QUARTERLY QUOTE

“I cringe when someone refers to pastels as chalk but it really grates when people call them crayons, as in ‘I just can’t believe you can do that with crayons!’ Are they referring to those waxy things children use?”

Amanda McLean

Newsletter Topics:

– The leaves are beginning to turn into inspiring autumn reds, oranges, and yellows.

– We have just had two workshops and two exhibitions.

– Regional hubs are very active.

– Our members’ meeting is coming up soon!

Continue reading below for more details.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, October 26, 2019, 1- 3pm: VPS Board Meeting, Sherburne Library, Killington, VT

Sunday, November 10, 2019, 1- 4pm: Annual VPS Members’ Meeting, Sherburne Library, Killington, VT

VPS REGIONAL HUBS UPDATE

Two of our regional hubs continue to meet regularly, with VPS MidState meeting monthly and VPS SouthEast getting together quarterly. Our other hubs (VPS Central, VPS Champlain, VPS SouthWest) are getting together for special activities like paint outs and workshops. VPS UpperValley just met to decide on a new Point Person, Kate Cone. Earlier in the year VPS Champlain chose a new Point Person as well, Lisa Kent. Thank you Kate and Lisa!

VPS EXHIBITIONS

Our Members’ Exhibition (ME) just closed at the TW Wood Gallery in Montpelier, VT. Thanks to the many members who responded to our earlier survey, we added and modified the categories for this year’s awards. We awarded prizes in five genres (landscape, waterscape, still life, figurative, and abstract) and in the elements of composition (color, value, line, shape, and texture). Two new categories were introduced: a Judge’s Choice and a People’s Choice. Our goal for the ME has been to showcase the range of experience and diversity of pastel painting in our VPS, so the awards were meant to reflect that. As such, our hope was that anyone with 5 months to 5 decades of pastel painting experience should feel welcome to submit a painting and have their love of pastels celebrated by viewers and eyed by our judge, Mickey Myers, Executive Director of the Bryan Memorial Gallery. We hung over 40 paintings, the reception was packed with VPS members and town art lovers, and VPS Central rocked with the reception they provided! Look at the website and social media for all the details.

VPS WORKSHOPS

Richard McKinley Workshop, July 29-August 2, 2019. Here’s what a participant said: “The Richard McKinley plein air workshop was the best yet. Seventeen students, many new out-of-state members, enjoyed painting in Central Vermont’s August beauty, benefiting from Richard’s expertise and generosity with his time and knowledge. We bonded well and started a Facebook workshop members’ page, where we post images of our work and solicit critiques.”

Workshop on September 21-23, 2019, with Jacob Aguiar, as reviewed by attendees, “was quite a success both financially and as a learning experience.  It seemed everyone was pleased with Jacob’s workshop and the weather was beautiful so we had the opportunity, if we wanted, to do plein air.”

BOARD NEWS

We will be having our fall meeting on Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 1-3pm in the Sherburne Library in Killington, VT, which is about 1-1.5 hours from all corners of the state. In addition to reviewing upcoming exhibitions and workshops, we will be planning the Annual Members’ Meeting.

As a reminder, if you want your image changed in the VPS Website Gallery, please use this link: https://vermontpastelsociety.com/policies-procedures/.

ANNUAL VPS MEMBERS’ MEETING

On Sunday, November 10, 2019, from 1-4pm in the Sherburne Library in Killington, VT we will have our Annual VPS Members’ Meeting. The format will include a business portion from1- 2:30 pm to elect five new board members, as well as deal with other items. This will be followed by an interactive presentation by VPS members on abstract pastel painting and the many benefits that painting abstractly can have on your ongoing pastel painting. This promises to be great, so mark your calendars today and save the date!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE VPS!

We are who we are from the indefatigable support that you all give to our organization. Keep it coming, as you keep on pastel-painting!

Matt Peake, VPS President