The Pastel Society
of the West Coast
BREAKING NEWS
Now Open for Entries! More information here or on ShowSubmit.
We Talk Art is a quarterly (or more) Zoom presentation for members of the PSWC begun at the end of 2022. Bonnie Zahn Griffith chats with well known artists in an informal virtual setting. These distinguished guests share their stories, processes, tips and more. The link to these interviews are sent to members and posted on our Facebook page. The series features “live” interviews, so participants may post questions and comments during and after the interview.
December 3, 12:00 Noon PST – Featuring Craig Lemley: Join us for a special conversation with Craig Lemley, owner of Dakota Art. Lemley earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Western Washington University and was inspired to open his own shop after working in an art materials store. He named the store after his home state of North Dakota. Learn about Craig’s background, his commitment to have stores staffed by real, local artists, and get behind-the-scenes insight into the production of pastels.
Upcoming General Membership Meeting and Demo – December 10 at 11:00AM
Demonstration and Q and A with Ian Roberts! Watch for the Zoom link in an upcoming eBlast (Be sure your email is correct in your member profile.)
Ian Roberts has painted for over 40 years. He shows in galleries in the U.S. and Canada. For over twenty-five years he taught landscape painting in Provence, France each spring, through his school Atelier Saint-Luc, named after the patron saint of painters. He’s made several videos on painting and written two books — Creative Authenticity: 16 Principles to Clarify and Deepen Your Artistic Vision and Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principle to Dramatically Improve Your Paintings, which has sold over 50,000 copies. He posts a monthlyYouTube video (Ian Roberts – Mastering Composition) to his 180,000 subscribers and teaches a series of online courses on Mastering Composition. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Anne Ward, also a painter.
See Pastels USA: 99 Voices 2023 here!
Pastels USA: 99 Voices in Pastel was held from August 31, 2023 to October 29, 2023 at the Haggin Museum in Stockton, California.
WORKSHOPS
Artists are lifelong learners, and we offer great learning opportunities through in-person and virtual workshops. Upcoming workshops include: Nancy King Mertz, Vianna Szabo, Rita Kirkman and Judy Leeds.
Go to our workshop page here for more information and go to the Event Calendar to register for a workshop here
Need help to access workshops? Find out about our workshop SCHOLARSHIPS by contacting us here.
WELCOME!
You don’t have to live on the West Coast to become a member! With PSWC members located throughout the United States and around the world, the Pastel Society of the West Coast offers a strong voice for expanding the presence of soft pastel as a major fine art painting medium. PSWC was organized in 1984 to promote pastel artists and the soft pastel medium. Today, PSWC is among the most recognized pastel societies.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
PSWC provides social media channels for pastel education, communication, and exposure for members.
PSWC sponsors two annual juried exhibitions: the PASTELS USA open exhibition to showcase award-winning pastel artwork in public venues and the MEMBERS ONLY ONLINE SHOW (MOOS)
Our organization publishes the PSWC Magazine exclusively for members. Click here for the PSWC Magazines.
Because our society members are spread far beyond the West Coast, we offer a Regional Representatives program to support regional activities.
We provide optional, individual Members Art Gallery pages connected to our Member Directory.
PSWC sponsors an Art Scholarship for qualifying students interested in the further study of art and pursuing an art career.
Because PSWC is a member of IAPs, our members automatically become IAPS artist members and are eligible for IAPS juried exhibitions at prestigious galleries and on the web, as well as participation in the IAPS Convention at discount rates.
The Pastel Society of the West Coast is incorporated as a non-profit organization. The PSWC is run completely by volunteer Board Members. Endowments and bequests are welcome; please contact our President.
As a PSWC member, you are welcome to join our Facebook Group page and please follow us on Instagram as well!
Note: Artwork featured on the website is from artists who entered recent shows. Please see show art by clicking the Current Shows or Past Shows tabs at the top of the page to see titles and artists.
