Regional Representatives
The PSWC greatly appreciates our Regional Reps! These artists have stepped up to help the Society fulfill it’s commitment to promote art and art education in our communities and to have a little fun while doing it! They will be organizing Paint-Outs, Paint-Ins and social events in their geographic areas. If you live in one of these areas, contact them through their websites to find out about upcoming events. Traveling near-by? Here’s a chance to find out about events that will turn your vacation into an art trip! Interested in becoming a regional rep? Please contact us!
View the current regional activities lists here
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Bonnie Kenaley
Region covered: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
Relocating to Boise 17 years ago from her native east coast, Bonnie Davis Kenaley retired in 2021 as a Boise State University professor, providing her the opportunity to initiate her painting endeavors. Initially, she focused on watercolor as a medium of choice. Yet, after attending a pastel workshop in 2023, she fell in love with pastels, enjoying the instant gratification provided by their brilliant colors and buttery feel. A naturalist, birder, avid cyclist, and tent camper, Bonnie connects with and appreciates the outdoors across the US and Europe, providing her Plein Air and photography opportunities. Bonnie is a member of the Idaho Watercolor Society and the Plein Air Painters of Idaho (PAPI).
Clark Mitchell
Region covered: Sebastopol, Napa, Sonoma
Growing up in the shadow of the Colorado Rockies, Clark very early discovered a love of the natural world. Given a set of fine German pastels by his father when young, he quickly embraced the medium for its ease of handling, brilliance of color and portability. He received a bachelor’s degree in art in the seventies and moved to San Francisco to continue his studies. Through personal exploration as well as study with exceptional teachers, Mitchell has developed the talent to create both tightly rendered landscapes as well as looser suggestions in both pastels and oils. To add a remarkable luster to some of his oils, he’s incorporating copper, gold and aluminum leaf. In order to fully immerse himself in the countryside he loves, Mitchell left San Francisco with his now husband over forty years ago and moved north to beautiful Sonoma County Wine Country. Designated a Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America and a Distinguished Pastelist by the Pastel Society of the West Coast, Clark has received numerous awards in local as well as national competitions.
In 2005, he won Best of Show at the Laguna Plein Air Invitational; and in 2011, Best of Show in the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational. His paintings have been on the cover of American Artist, Southwest Art and the Pastel Journal.
Jean Vineyard Myers
Region covered: Southern California, Ventura County
Jean Myers is a fine artist in Southern California whose interest is in exploring light and color. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art from Colorado State University and holds Signature Membership in the PSWC. Jean’s creativity was nurtured growing up in Missouri with animals and nature in abundance. She spent her summers swimming in lakes and riding hours. Jean paints outdoors when she can and that is an ongoing pursuit that gives her great joy. She believes that there is nothing like standing in nature and observing beauty with great focus for several hours, because it changes one for the better.
Thomas G. Frey (Co-Chair)
Region Covered: California Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County
I moved to San Luis Obispo, CA in 1970 where I taught chemistry for over 40 years at Cal Poly State University. In addition to chemistry, I taught laboratory glass blowing and ventured across campus to the Department of Art and Design where I taught The Chemistry of Ceramic Glazes and the Chemistry of Glass to studio artists. I really enjoyed bridging the gap that too often exists between the arts and sciences. Teaching the principles of chemical processes to students in the arts was very rewarding.
Shortly after retiring in 2012, I discovered a small brown box containing about a dozen Grumbacher pastels that belonged to my mom. I had recently returned from Hawaii and was fascinated by the floral and scenic beauty of the islands and wanted to try my luck at painting.
That was about 14 years ago. Since then, I have attended workshops with Barbara Jaenicke, Richard McKinley, Chris Ivers, Jim Tyler and Jeanne Rosier Smith. I was also fortunate to have met the Eminent Pastelist, Willo Balfrey, who has been my mentor over the past decade, always giving me critiques and suggestions to improve. I am a member of the PAO, PSWC, and have attended three IAPS conferences. I’ve worked mainly on landscapes, and recently, some non-representation themes. Coming into the world of art has been a double-edged sword. My life as an academic has been devoted to a scientific methodology; a fairly rigorous path with many confining boundaries, so moving from the eye of a scientist to the eye of the artist has been a bit of a struggle. Yet having the laboratory experience allows me to experiment with various surfaces, different types of pastel, alternative underpainting techniques, and application methods. I keep very extensive logbook/journals of my work, including thumbnail sketches, in-progress photos and notations. I want to generate and maintain the passion and excitement in my art that I experience in other areas of my life including astronomy, travel, and fly fishing.
I’m enjoying the journey.
Jim Tyler (Co-Chair)
Region Covered: California Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County
Jim Tyler paints exclusively with pastel. Largely self-taught, he began working with pastel at an early age and began painting seriously in 2001. Since that time he has been featured in Pastel Journal Magazine and Plein Air Magazine and has won awards at numerous national shows. Jim has been awarded Distinguished status with the Pastel Society of the West Coast, and was a founding member of the California Central Coast Pastel Society.
The artist’s distinctive style can be seen through his focus on lighting and composition. The scenes that capture Jim’s eye consistently have strong lighting and deep shadows, and he uses the richness of pastel to capture that boldness in his paintings. Tyler regularly teaches pastel workshops in San Luis Obispo, CA. In addition to painting, Tyler is an award-winning photographer, specializing in B&W figure and portrait photography.
Kim Lordier
Region covered: San Francisco and Peninsula
Painter and California Native, Kim Lordier received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco and University of San Francisco. Flight attendant, competitive horsewoman, and artist, her career path varied until the events of September 2001, when she committed to her life’s work as an artist.
Carol Talley
Region covered: Santa Barbara County
Carol grew up in Santa Barbara, and delights in painting the local landscape. She has been working in pastels for over 25 years, and has studied with many of the great pastellists, including Albert Handell, Kim Lordier, Terri Ford and Debora Stewart. She is currently exploring abstracted landscapes to evoke a sense of both the familiar and mysterious.
Working from a background of a more realistic interpretation of place, Carol is expanding into emphasizing color, texture, and atmosphere to access the depth of emotional response to location. Her greatest joy is to connect with the viewer by creating paintings that express the ineffable and transcendent. She is sharing her knowledge of pastels through teaching classes and aims to help more folks get excited about the pastel medium. As a signature member of PSWC and Regional Representative, Carol wants to coordinate paint outs, paint ins, critiques, and exhibits in the Santa Barbara area.
Lisa Skelly
Region covered: Southern California – Orange County
Lisa Skelly is deeply inspired by the beauty of nature. Through her paintings, she captures the essence of the natural world, with a particular focus on seascapes, landscapes, waves, skies, and clouds. Drawing on her lifelong love of nature, her work reflects her passion for the outdoors and her deep appreciation for the power and beauty of the natural world.
For Lisa, painting is not just a creative outlet, but a way of connecting with the world around her. Her work is a celebration of the natural beauty that surrounds us, and an invitation to slow down and appreciate the wonders of the world. Lisa is a member of multiple other pastel societies, a California Art Club Artist Member, the American Impressionist Society, the American Society of Marine Artists, and a Signature Artist in the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Lisa’s work has received top awards, including Best of Show in the 2024 SLO-Poke Western Art Show and Best Plein Air Pastel at the 2023 Plein Air Salon competition, among others. She has participated in many invitational plein air events and exhibitions, and is a popular workshop instructor.
