We were honored to judge this first Copley Society Regional Pastel Show, and truly impressed with the quality of the entries.   It is always extremely difficult to choose a few prizewinners from among an exceptional show.  We are especially pleased that the show highlights the depth and breadth of styles in the pastel medium.  

 

 

This piece grabbed our attention for its beautiful rendering of a sunlit path: we feel as if we can walk right into this piece, enjoying the lacey light and dark contrasts, the subtle soft lost and found textures on the foreground and suggested depth of the distant lit background. Beautifully composed with masterful balance of painterly detail and lost edge, the painting creates an overall sense of wonder, joy and discovery.  

 

 

This painting is a tour de force of exceptional technique.  The large scale and refined handling of textures, surfaces and reflections are masterful.  Dramatic, subtle and beautifully executed, from the juicy pears to the delicate tureen to the soft white blanket.

 

 

Almost abstract in its large strong splashes of color, this piece playfully renders shellfish at market, with colors ‘fresh’ out of the water.  The interpretive, plein air feel of this piece, confident markmaking and rich color choices shows off the bold fresh storytelling qualities of pastel to best advantage.

 

 

 

The creative placement of the figure on the picture plane, just off center and below our eyeline, along with exquisite rendering of skin tones and interesting textures and background make this child’s portrait a standout.

 

 

The delicate and painterly mark making and expertly controlled color palette make this simple, light-filled grove of trees magical and, as its title suggests, full of joy, peace and hope.

 

 

Two elements of this painting are equally striking and impressive:  the trompe-l’oeil effect of a child’s chalk drawing on a large blackboard with a sophisticated pastel portrait taped above, and the human narrative the scene suggests.  This painting is a great story on every level and a clever homage to pastel.