Colorful World of Pastels
Local artists promote time-honored art medium
In the 15th century, pastels were used mostly for studies for paintings and murals; by the 17th century, the art medium took on its own identity. Made of the same pigments found in oil paint, pastels offer vivid colors— without the long drying time, odors and cleanup of oils. According to the Southwest Florida Pastel Society (SWFPS), “Pastels are known for their superior quality of color and light achieved through the use of pure pigment with reflective qualities not found in other mediums.” Artists work without brushes; pastels are applied by hand to the painting surface, which is typically textured or sanded paper.
SWFPS is a nonprofit organization comprised of pastel artists of all skill levels who live and work in the region. It was founded in January of 2003 during a resurgence of interest in the medium and currently has 95 active members. SWFPS “encourages and promotes members in their professional growth and success” through monthly meetings and programs, workshops, outings and exhibition opportunities.
Meetings, usually held at Worthington Country Club in Bonita Springs, take place monthly from October through May. They begin with a business meeting, followed by a program, and the opportunity to stay for a Dutch-treat lunch.
SWFPS offers an autumn and a winter workshop. “Workshops are taught by nationally known pastel artists and are open to society members for a reasonable fee,” explains Debra Meade, second vice president and publicity chair. (Non-members are welcome to join to attend.) During season, there are weekly plein air outings, and occasional trips to museums and lectures.
Three to four shows a year are hosted by SWFPS, giving members the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work. The largest is
the Annual Member Show, a juried exhibition that rotates among sites in Naples, Fort Myers and Marco Island on a three-year cycle.
Members can join volunteer committees that support functions such as hospitality, book discussion, video/DVD library, fundraising, and scholarships—to help young artists develop their talents. “Each year, the Sam Platt Scholarship, named for the society’s first board president, is awarded to a deserving high school senior who plans to pursue a fine arts education. The scholarship, established by SWFPS, is administered by a local community foundation,” Meade says.
Meade picked up her first pastels at age 13 and painted through early adulthood. However, while raising her daughter and pursuing her journalism career—she became president and publisher of The Roanoke (Va.) Times— she found little time to pursue her beloved pastels. It was only upon retirement in 2013 that she decided to work in pastels again. That is when Meade moved to Naples and joined SWFPS.
“It felt wonderful after all those years to be back in the studio with my fellow pastel artists,” says Meade, who has also worked in oils and watercolor, but enjoys pastels the most. “I like the directness from hand to the paper. I love the vibrancy of the pastel colors, the slow building up of the layers to capture mood and light.”
SWFPS has sponsored and taught classes in Immokalee’s middle and high schools. The classes were taught by members Ginger Craven, Alice Fjelstul and Ruthe A. Sholler. Sholler is a past officer with SWFPS, former pastel teacher in Massachusetts and a current instructor who also teaches adults at the Center for the Arts—Bonita Springs (CFABS) and the United Arts Council of Collier County.
“Every time we taught in Immokalee, we donated pastels to the students,” notes Sholler, who says she loves working with pastels because the colors are intense—and they are forgiving. A 20-year pastel artist, she is a landscape, figurative and floral painter who loves reimagining the natural world using pastels. “I love the beauty of the colors and how easily they could be handled outdoors,” says Sholler, who concentrates on plein air painting.
She also sometimes combines pastels with monotype prints when teaching classes at CFABS, where she has the students enhance their prints with pastels. “The results are always amazing,” says Sholler. Her own “pastels and monotype prints have won awards from Maine to Massachusetts to Florida. I’ve been fortunate to have my work juried into local, national and international exhibitions,” the artist adds.
“SWFPS always welcomes new members,” Meade says. To learn more about the organization, visit its website at pastelsociety.org. For information about joining, email membership chair Jerri Smith at jerri88vet@aol.com.
Artists work without brushes; pastels are applied by hand to the painting surface, which is typically textured or sanded paper.