ADVENTURES IN PASTEL
Welcome to our Adventure Series!
This online group activity offers our members a series of pastel painting challenges each year.
On the 3rd Wednesday of a designated month you receive a new Adventure, via Email, that challenges you to use your pastels in a unique and creative way.
You have a week to submit your Adventure painting, via Email, and then we put together an online gallery of the Adventure paintings.
Comments on how you experienced the Adventure, or insights you gain, are welcomed and included as captions in the gallery.
Adventures provide a unique chance to see how fellow APS members explore visual ideas, experiment with new techniques, and relish the joys of pastel painting.
This program is a perennial favorite of our members!
Our Newest Adventure: H-6 ~ ARTIST’S CHOICE
Our last Challenge of the year! The subject of these artworks was up to the artist. What fun!
APS thanks our Members for a year filled with wonderful Adventure Challenge submissions. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a 2026 filled with pastels!
FRANKIE MILHORN ~ I Believe, 8 x 10, assorted pastels on Pastelmat - "I had fun painting this! It is my version of a cold winter day, with Santa on his journey to visit all the boys and girls around the world. (The reindeer are grazing nearby). Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!"
DIANE DE GRASSE ~ Holiday Fare, 9 x 12, mixed pastels on Colorfix Art Spectrum paper - "The holiday season means baking to me: gifts for friends and family. Last year I painted this group of my Kulich, or Russian Easter breads, fresh from the kitchen. After 60 years of making them I created an image that will survive through future festive seasons! Thanks for the opportunity to share them."
PAT FENDA ~ Norway, 12 x 8 - "My paint buddy offered her photo of snow in Norway. I really enjoyed using different blues and purples to enhance the snow. Loved this so much I am making it my Holiday Card. Thanks again for these challenges. Happy Holidays!"
ALEC HALL ~ Winter Wren, 5 x 7, UART 500 grit, Rembrandt pastels and Carb-Othello pastel pencils - "We have several bird feeders on our deck and enjoy the array of birds the visit us each day. One of our favorites is the spritely Carolina wren. Always alert and in constant motion. And in the spring, he sings his cheerful song with the greatest volume! Happy Holidays!"
KAREN KNAUB ~ 10 x 6 - "Merry Christmas to all!"
PAT QUIGLEY ~ "I started this as a charcoal sketch thinking it might lead to a pastel holiday card; but something about the tonal study makes me think color might change the mood. The snow was fast and fun to do - all “negative lifting” with an eraser. I’ll try again in pastel and maybe keep it tonal but with a bit of color? Happy Holidays everyone!"
PAMELA CLIFFORD ~ Evening Moon, 8 x 6, Pan pastels on Mi Teinte - “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” - Jimi Hendrix
CAROL ROLLICK ~ 9 x 12, Pastelmat - "While traditional landscape is my comfort zone, I also am crazy about the beautiful abstracts painted by our sister North Carolinian, Laura Pollick who is also a brilliant, multi-subject pastalist. With this piece I have tried to capture some of her dynamic vibrancy. I had fun, but she needn’t feel challenged. Again, a really super chance to stretch ourselves."
CHRISTINA CARROLL ~ "I really love doing portraits and I found this photo in black and white. It was done on UArt with lots of soft pastels. I was happy with the result and glad to share it. Thanks for the opportunity!"
LISA DAIGLE ~ December Sky, 9 x 12 - "I painted this scene until 3 am as I felt consumed by a work situation. I was able to easily transition into my true inner nature, a place of inner peace, stillness, and non-busyness. Some of my ways of life stem from the sacred symbol of the Medicine Wheel and other Native American teachings. The East is thus an important direction for me. Each day, as the sun rises in the East, I wake with gratitude for a new day of life. On this early evening, the full moon was rising in the East in my neighborhood."
LINDA MEDDERS ~ Mixed pastels and pastel pencil on Uart - "Just playing around with white pastel nothing serious."
JOANNA KARPAY ~ Field of Beauty, 12 X 9, pastel on Uart - "This painting was created from a photograph I took in Vermont. It had all of the elements I love, trees, mountains and the sunlit field of grasses. But the contrast of the birch against the deep woods is naturally what drew me to paint this beautiful but simple scene."
DEBORAH CHASE ~ Portrait Practice, 9.5 x 7.5 - "Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! I thought I would try a portrait. The first effort was freehand and on a pale sanded paper. I felt it got overworked trying to get the right proportions and skin tones. My second attempt I gridded the image and used a warmer middle toned paper. It was done on Mi Teintes paper with pastel pencils. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"
WILL EVANS ~ 12 x 16, U-Art 400 - "This was blocked in with Nupastels and finished primarily with Terry Ludwig’s. A rocky Maine shoreline, a jumble of worn granite and weathered pines on a perfect misty day. Thanks to APS for another great challenge."
CINDY LIDD ~ A Walk in the Park, 8 x 11.5 - "This is from a photo I took while on vacation in Hawaii very long ago. I felt it is a good choice from one of our past challenges to paint trees. Thanks to everyone for these 2025 challenges."
CHRIS MCGRAW ~ Ana, 18 x 18 - "Richeson and Girault pastels, charcoal and conte on Strathmore toned paper."
ANDREA STUTESMAN ~ Tomahawk Trail, 16 x 12 - "I chose to work on trees as this is a definite challenge for me. I used Canson Velvet, created an underpainting with alcohol and then added pastel ground in areas. This is a the trail at Tomahawk Lake here in Black Mountain. It looks best far, far away. I plan to keep playing with the pastel ground to see what affects I can achieve."
CLAIRE BENTON ~ Ho! Ho!, 5 x 7, Pastelboard (brown), pan and pencil pastels.
RUTH CROWE ~ Falling Leaves, 12 x 9, Uart 400 lb. paper - "Fall trees are one of my favorite things to paint. This was done from my own reference photo, taken at the park in Blowing Rock. I used assorted Sennelier and other pastels."
NANCY CLAUSEN ~ The Tree Planter, 9 x 12 - "This will go to my grandson when it's finished. Apparently, there is a song about a rusty truck with a Christmas tree in it. (Family joke, I think). I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday."
VERNONA HEARNE ~ "Recently I saw Ron DiCianni’s work for the first time. His “Simeon’s Moment,” overwhelmed me with joy. After seeing this work I googled the artist and read his exciting life’s calling as a Christian artist. I sketched his painting, calling mine “Simeon’s Joy.” DiCianni’s painting is based on the New Testament account of Simeon holding the 8 day old baby Jesus, who is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.” I plan to apply beautiful pastels to my sketch soon. I hope you each had joyful 2025 holidays and may 2026 fill your life with awe and wonder. Again and again THANK YOU APS for everything!"
MACIEJ BOBOWICZ ~ " 'Seceda Mountain' depicts one of the most interesting mountain formations in the Dolomites, Italy. Several painters in various genres approached it, including soft pastels. I needed to give it a try. It was my first mountain painting and was quite challenging to get the shapes and light/shadow correct, but I'm happy with the outcome. Photo reference with necessary permissions thanks to Pavel Prochazka. Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!"
MERYL MEYER ~ Lydia's Pastry Pastime, 8 x 6, Strathmore grey sketch paper, charcoals and white soft pastel - "From my own reference 50 plus years ago. This was my best friend's Mom. She was a Social Worker, and I would spend some holidays with them in Rhode Island in a place called "Harmony". She loved making pasta and pastries in her spare time. I loved the home cooking nostalgia. There are many wonderful memories especially during the holidays. I made this sketch so I could really feel that moment in time. I am not sure of my colors yet so I will be making color studies. Have a wonderful and delicious holiday!"
LYNN JACKSON ~ "I wanted to use the black pastel paper that I had on hand. I had some old bottles, so I did a study of them using a Rembrandt white pastel and white pastel pencil. It was challenging as any mistake was hard to erase. I have enjoyed participating in the challenges. Thank you. Happy Holidays!"
TERRILYNN DUBREUIL ~ Unsettled: Contemplating Wyeth, 18 x 12, UArt paper - "Some of my recent pieces have taken on subtle social commentary. 'Unsettled' shows a girl stopping mid-stride to turn and look at an Andrew Wyeth painting in a gallery. The tilted horizon and shredded marks of the surroundings suggest a sense of the precarious world young people inhabit today. She stops in her tracks captured by the painting, holding her braid as if it were a rope to a sense of security. Her feet point forward to the future, but her mind is trapped by the evasive meaning of this, one of Andrew Wyeth’s final paintings."
KATHY HUTCHINSON ~ 5 x 8, Strathmore grey paper unsanded with Richeson, Schmincke, and Rubens pastels - "Just a quick sketch to evaluate colors etc. I had no source, photo, etc. It's been a fun year of Adventures even though I've had little time to create complete works."
JAN JACKSON ~ Marlee, 7 x 5 - "A Christmas commission. The challenge was getting her, along with 4 other pups, finished by Christmas!!!"
MARGARET LYN-SOROKEN ~ Maude, 9 x 8, pastel on color ground - "Sketched over on previous image - my cat Maude... wishing you all season’s greetings!"
JANE BEST ~ Winter Solstice, 9 x 12 - "This was an enjoyable adventure. My reference was a photo I took of an old farm from the back parking lot of Mast General Store in Valley Crucis, NC. Merry Christmas to our great group!"
To become an APS Member and participate in our Adventure Challenges CLICK HERE.
To access our archives and see past Adventure Challenges CLICK HERE.
