Our September ‚Get Dusty‘ is all about the weather and its effects. The category is ‚Landscape‘ and includes seascapes and cityscapes. Fog, mist, rain, snow, thunderstorms, you get the drift. Please, do not enter picture postcard landscapes with blue sky and fluffy clouds; show us the many different faces weather can have.
Figures may be included, as long as they are an integral part of the scene and not the main subject.
As usual, every member may post up to two entries. Deadline is September, 25.
Adrian Frankel Giuliani is an internationally recognized, award winning pastel artist. She was an artist from the time she was a tiny toddler, growing up in Queens, New York. She drew constantly, and it quickly became obvious that art was an essential part of who she was.
At 17, Adrian was introduced to soft pastels by Flora Giffuni, the founder of the Pastel Society of America. She had the great fortune of studying with Flora that year.
She loved the immediacy, flexibility and rich, vibrant colors pastels provided. Pastels became her medium. Her love for pastels continued at the Rhode Island School of Design, studying with masters such as Richard Merkin, and graduating with high honors, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration in 1987.
Since then, Adrian has been on her own artistic journey with her pastel work. Adrian believes there is a Mind, Body and Spirit Connection and that it connects deeply to our artwork. Her attitude, body and spiritual connection all influence who she is as an artist. Mostly working from life, she uses observation, play, abstraction and a great deal of freedom. Besides her pastel teaching, which she loves, she prefers to be alone while she works. Her focus is clear, she has no inhibitions or distractions. Painting to the lively music on her eclectic playlist, it becomes an immersive experience, following the road map the piece will unfold for her.
Today Adrian is proud to be a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, APS, Distinguished Pastelist of the Pastel Society of New Jersey, RRPSNV, and an IAPS Master Circle member. She is known for both her children’s portraits and, more recently, for her contemporary still lifes and florals. Adrian’s work has been recognized in many national and international exhibitions, winning numerous awards. Adrian’s pastel, All You Need is Love, won the Herman Margulies Bequest Award in the 46th Annual Pastel Society of America Annual Juried Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance, the piece was also purchased by the curator of the National Arts Club, and it is now part of their permanent collection. In 2019, Adrian was thrilled to have won an Honorable Mention for her still life, Reflections of an Artist, in the IAPS 2019 Convention! The following year, she won the Daniel E. Greene, PSA- MP, HFH, Memorial Award in the 48th Annual Pastel Society of America Annual Juried Exhibition, for her self portrait, Breaking through Boundaries. Her floral, Harmonic Celebration, was on the cover of this year’s issue of the Pastel Society of America publication, Pastelagram, with a four page feature inside. Adrian was delighted that Harmonic Celebration was also juried into the IAPS 6th Master Circle Exhibition at the Zhou B. Art Center in Chicago this past June.
Like every summer, our GET DUSTY is a free choice competition. It runs until August, 25th at 00:00C ET. Every member can upload 3 paintings!
Please remember the rules before you upload:
1. Your photo has to be 800px on the long side; smaller sizes will be disqualified.
2. Please state the size of your original painting (size without mat and frame).
3. Please state your source! If you do not use your own set-up, you must have the right to use the reference and tell the name of the photographer! We do not want any copyright issues!
If your entry was done from life, imagination or your own reference photo, say so. If an external reference was used you should state its source and, where appropriate, the name of the person to whom it belongs. If you do not add this information when entering, or later in the comments box, your entry will be disqualified.
4. All paintings entered must have been created within the last four years.BUT: a painting that has already won a Get Dusty competition, may not be entered again.
Having graduated at UCA Maidstone with BA Hons Illustration in 2007, Emma Colbert began working on portrait commissions and producing her own series of wildlife pastel paintings. She is now a leading animal portrait artist in the UK. Endorsed by Unison Soft Colour Pastels, she has created colour selections of soft pastels for them designed specifically for painting animals. You can read more about Emma’s Animal Unison sets here.
After discovering pastel at a young age, Emma knew this was the medium in which she wanted to develop. An equal love of animals has fuelled a love of painting them. Using pastels in a painterly way Emma creates highly detailed, vibrant work inspired by the beauty of nature and light.
Wanting to spend more time in nature, Emma currently lives and works in a motorhome with her partner Andrew and their miniature dachshund Brocci. This has opened up the opportunity to be at one with nature, rising at dawn to photograph the mammals she paints, and spending long days painting in her portable studio at the back of the camper.
Having toured around Ireland in 2015 the trio are embarking on a European tour in 2016, painting and blogging as they go. Although it is her aim to paint the inspirational scenes and wildlife on the trip, Emma will of course continue to produce commissioned portraits. As the work is often posted worldwide and correspondence takes place online most of the time, this will not be a problem to any client anywhere.
