Although I have been too tardy about posting to get this post out before the end of the show, I still wanted to mention a great show I saw in May at the Sunrise Gallery in Burlington, Ontario. A group of pastel painters who paint en plein air almost every week put together a fabulous collection of their works. I was so impressed by the variety and high calibre of the paintings on display, it almost made me want to do more painting outdoors, myself, though I know I don't do my best work that way. Shown here are (l. to r.) Jessie Grant, Cathy Cullis, and Ann Kelly Walsh whose work was featured in the show with that of several others. I admire the work of all three of these friends. Ann, in fact, was my very first pastel teacher, and it was her throwaway comment to me at my easel "You do know you have talent, don't you?" that gave me the confidence to continue. I still have the little tonal painting of a pear that was my very first pastel work, completed as the first exercise in Ann's class. And I still like it! I also recently bought a great small painting by Cathy Cullis for my own collection. It's a vivid little piece of a small trickle of water zigzagging its way between rocks, titled Winding Down. I love its intensity and pattern, and the title is my promise to myself in relation to my (non-painting) career--wind it down so I can retire and get painting full time! Jessie Grant is the tireless coordinator of our Pastel Artists Canada show intakes--how she keeps all the images and names and dates straight is a miracle, and throughout it all she stays calm and gracious. Thank you Jessie!
I hope these friends exhibit together again someday--it was a terrific show, and a great promotion for pastels!
