Color in Hand - The Art of Soft Pastel

An Exhibition at Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Soft Pastel is a dry painting medium in stick form, requiring neither liquid nor a brush to apply. The color is held in hand and applied directly to the painting surface. For these reasons, many artists love the immediacy. Pastels are made with pure pigment, the same raw materials as other artists' paints such as oil and watercolor.

The pigment is ground to a fine powder and mixed with just enough binder and water to be formed into sticks. To make a painting, pastels are dragged across a rough paper surface. Artists build up many layers of color over the course of creating a work. The expressive possibilities of pastel are unlimited. This exhibition is co-sponsored by the Pastel Society of the West Coast, whose mission is to promote and encourage the use of pastel through education, community, and artistic excellence.

All subjects and genres are welcome, from realism to abstraction. Works must be in soft pastel—no oil pastels. The artwork's final surface must be at least 80% soft pastel. Your work must be original and based on your own references, not copied from other artists or published material. All works must be framed and under glass for safety.

Work must be produced in the last 4 years. May not exceed 4 feet wide. Work must be framed, wired and ready to hang. No sawtooth hangers accepted.