Guest Speaker: Linda Mutti

Linda Mutti is an award winning Distinguished Pastelist member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast,  a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America, an Artist Member of the esteemed California Art Club,  Eminent Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies,  Signature Member with American Women Artists, an OAK Group member, American Impressionist Society Signature member, and Women Artists of the West member.  Her paintings are held in collections across the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.  Linda was born in Tucson, Arizona, but at age 5 moved to California. A passion for drawing and painting began in early childhood and continues to this day. The love of horses and the California landscape is evident in the subject of many of her paintings and drawings. Linda works in oil, pastel and pencil.

Guest Speaker: Richard Suckling

Richard Suckling studied illustration at Cambridge School of Art and worked for a number of years as an illustrator in London, before heading to the beautiful West of England to pursue a new career as a painter. Richard teaches regular workshops and has written frequently about pastel painting for The Artist Magazine in the UK. He works almost exclusively in soft pastels and sells his work worldwide through galleries and privately through his social media pages and website.

Guest Speaker: Nancy Nowak

Nancy Nowak, an avid plein air artist, strives to evoke an emotional connection and awareness to the everyday beauty that surrounds us. Nancy paints with an impressionist bent in her unique interpretation of the landscape. She has won numerous local, national and international awards for her landscape paintings and has exhibited throughout the United States as well as France and Italy.

Nancy achieved Eminent Pastel status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is a Signature Member of The Pastel Society of America, a Signature Member of The American Impressionist Society, and a Master Pastelist in the Southeastern Pastel Society as well as being on The Board of Directors of the International Association of Pastel Societies.  She has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Pratique des Arts (France), Artist’s Magazine and numerous times in Pastel Journal Magazine.

Guest Speaker: Natalie Richards

Natalie Richards has been a juried exhibitor at several prominent exhibitions for 15 years.  Recently,  she won First Place at the 2025 Idyllwild Plein Air Festival, received Artist’s Choice Award at the 2025 Borrego Springs Plein Air Invitational, and Best Pastel at the 2024 Borrego Springs Plein Air Invitation, Third Place for the Pastel Society of Southern California’s 2025 Make Your Mark and Fourth Place in the Landscape Division of 2025 Pastel 100.

As a young girl, Natalie was surrounded by the creative endeavors of her parents. Her father enjoyed painting, playing guitar and building model airplanes, while her mother showed her how to draw.  Her creativity was encouraged with birthday gifts always including drawing books, pencils, watercolors and crafts. Richards is the pastel instructor at the Redlands Art Gallery in Redlands, CA and holds workshops at the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs, CA.  She recently held a three-day workshop for the Pastel Society of Southern California.

Guest Speaker: Adrian Guiliani

Adrian Guiliani is an international award winning pastel artist.  She was an artist from the time she was a tiny toddler, growing up in Queens, New York.  She drew constantly, and it quickly became obvious that art was an essential part of who she was.  After a family trip to the Museum of Modern Art, 3 year old Adrian quietly came through the door, picked up some chalk, and, inspired by the modern masters, started sketching little nude figures!

Adrian is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, an IAPS Master Circle Member, and a Pastel Society of New Jersey Distinguished Pastelist. She is on the PSA Board of Governors.  Adrian’s pastel work has been recognized numerous times, both in international and national exhibitions, as well as society shows. Her awards from PSA include the Herman Margulies Bequest Award and the Daniel E. Greene PSA-MP, HFH Memorial Award. Her still life was awarded an Honorable Mention at the IAPS 2019 Convention. She has been featured in Pastelagram Magazine. Adrian’s work is in the permanent collection of the National Arts Club.

Guest Speaker: Desmond O’Hagan

Desmond O’Hagan was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and was raised in the United States. He has been professionally painting for 35 years and resides in Denver, Colorado, where he devotes his time to his art in oils and pastels, and traveling throughout the world.

He has long been considered one of the leading urbanscape artists in the world. In the field, he has won many major awards for his artwork and for years, his artwork has been selected for inclusion in a number of prestigious exhibitions across America.

Desmond has also been invited to exhibit artwork internationally in Japan, China, Canada, and France. He is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, and is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who in America, and in the Hall of Fame at the Art Institute of Colorado.  In May 2005, he was inducted into the International Association of Pastel Societies’ “Master Circle” and in 2018, he was awarded Eminent Pastelist status by IAPS.