Let's make our own pastels!

What: FCPS May General Meeting

When: Saturday, May 7, 2016, 10:00 AM to 12 PM

Where: Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach

Our next member meeting is coming up, and we will be talking about a topic many of our members have asked about: How to make your own pastels from the dust little leftover bits of pastels you have. Many of us collect our dust. Waste not, want not. Come to our May meeting and learn what you can do with those odds and ends.

Please bring the following supplies:
- a variety of old pastel bits and pieces or pastel dust that you've collected
- a mortar and pestle (doesn't have to be fancy.  Thrift stores are great places to look for these)
- a few paper plates and a plastic tray or tupperware-type container with lid
- a few old pieces of newspaper
- a dust mask
- vinyl gloves

Don't Forget - Upcoming Show and Workshop with Karen Margulis

The First Coast Pastel Society’s 2016 Member Show and Sale will be on exhibit June 3 to July 15, 2016 at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach, 50 Executive Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The CCPVB is conveniently located off A1A with ample free parking.

The opening reception and award presentation will be held on Friday evening June 3 from 6 to 8 pm. This year’s exhibit is juried by nationally known pastel artist Karen Margulis.

Karen is represented by several galleries in the Southeast as well as several online galleries. She is a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society and a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America. 

Karen will be teaching a mini-workshop called "It Begins with the Sky: Painting Sky and Clouds" on Saturday, June 4th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Sawgrass Hilton Garden Inn, 45 PGA Tour Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Please visit the First Coast Pastel Society site to get details or to register and pay for the workshop. Participants will receive a supply list after they’ve registered.

Lovely Dutton Island

We're sorry about those whose schedules it disrupted, but the week's wait was worth it for the Dutton Island plein air. Those of us who were able to spend some time there in the morning all agree that the weather was glorious - the sort of weather you pray for when you plan a plein air day. Sunny, cool but not too hot, with a breeze fairly gentle but enough to keep away any possible bugs.

I had to leave a little early so don't know if anyone showed up late after I left, but I'm aware of seven of us from the FCPS who showed up for a wonderful morning, and spent quite a while checking out all the wonderful places Dutton Island had to offer before settling on a painting spot.

Even your faithful blogger got included in one of the photos from the morning. True I'm usually behind the camera but I have made a few appearances here. :-)

I think Maggie here deserves an honorary FCPS membership card after all her plein air outings with our group.

People found different places to set up. In fact I never even discovered where some set up as I couldn't find them when I made some photo rounds. They must have been well hidden.

However the beautiful salt marshes were the main draw at this location, and all the paintings I came across featured them in some way - all differently of course, one of the things I love about seeing what folks do on our plein air outings.

I didn't catch up with everyone, but here are some of the offerings from the morning with the usual disclaimer that they are all in various states of completion.

Our May meeting will be all about learning to make your own pastels, so stay tuned to this space for more details shortly. 

Dutton Island - new date

What:  Plein Air Paint-out
When: Saturday, April 9, 9 AM to 1 PM 
Where: Dutton Island Preserve

We never postponed a plein air before but when on Thursday evening of March 31 the weather forecast was calling for 90% chance of thunderstorms for the entire Saturday morning on Dutton Island we decided it might not be safe to go there. We've painted outdoor when it's been in the 30's, and when it's been in the 90's. We've painted in drizzle, high winds, clouds and overcast. But thunderstorms are nothing to mess around with so we decided to postpone.

As it turned out the weather was not bad at Dutton that day - though certainly bad elsewhere! At my home we had heavy rain and violent thunder and lightning until past lunch time. How 'ere it was, we decided to postpone a week. We're sorry for all the people this inconvenienced. We're trying to think of what the proper solution will be going forward and have some ideas we are considering.

However considering that this is the first plein air date we decided to change in nearly 4 1/2 years shows how lucky we have been over all. Hope some of you can make it this Saturday as Dutton is truly a beautiful place.