Heartland Artists welcome the Northern Indiana Pastel Society to the gallery as our feature of the month. Many artists will be displaying their art from now to Aug 24. The community is invited to the open reception this Sunday, August 4 from 1 – 4 PM. The show contains landscapes, portraits, abstracts, still-life, nature, seascapes and wildlife.
Northern Indiana Pastel Society is based in South Bend and is the only pastel society in Indiana. The Pastel Society has members from Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. Many have won awards in regional and national exhibits, and several are teachers at art centers, museums, high schools or colleges.
The group’s purpose is to stimulate interest in pastels as an art medium. Meetings are held every other month, and several exhibits are held each year. Workshops featuring nationally known speakers help members develop their skills, and an email newsletter is sent to 350 artists prior to meetings to help members connect with others.
The Society is a member of IAPS, the International Association of Pastel Societies, and its members are eligible to attend IAPS conventions and participate in IAPS exhibits, Nipastelsociety.org.
There are five types of pastels; soft, PanPastel, hard, pencil, and oil. You will see a lot of soft pastel pieces. What are soft pastels? Are they chalk? Those who work with pastels usually answer that pastel is chalky but softer, richer and more permanent. Soft pastel is a dry art medium in form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce oil paints and watercolors. Soft pastels are used on paper or boards with a rough surface allowing the soft material to stick to the surface. Pastels are easily blendable using fingers, a blending stump, or a cloth. Unlike the process of painting, the colors are mixed directly on the paper, rather than on the palette. This is why blending is so important!
A particle of pastel pigment under a microscope looks like a diamond with many facets, so pastel paintings reflect light like a prism. When framed under glass, pastel paintings are permanent works of art for generations. Oil pastels consist of pigment mixed with an oil and wax binder so they are different from soft pastels.
A Landscape Pastel Art Workshop will be held at Heartland Artists Gallery from 10 am-4 pm Saturday, Aug. 24. Cathy McCormick, president of the Northern Indiana Pastel Society, will lead an art workshop featuring the vibrant summer landscape in the popular medium of soft (dry) pastels. A supply list is available upon registration or by emailing Cathy at camccorm@aol.com. Bring a sack lunch or buy from the cafe next door. Register by Aug. 20. Minimum of 5. Cost of the class is $55. Beginner and intermediate are welcome. Basic pastel sets and paper will be available at $5 for those who need supplies. Call (574) 936-9515 or email heartlandartistsgallery@gmail.com to find out more information or reserve your place in the class.
The Gallery’s mission is to support area artists, and to bring and to teach the arts to our community. Our not-for-profit Gallery gives area artists a venue to show and sell their art. Our art classes fulfill our mission for educating and they also assist in our financial means to maintain the Gallery. All are invited to become a member of the Gallery and support our mission. Visit www.heartlandartgallery.com, Facebook, Instagram or call 574.936.9515 for more information. The Gallery is located in downtown Plymouth. Gallery hours are Tues. – Sat. 10-4.
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