some wonderful help from Brooke Allison at DFAC. Now the world of pastel began to open! My biggest step forward was discovering the differences in varieties of paper. It all starts from and goes back to the paper. Use the wrong paper, and even the best artist will have problems. In my experience, the kind of pastel itself isn’t nearly as important as the paper. Certain brands of pastels can make things work a little better, but it is the paper that is Queen! Also, there are different types of papers for different subjects and techniques. One could actually major in paper I think. I tried some landscapes and even though I am an environmental scientist, I did not do well with landscapes. With so much going on, I got overwhelmed (and thus admire our PSTB landscape artists who so deftly control the chaos). Then I discovered portraits. You would think they are much more difficult than landscapes, but in my analytical brain the opposite is true! There is nothing more perfect in the universe for rendering skin than pastels. Their soft velvety texture and glow make skin come alive. And the colors: oh, the colors of skin, previously unseen by my untrained eye! The more I grow as an artist, the more I am able to bring in those wonderful colors that make a portrait come alive. No more waxy whites and orange skins, but instead, blues and greens and purples and reds and pinks and...oh, of course now I need more pastels! The speed of pastels is another great feature. I went back and tried to do an oil portrait - layer after layer of thin paint, let dry, make more swatches, paint, let dry, make more swatches. After six weeks I was only half done, and had literally painted the same portrait six times over as I built layers. Not with pastel! I can do a whole portrait in one day. No mixing paints, no weeks of drying and repainting and repainting. As a busy professional, I do not have the time or inclination to spend weeks on a single painting. Pastel lets me work as fast or slow as I like. The colors and textures and techniques are infinite as is the inspiration from PSTB members. So if you are ever graced with a gift of pastels, don’t hide them in your closet, because a world of wonder awaits in that dusty box!

Board of Directors 2016President - Lorraine PotockiVice President - Barbara LewisSecretary - Cathy Devine Treasurer - Gail GambleAdvisor - Brooke Allison

Standing Committees2016 Annual Show Chair - Cathy DevineHospitality Chair - Marlie FarisCommunications Chair - Stewart and McKinley Workshops, Kathy DetranoWebsite Interface - Kathy Detrano