Melody Allen just spent an exciting weekend in Traverse City participating in a pastel convention and attending a reception for The Great Lakes Pastel Society’s National Juried Exhibition where she received an Honorable Mention for her pastel painting “Beach Boys”.
Melody says, “Though I have worked in pastel for about fourteen years, creating “Beach Boys” was nevertheless a bit of a challenge for me. I wanted to be able to capture the water and surf without over-working the image. I started my painting by toning the pastel paper with a watercolor underpainting of deep blues and greens, letting it dry, and then applying the pastel over top. This technique helped establish the darkest parts of the water, so that when the lighter colors were put over them the illusion of depth was more effective. It was rewarding to see the risks I took result in a successful outcome.”
Getting accepted into this national show was a fabulous honor in itself; receiving an Honorable Mention was super-sweet icing on the cake! Melody states, “I feel very humbled to have my work included among some of the finest and most respected pastel artists in the country.”
You can see this piece at the Great Lakes Pastel Society 2014 National Juried Exhibition in Traverse City, MI, April 13 through May 25 at the Dennos Museum.