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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
PONGSON ESPADA 2007
(NPS, PSO signature
member)
“Only
the Lord knows what He is doing with all of us”
Pongson
Espada was a Portrait Artist who had great passion creating
beautiful paintings in mediums such as Oil, Charcoal
graphite, pencil and Pastel. She also painted still life
objects and landscape scenes. The Pastel medium was her
favorite. Pongson’s art experience was only 13 years. She
began painting in 1994 on Germany, when one day she bought
some oil equipment. She had a great passion for Pastels. In
1996, Pongson moved to Pittsburgh, PA and joined some local
art clubs. She met James Sulkowski because she wanted to
learn portrait painting. James Sulkowsky was amazed that
Pongson’s art experience in that time was only three years.
James Sulkowski recognized that Pongson had the natural
talent when he saw her coming up with likeness within the
first hour of the sessions. James once told her, “When you
become famous, please mention that I was your first
teacher.” James Sulkowski exposed her to other well known
artist such as James Douglas Adams and William Versack.
Pongson became a Northwest Pastel Society member while
living in Pittsburgh, PA and became NPS signature member in
the first three years. In 1999, Pongson moved to Spanaway,
WA and quickly entered into the world of art competition.
Pongson dedicated the rest of her life drawing with every
drawing medium that is out in the market and painting with
oils and pastels. Pongson’s favorite quote was, “It is not
how long people have been painting or drawing, but how long
have they seriously been doing it.” And believe me, She took
“Art” seriously. She was hard on her students and herself
when it came to art. Her dream was to become one of the best
in the art world. She cautiously studied other artists work
and that inspired her to do better.
Pongson
had numerous group shows and exhibitions nationally and in
Germany and received awards. Recently, while battling with
Cancer, her painting “Morgan” was accepted in the Northwest
Pastel Society’s 21st International open exhibit
at the American Art Company in Tacoma, WA held between June
21, 2007 through July 21, 2007 and a pastel portrait named
Bilbo Baggins was accepted in the Members’ show Northwest
Pastel Society's 2007 Members’ show at the Scott Milo
Gallery in Anacortes, WA held between August 3, 2007 until
September 3, 2007. Pongson’s Pastel Portrait of “Man” was
accepted at the Northwest Pastel Society’s 17th
International exhibition at Seattle Art Institute in Seattle
WA and received the Eastside Association of Fine Arts
Award. Two of her Pastel paintings were accepted at the
Pastel Society Of Oregon 2003 Juried membership show and
received the Holbein award. In the 2003 Northwest Pastel
Society Member's Exhibition, she received an Award of
Merit, and was also accepted at the La Fond Gallery's
National juried exhibition in Pittsburgh, PA. In September
2002, the Northwest Pastel Society’s members show selected
Pongson’s portrait titled “Red Hair” as the Best of the Show
She
taught Drawing and Pastel classes at Pierce College Adult
Continuing Education classes at Tacoma and Puyallup,
Washington. She frequently demonstrated the techniques of
Pastel and Charcoal Portrait and taught several workshops at
the Daniel Smith Inc. in Seattle and Bellevue WA. She taught
classes at her home studio where she prepared her students
to expose their work.
Pongson
studied under James Sulkowski at the Sulkowski Academy of
Fine Art at Houston, PA and Seattle Academy of Fine Art. She
attended workshops with widely known artists such as William
Verssack, Herb Olds, James Douglas Adams, Ned Mueller,
Anthony Ryder and Juliette Aristides. She taught Drawing and
Pastel classes at Pierce College Adult Continuing Education
classes at Tacoma and Puyallup, Washington. She frequently
demonstrated the techniques of Pastel and Charcoal Portrait
and taught several workshops at the Daniel Smith Inc. in
Seattle, WA.
Pongson
was a member of Pastel Society Of America (Associate
member), Pastel Society of Oregon, and the Peninsula Art
League in Gig Harbor WA, and she is a signature member of
the Northwest Pastel Society (NPS) and the Pastel Society of
Oregon (PSO).
She has
a Portrait Studio at her home where she taught private
lessons and spent her days creating beautiful paintings. She
is represented by the Firdale Gallery in Edmonds, WA.
January 2007
Gretchen Griep, former president of both the Northwest
Pastel Society and Northwest Watercolor Society (1998-99),
recently passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s
disease. She will be well remembered for her continuous
devotion to the visual arts, while maintaining a home
studio, where she worked in both portraiture and figure
drawing for over 20 years. She was also a member of the
Eastside Association of Fine Arts and Women Painters of
Washington. She once stated “I have learned that it is wise
for me to draw from my own personal experiences and
knowledge, listen to my muse, act accordingly and always try
to grow.”
Her long
list of juried exhibitions and awards validates her
philosophy.
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