The ART SPECTRUM COLOURFIX Creative Challenge,
August 2007
NPS Lopez Island Plein Air Paintout
Congratulations to the Northwest Pastel Society
artists at the Lopez Island Plein Air Paint-Out
for such beautiful pastel paintings created
using the AS Colourfix Plein Air Boards along
with Art Spectrum Pastels. You certainly have
made it wonderfully challenging to select a Best
of Show in this Plein Air Challenge! Each piece
shows so much vitality and spirit, full of the
unique personal qualities which intrigue and
delight the viewer! The use of light/shadow,
the richly varying atmosphere and vistas of
Lopez Island, the beautiful colors, textures and
compositions - plus the play of the pastel
across the painting surface - all combine for a
visual treat!
Best of Show: Janice Wall -
"Afternoon at Spencer
Spit"
* Because of the quality of the paintings,
Challenge sponsors Armadillo Arts and Art
Spectrum were inspired to present four
additional awards:
Second Place Honors: Steve Hill - Center
Church Cemetery
Sharing
Third Place Honors:
Sue Thim - Spencer Spit, Lopez Island
Karen Schroeder - 2007-08-28
Annette Hanna - Lopez Center Church
The 36 participating NPS artists at the August
2007 Lopez Island Paint-Out were able to select
two Colourfix Plein Air Boards from among the 20
different Colourfix color choices. The challenge
was to create a successful, satisfying painting
- even when painting on a ground color that you
were not at all used to using. (But then, Plein
Air Painters are always getting all manner of
interesting variables when we work!)
Thank you for sharing the beautiful paintings
that you each entered. Only one Plein Air Board
entry from each artist was considered in the
jurying, but the 'multiples' submitted are also
being included on the web site NPS Plein Air
Challenge Show at
http://www.armadilloart.com/creativity
.
Please see the statement from Donna Aldridge psa
m-maps,
www.aldridgestudios.com,
who selected the winners. She comments not only
on what she was looking for in strong, inviting
paintings, but also on particularly exciting
qualities which she enjoyed as a viewer in each
of the paintings.
Again, thank you for taking part in this first
Plein Air Colourfix Challenge
_____________
Janice Wall: This
painting, titled "Afternoon at Spencer Spit," is on the
AS board you that sent us, I used the terra cotta color.
It was a beautiful, sunny day and everything was
going well for me, one of those truly enjoyable Plein air experiences.
Steve Hill: This was painted on the Terra Cotta
color of the Art Spectrum Plein Air board. With the
sharp afternoon light I think that I nailed the
shadows just right. I would say that this is one of
my best plein air pieces.
Sue Thim: Here is my picture of
Spencer Spit on Lopez Island looking north. Spencer
Spit is one of my favorite places because of the
contrast between the rich marsh water and the cool
ocean color of the San Juan water. I did 5 paintings
at this event and this one I put the most time in,
about 3 hours. I love the birds and all the life in
the marsh.
Karen Schroeder: I had not used Colourfix before, and this was on the new raw sienna
color. I did a rough block in and made a wash with
Gamsol and then I went in with lighter pastels in
pinks and oranges. This was from the church yard in
the center of the island so that the views were
great in all directions. I am usually a studio
painter but I try to keep enough variety in my
paintings so that they don't seem so tame. I love
working with intense and different ground colors
because it forces exploration of a new freedom to
break into an impressionistic style.
karenschroeder@coupeville.net
Annette Hanna:
I hadn't used Colourfix before, and I used the Leaf
Green Dark board. That color worked well under the
grass area. I loved this late afternoon light and I
had driven by and then returned at about 4:00 pm
just to catch this time of day. The texture worked
well where I was layering, and the mounted board was
firm enough to need no further mounting. Painting
done on Art Spectrum at the Lopez Is. paint out
August 25, 2007, image 16x20. Title Lopez Center
Church. |
