Upcoming in January

What:    First Coast Pastel Society meeting
When:   Saturday, January 4, 2014, 10 AM to 12 noon
Where:  Southeast Branch Library, 6670 U.S. 1, St Augustine, FL 32086
              (easy access from I-95 exit 305)

Wow folks. Here we are headed into 2014. Come join us as we celebrate our 2nd birthday! Our meeting this Saturday will be at the St. Augustine Southeast Branch Library which is easily accessible at the intersection of Route 1 (Dixie Highway) and 206 - exit 305 off I-95 if that is the route you take.

The meeting should be a fun and though-provoking one, with a round-table discussion about the topic:

Art: "Painting What you Love vs. Painting What Sells"

We'll be having a lively discussion on this topic! Please bring along a painting that you thought would sell but hasn't, or one that you really love but that you feel hasn't gotten the attention you thought it deserved.

Speaking of selling our work, we just took down our show at Gallery 26 in Melrose yesterday. Our show was a great success. The women from the gallery said it was the first pastel show they had ever put on, and it got rave reviews from customers, some of whom said it was the best show the gallery had ever had. The women from the gallery all want to take pastel lessons now.

And we sold *five paintings* which they told me was the most paintings they had ever sold from a single show, so great work FCPS. Special congratulations go to our selling artists: Perry Russell, Lisa Fiore, Linda Hart Green, and Steve Johnson - who sold TWO paintings.

(one of Steve Johnson's paintings which sold)

December brunch and still life painting

It was our last meeting of the year, with Christmas looming on the horizon, and yet the temperatures made it feel as though summer had returned. However we all still had holiday spirits as we gathered for our second annual holiday brunch and still-life painting session. This year we met at the Art Studio in St. Augustine Beach.

The Art Studio is located right on the beach! And it has plenty of free parking to boot. It was a perfect spot as it lent itself to outdoor plein air painting as well as the indoor still lifes.

Once again our President, Lyn Asselta, outdid herself with the wonderful feast she laid out for us - quiche and breads and fruit. All yummy. A special treat were the tangerines that Kay Deuben brought from the tree belonging to Jimmy Blackwell. Jimmy is a faithful attendee at our meetings but was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. We all signed a card for Jimmy, and we send him our love and prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

We had a great turnout for the meeting and even had to scurry around for more chairs when it came time to sit down for brunch.

There was certainly more than enough for everyone to get their fill of food to fortify themselves for the painting session to follow.

Vice President Richard Lundgren and Treasurer Rick Petersen provided two different still lifes for members to choose between.

This is the still life that Richard set up.

And this is the still life that Rick set up. 

After brunch we had a break, and then got down to painting. Though with the weather so nice two of our members decided to go outdoors and paint. And who can blame them? But the rest of us enjoyed painting in the studio.

I'm not sure I got shots of everyone's paintings. I know I didn't see what the two outdoors painters did. Marie and Steve - I hope you will share what you did with us!

But here are shots of many of the paintings, all in various states of completion of course. It would be lots of fun to see them all as finished works.

These first two deserve special recognition because they are both TINY, done on supports that were only about postcard sized. Wow, amazing to get such great detail in such small spaces.

And here are shots of many of the rest, all done on more "normal" sized papers.

Happy holidays and Happy New Year everyone. We look forward to seeing you all again in January 2014. As always, stay tuned here for more details.

Our Melrose opening

Gallery 26 was resplendent tonight. Soft lights played on the outside of the building, and inside the lighting was subdued. Lovely Christmas decorations added to the serenity of the scene.

Light refreshments were actually enough for a full meal! The refreshment table was a work of art itself, and there was also plenty of wine, water and soft drinks.

We were also treated to classical piano playing in the background.

Richard Lundgren, Carron Wedlund, Kay Deuben 

We had a great turnout of FCPS artists also represented at the show. Everyone one of them agreed that the show, which has looked lovely when the work was delivered, looked every better hanging in the gallery.

Kim Daniel (photo by Carron Wedlund)

Betty from Gallery 26 did a wonderful job hanging the show! The gallery, the show, the refreshments, the music. All were superb.

Rick and Patty Petersen 

Rick and Patty Petersen (photo by Carron Wedlund)

As I was sitting on the bench I overheard a woman talking to Betty - a complete stranger to the FCPS - saying that she loved the show, and thought it was just about the best show she had ever seen there!

Karen Rose and Richard Lundgren

We were also pleased and excited that the group had already had two sales, even before the show had officially opened.

So congratulations to Steve Johnson for his sale of this wonderful marsh scene.

And to Linda Hart Green for selling this cool old car. Let's hope we see some more sales!

John Cusick and Joseph Daniel

I think even our two youngest art critics enjoyed the show. They certainly enjoyed the cookies, and playing with one another, at any rate. :-)