VPS Members’ Exhibition – Pastel Music (Sept-Oct 2021)

Location: T.W. Wood Art Gallery and Museum; Barre Street, Montpelier, VT

Exhibit Time: September 4 – October 30, 2021

Title: Pastel Music

When a painting comes together beautifully, it seems to make its own music. Let your pastels sing! Music does not need to be the subject of your painting, but let the art be music to the eyes.

Pick-Up Date: October 30, 2021 (Saturday) 12 Noon – 1:30 PM

Judge of Awards: Aline Ordman – https://www.alineordman.com/

List of Awards and Comments from Aline Ordman:

Judge’s Award

Carole Naquin for “Horn of the Moon Barn.” “The dynamic design, the harmony of color, and the differentiation between strokes and shapes kept me constantly coming back to this painting. It is a powerful statement of Vermont country life.”

Award: Set of Mt. Vision Pastels

Luminous Landscape

Wendy Soliday for “Quiet Walk.” “This Landscape is beautifully designed, but what really works is the combinations of warm and cool colors. I am especially drawn to the fading pink color which takes the viewer down the path.”

Award: Terry Ludwig Apron

Reflective Waterscape

Patti Braun for “River Valley.” “I am really drawn to the color variations in the water that create distance and interest. The intense blue is what gives this painting such a strong vivacity, and the marks and textures in front help create the movement of the water.”

Award: Package of Sanded Paper, Dakota Pastel

Lively Still Life

Judy Albright for “Brokenness Received.” This still life creates a wonderful color harmony with the oranges of the flowers picked up in the blue cup interior; the blues echo throughout as well. There is an overall soft intensity and creative use of the various objects. The warmth of the background behind the vase pulls it all together as well. The marbles are luminous.”

Award: Package of Sanded Paper, Dakota Pastel

Figuratively Speaking

Mark Grasso for “Living the Dream.” “I am so drawn to this painting. The design creates the drama around the fisherman, and his yellow shirt against the blue of the water, as well as the highlights on his hat, let him pop forward. His straight stance echoes the stance and shape of the rocks and waterfall. He is part of it but also stands apart.”

Award: Package of Sanded Paper, Dakota Pastel

Abstractly Appealing

Cindy Griffith for “Looking Up.” ”I like that this works both as an abstract as well as telling a story. It evokes that feeling of looking up through trees while also creating an abstraction of shapes and colors.”

Award: Gift Card, Dick Blick Art Supply

Totally Tonal

Christine Kossow for “Crystal Citrus.” ”The subdued palette of grays beautifully offsets the lemons, whose reflected color in the bowl brings it all together. I am really drawn to the ‘noncolor’ of the background which creates a beautiful depth.”

Award: Gift Card, Dick Blick Art Supply

Touching Texture (Image Not Available)

Matthew Peake for “Citrus Scintillation.” “I liked the originality and use of pastel as mosaic. But this one also has great use of the colors and shadows so the values work well too. I like how each circle’s shadow color picks up the cast shadow color as well.”

Award: Gift Card, Dick Blick Art Supply

Colorfully Crafted

Paula Dorr for “Opposites Attract.” The use of warm and cool colors creates a great backdrop for the fall tree. That tree has such a nice yellow highlight and the gradual orange to darker browns gives a real sense of dimension to it. The color of the water is a good cool offset but also reflected in the trees to create color harmony.”

Award: Gift Card, Dick Blick Art Supply

Lovely Lines

Joyce Kahn for “Just Ducky.” “I think the use of both shapes and colors, but especially the quirky lines of creative color really enhance the fun and attitudes of these ducks. I also like how it’s cropped and the way the two front ducks look at the viewer but not in the same way.”

Award: Gift Card, Dick Blick Art Supply

Shapely and Edgy

Laura Winn Kane for “Roadside Distraction.” “Along with the shapes being well carved and crafted, it also creates a Wyeth-like mood of loneliness. It therefore transcends merely a well-crafted painting into a painting with great feeling.”

Award: Terry Ludwig Apron

Honorable Mention

Alla Potashnikova for “Real Friends.” “I like this because it is not just a good pet portrait, but a dog with a lot of character in its face. The texture of the fur is well done!

Honorable Mention (Image Not Available)

Angela Arkway for “Tree of Many Colors.” The texture and color work really well. There is a Maxfield Parrish-like sky. The color of the shadow of the tree in front is both dark and interesting.

People’s Choice – Revealed at the End of Exhibition