Review: Dearest Pastels - The Pastel Monastic Nation Annual Exhibition 2012

Riverside Triptych II (£20,000) past times Patricia Cain
Pastel, 170cm x 315cm (5.6 feet x 10.3 feet)

I had a real squeamish fourth dimension at the 113th Annual Exhibition 2012 of the The Pastel Society yesterday - pastel artists are such squeamish people! There was too some corking pastel fine art on demo - in addition to this is a "must see" exhibition for all pastel artists inwards the UK.

You tin encounter the exhibition at the Mall Galleries until Sat 25th February. The demo is opened upwards 10am to 5pm simply closes at 2pm on the concluding day.

Observations virtually the Exhibition

The lifeblood of whatever Society is its members in addition to it's thence essential that at whatever Annual Exhibition 1 sees novel operate past times artists who are evidently credible every bit hereafter members should they want to join.

Fortunately for The Pastel Society, there's some impressive operate existence submitted for the Annual Exhibition from people who receive got established careers every bit artists, won meaning prizes in addition to receive got exhibited internationally!

That said, this raises the bar for all those others who are too submitting their work! I did a spot of mental arithmetics afterward counting the expose of entries from non-members in addition to I reckon virtually 40% of the exhibition comes from the opened upwards submission of operate past times non-members. So - it's a salubrious proportion for those who receive got ambitions to exhibit - in addition to past times the hold back of it at that topographic point is salubrious contest with those submitting work. Although, that said at that topographic point were a few industrial plant inwards the exhibition which wouldn't receive got made my listing of "definites".

I was especially struck past times non-members are submitting artwork which is large, bold in addition to striking. It's too practiced to encounter that The Pastel Society too has a prize in addition to 2d prize for non-members. The 2 industrial plant by Crawfurd Adamson and Patricia Cain were worthy prizewinners - in addition to it's too real practiced to encounter operate past times 2 artists living inwards Scotland coming due south of the border.

At the same fourth dimension at that topographic point is some character operate past times other novel artists working on a smaller scale in addition to inwards a quieter way. I'd seen Flower Bed by Sophie Ploeg (Sophie Ploeg Paintings) previously on the spider web simply it is in addition to so much to a greater extent than impressive inwards existent life. Sophie has a existent talent for portraying material (This isn't a especially practiced paradigm because of the reflection! Here's a ameliorate image)

Flower Bed (£1,250) by Sophie Ploeg

This is a gild which focuses on dry out media in addition to non all of the operate is inwards Soft Pastels - at that topographic point is a meaning amount of operate inwards Charcoal in addition to pencil - with Roy Wright existence a detail exponent of the latter.

I did notwithstanding fille seeing the tardily Peter Woof's coloured pencil artwork this year. Although non a member, Peter had exhibited with the Pastel Society every yr since 1995 prior to his passing inwards 2011.

The West Gallery is closed for renovations at the moment. That doesn't brand life at all tardily for the hangers in addition to 2 display units occupied the West Gallery to assist supply additional hanging space. These inwards plough cut back the reach to stand upwards away from the artwork to thought it. I for sure found myself wishing that I could dorsum upwards a few to a greater extent than feet to hold back at some of those inside the constrained viewing areas - Norma Stephenson in addition to Jeanette Hayes were the 2 artists whose operate I actually wanted to hold upwards able to encounter from across the room every bit good every bit unopen up. I'd receive got cheerfully swopped them with a few which needed rather less infinite to thought - inwards my view!

Works I liked

I must confess I produce similar a practiced grouping of pastels which sit down good together both inwards price of dependent area affair in addition to presentation.

Group of operate past times Matthew Draper

As ever I liked operate past times Matthew Draper PS who paints amorphous atmosphere inwards pastel - in addition to ever seems to contribute a duad of industrial plant of meaning size to the exhibition. This yr he too contributed 2 delightful small-scale industrial plant every bit well. Matthew won the PanPastel Award (see below)

I observe the relaxed and calligraphic draughtsmanship of Felicity House PS enormously attractive. Felicity won The Artist Magazine Award (for a grouping of work)

Group of operate past times Felicity House

An creative someone who has a striking contemporary fine art experience to her operate is Angela A'Court. By which I hateful I wouldn't hold upwards inwards the to the lowest degree fighting surprised to encounter her operate inwards galleries every bit I'm walking through St James in addition to Mayfair. I was interested to larn that she uses Diane Townsend handmade pastels and a petty fighting virtually how they were made. I dearest the Mars Yellow of the background to the chair

Group of operate past times Angela A'Court

I especially liked a striking grouping of drawings of H2O inwards the North Gallery past times Liz Charsley-Jory (Liz Charsley-Jory Drawings), a Canadian creative someone who completed her MA inwards Drawing at Camberwell College of Art. My photographic television set camera for some argue refuses to receive got decent pictures of monochrome drawings - in addition to yous tin encounter much ameliorate images on her blog.

Work past times Liz Charsley-Jory

The Award Winners

I'm never real clear what the awards correspond - whether they are monetary or materials or what. I noted that every bit with other fine art societies, at that topographic point receive got been a few changes this year. It's real squeamish to encounter some sponsors with names long associated with pastel artists - along with some real much newer ones who are expanding the horizons of materials suitable for purpose every bit a pastel artist

The respect winners inwards 2012 are listed below.

Winner of the Buzzacott Award
Towards Kettleness (£1,400) by Stephen Empson

Winner of the Henry Roche Pastels Award
They hang suspended until Winter takes them all (£1,500) past times Cheryl Culver PS RBA

Winner of the John Longley Award
The cycle from St James Park (£450) past times Joanne Last

Winner of the PanPastel Award
The air approximately us (£7,750) Matthew Draper PS
(note: this is a real large work)

Winner of the Purcell Papers Award
Woodland Trees II (£529) charcoal in addition to chalk - Susan Dakakni

Winner of the Schminke Pastels Prize
Text (£3,250) - Crawfurd Adamson

Other prize winners were

Daler Rowney Art Materials Award - Bob Last PS (168)
Frank Herring & Sons Award - Malcolm Taylor (229)
Purcell Papers Award - Susan Dakakni (72)
The Artist Magazine Award (group of work) - Felicity House
The Pastel Society Award Norma Stephenson (221)
The Pastel Society Non-Member Award

1st prize - Crawfurd Adamson
2nd prize - Patricia Cain

Unison Award - Sarah Bee
Conte a Paris Award - to hold upwards notified

Events at the Exhibitions

There are iii types of events:

Talks: 'Moving in addition to Exhibiting Pastels' an illustrated speak past times Piers Townshend, Conservator / Restorer, Tate Great Britain on Th 16th February, 7pm to 8.30pm. Piers Townshend, Conservator in addition to Condition Checker for the 'Degas in addition to Ballet' Exhibition at the RA, leads this illustrated talk. Tickets £10, booking essential 020 7930 6844 to book.
Demonstrations inwards the Gallery:

Tuesday 14th Feb 2012 (12noon to 1pm): Angela A'Court 'Talking in addition to Working'
Wednesday 15th 2012 (11am to 4pm): Peter Vincent 'Work inwards Progress' demo
Thursday 16th Feb 2012 (1pm to 5pm): Roy Wright 'Work inwards Progress' demo
Friday 17th Feb (11am to 3pm): Felicity House 'Painting inwards the Gallery'
Monday 20th Feb 2012 (from 10.30am): John Tookey 'Work inwards Progress' demo
Wednesday 22nd Feb 2012 (11.30am to 3pm): Ann Wilkinson demo
Thursday 23rd Feb 2012 (1pm to 5pm): Sue Relph 'Portrait Drawing'.

Pastel Society Workshops - a hit of workshops betwixt sixteen Feb in addition to 24 february. Please telephone telephone 020 7930 6844 or e-mail info@mallgalleries.com to book. £50 per hateful solar daytime (or £45 per hateful solar daytime if booking four).

How to acquire inwards this exhibition

This is my post virtually how to acquire inwards this year's exhibition - Call for Entries: Pastel Society 113th Annual Exhibition inwards 2012.

The novel data for 2013 when available volition likely seem get-go on the "Call for Entries" department of the Mall Galleries website - encounter Pastel Society - Registration in addition to Submission. There volition too hold upwards a post on this blog.

This is the page yous remove to read if yous are seeking election to membership - it takes 2 years.

Previous exhibitions

These are links to previous exhibitions past times The Pastel Society which receive got been reviewed on this blog:

Links of involvement to pastel artists:

Review: Dearest Pastels - The Pastel Monastic Nation Annual Exhibition 2012

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