32rd Purely Pastel Exhibition
Our 32nd Purely Pastel exhibition features the work of 57 artists.
Exhibition Details
Federation Gallery
1241 Cartwright Street
Vancouver, BC V6H 4B7
November 29 to December 11, 2022
Opening Reception and Awards Presentation: Dec 3, 2022 1- 4 pm
Awards will be posted after reception
Award Paintings
Special Exhibition Recognition
Awards
First Place: Susan Typert for Vancouver Bound
Second Place: Roberta Combs for Overboard
Third Place: Karin Richter for Blue Pottery
Honorable Mentions
Joyce Benson for Breezing Through
Nga Reinio for Light of Hope
Elena Selitsky for Hoping for a New Life
Kira Sokolovskaia for Winter Light
Members Earning Signature Status
PAC
Simone Sullivan
Susan White
Online Exhibition Gallery
Juror's Comments
Kathy Hildebrandt, MPAC-EP
Having been PAC’s submission coordinator for many years, it has been gratifying to see the continual growth of our members’ work and this year is no exception. The competition in this group is getting tougher!
We all love pastel for its versatility and expressive capabilities and that was very evident in the work submitted for jurying. Diverse subject matter and styles were in full force, making the task of jurying this exhibition all the more difficult.
I go through the submissions at least twice, at different times, to get an overall impression before I vote on any piece. There are always those ones that jump out at you and that is what we all need or try to achieve in our work – the WOW factor. What’s the WOW factors that I’m looking for? It can be many different things; an unusual composition, stunning lighting, a compelling pose, strong use of value and/or color. Design, technique and a command of the medium is also extremely important. These are the things that make me stop and say to myself “I wish I had painted that!”.
Anu Vedagiri, MPAC
Being one of the jurors for the 32nd Purely Pastel Show in Vancouver has been an eye opening and a rewarding experience.
How did I select and grade the paintings? I approached the task just as if I was walking into an art gallery for the first time, with the excitement of seeing the pieces without any preconceived ideas or expectations. I stood in the middle of the room surveying all the paintings one after another, briefly glancing at each one without any judgement and quickly moving on to the next. The three most important points for me at any given time are 1. Composition, 2. Light and shade and colour 3. Technique.
During the second and third round of seeing all the paintings and sometimes even a fourth viewing of some of the art, I started looking at the paintings according to my categories. Which of the paintings had the strongest compositions, the “wow” factor, the light and shade that made me want to get closer to the piece. What was it that drew me into the setting? And, once I got there, was there anything else of interest that drew me in further? I looked for the details in the shadow, the distribution of light and colour and the reflection of quirky features that are not openly visible at first glance. Judging the technique for an online exhibition is not very easy. Nevertheless, zooming into the image, I was able to see how well the medium was handled—the variety and the range of strokes made by the artist to achieve the end result. I looked to see if the mark making expressed the mood of the painting and if the marks seem random or controlled. Every mark has its place.
For me jurying has been a learning experience. I am truly honoured to have been asked. Even as I applaud the selected artists and the award winners, my congratulations goes to everyone that submitted to the show.
Kristin Vignal, MPAC
I was honoured to be offered the opportunity to join Anu and Kathy in the jurying of the 32nd Purely Pastel Exhibition and I would like to congratulate the artists whose entries were accepted.
As always, composition and design are key. These elements along with originality and strong masterful use of the medium create that visual impact that brings the viewer repeatedly back to a particular painting. I like the phrase “the loud and quiet of a painting”. I interpret “the loud” as referring to the initial impact, and “the quiet” as referring to the special subtle nuances such as layering, skilful strokes and variation of edges.
The jurying process was challenging due to the wide variation in styles, technique and subject matter. It was also extremely satisfying in that each painting, especially the award winning entries, showcased the exciting versatility of the pastel medium. This versatility makes for a very successful exhibition.
Our Sponsors
Pastel Artists.CA wants to extend its sincere appreciation and gratitude to our generous sponsors. They play a big part in the success of our exhibitions.
