2021 - 30th Annual Purely Pastel Exhibition
Exhibition Details
Federation Gallery
1241 Cartwright St, Vancouver BC
May 3 to May 16, 2021
Jurors: Christine Camilleri EP, Catherine Sheppard MPAC, Gail Sibley MPAC
Award Paintings
Special Exhibition Recognition
Awards
Ursula Reese Grand Prize: Roberta Combs MPAC-EP for Catching Rays
First Place: Kathy Dolan MPAC for Emerging Artist
Second Place: Suzanne Godbout for Under Different Lights 2
Third Place: Kathy Hildebrandt MPAC-EP Waiting for Spring
Honorable Mentions
Alex Kasyan for Self Portrait at 36
Andrew McDermott PAC for Getting Drenched
Dave Denson MPAC for Wetcoast Winter
Robert O’Hoski for Palmas
Members Earning Signature Status
Bev Biddulph, PAC
Cathy Lorraway, PAC
Dave Denson, MPAC
Online Exhibition Gallery
Juror's Comments
Christine Camilleri MPAC-EP, IAPS M/C, AFCA
I was honoured to be invited to jury Pastel Artist of Canada’s 30th Purely Pastel show and I wish to heartily commend all the artists who entered.
Jurying is never an easy task and it was made more challenging by the great variety of subjects, techniques and styles that make the pastel medium so versatile. With such astonishing breadth it was difficult to decide the inevitable.
Certainly, there were paintings that showed “small hints of beauty” and my eye was delighted to see them. I would have liked to have had the artist there to say why the painting didn’t capture my whole attention. For me, this is vital information to an artist who wants to get into shows and to continue learning. Please continue painting as I saw promise of greater things to come in many of them.
Accepted paintings, on the other hand, were saturated with “areas of outstanding artistic beauty”: a strong center or area of interest, solid composition, values that cohesively hung together, colour that was controlled and exciting, or controlled and elegantly understated, balance, technical mastery, simplicity with complexity, complexity with simplicity, rhythm and movement, creativity and imagineering.
Several exceeded my, and our, expectations and these are the award winners…they had that certain indescribable magic infused into them…the artist and the medium became one.
My hope is that when you see the paintings hanging at Federation Gallery in Vancouver it will be apparent why they rose to the top to be included in this incredible show.
Congratulations to those who were juried in and extra applause to the award winners who truly excelled at their art.
Catherine Sheppard MPAC
As a juror, I look for unique pieces that show a mastery of drawing, composition, use of colour and technique.
Complexity of image choice plays a big part as does the level of expertise used on a particular piece.
I look for an art piece that needs to connect. It has to have an element of truth to it that resonates with me, the viewer. The piece has to leave me something after I have left it. A great piece leaves me asking questions like “how did they achieve that”.
I look for harmony and balance using the standard rule of thirds and the golden mean. I also look for beauty which I find to be an interaction between line, colour, texture, shape and motion that hits my senses.
As any competition can be fierce, it is important that pieces stand out to become award winning in my mind.
Gail Sibley MPAC
What an honour to be asked to join Christine Camilleri and Catherine Sheppard to jury/judge this 30th (imagine!) Purely Pastel exhibition. The level of work was high which in turn made the selection process that much more challenging. And what a pleasure it was to look at each piece, taking in its design, colour, story, and unique vision. While viewing the paintings, I also understood that behind each piece of work I looked at, an artist had courageously chosen to present his/her work for judgement. Not easy. And I applaud everyone for doing so.
In making my selections, I looked at knowledge of composition, understanding of values, use of colour, mastery of the medium, drawing skill, personal expression and interpretation, and originality. On repeated viewing, it was the paintings that pulled me back time and time again that rose to the top. All these paintings held something not only of the painter’s expertise, vision, and personality but also asked me, the viewer, to contribute with my own experience, to connect with and reflect on the image with my mind and with my heart.
Congratulations to all who were accepted into the show. Bravo! And to those who did not make it in this time I say, try and try again. Keep painting, keep entering. You never know when it will be your time. In the end, the selections for this exhibition are only the choice of these three women at this time and place. Keep being brave. And remember to enjoy the journey as you go.
This is going to be a stunning show that all PAC members can be proud of!
Our Sponsors
The board of Pastel Artists.CA and the West Coast exhibition committee would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to our sponsors. Their generosity, especially during these difficult times, help sustain non profit organizations like PAC, which enable us to bring art and joy to our communities.
