7/2026 Adventure: J-1 ~ RED, WHITE & BLUE!
This month's challenge asked our artists to mark the 250th birthday of the USA by creating a painting in red, white and blue. The subject matter was up to the artists.
KRYSTINA MADEJ ~ Poppies in Bloom, 15.75 x 12", PastelMat - "Flower painting workshop in which I was introduced to new technique on PastelMat, and new approach to painting flowers, layering from the background forward." - West Vancouver, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia
TERRILYNN DUBREUIL ~ Conflagration, 12 x 18", various soft pastels on UArt 500 - "Is it fire sparks, or an explosion, or a wild storm in the sky? After I spent a couple months out west where everything is bone dry, furnace-like and dusty, this feeling mixes ambiguously with many situations in our world today. Physical and or emotional explosions... the viewer decides." - Asheville, NC
DEBORAH CHASE ~ Bedtime Story, 7.5 x 9.5", mostly pastel pencils on Canson paper - Rutherfordton, NC
ANDREA STUTESMAN ~ Standing Proud, 12 x 9", UArt Dark 320 grit, variety of soft pastels - "I wanted to do something different for red, white and blue, other than the standard flag or a bowl of strawberries and blueberries. I saw this little guy and he inspired me." - Black Mountain, NC
ALEC HALL ~ Bound to the Red, White & Blue, 6 x 8", UART 500 Grit - "I composed this small painting up close and personal. This white Percheron draft horse was part of a July 4th parade many years ago in Michigan." - Hendersonville, NC
PAT QUIGLEY ~ Under the Stars, 16 x 12", hard and soft pastels on Canson Velvet - "I have been a fan of Gail Sibley's "Museum Goers" pastel series and wanted to give the idea a try, using red, white and blue as a color theme. Found it difficult to harmonize in this invented scene and ended up with blue's complement as the dominant. Paint and learn as they say..." - Norristown, PA
MERYL MEYER ~ Eldred Rock Lighthouse - "After a recent trip to Alaska, I was inspired by many beautiful scenes, wildlife, and the historical culture. This Adventure's theme brought me back to Alaska. Eldred Rock Lighthouse is the oldest original octagonal lighthouse. It was built in 1905 and is over 120 yeas old. It sits on a remote island 55 miles north of Juneau, and 17 miles south of Haines, in the North Lynn Canal of Alaska. Its construction was inspired by shipwrecks and a historical foundation is preserving it. Painting this was quite a challenge. I chose realistic detail because the lighthouse and snow covered mountains seemed to require that. I loved how it sits on a an island of rock in the water and how the red roof, white house, and snow contrasts with the blues in the mountains. I used mostly TL pastels for the water and mountains, and hard pastel and pencils for more detailed work... Painting this beautiful scene brought me right back to this wonderful place. Our beautiful treasures in our Country deserve preservation." - Weaverville, NC
KATHERINE HUTCHINSON ~ Sail Away, 13 x 10.5", gray tone Velour and various pastels - "My inspiration was simply something I saw on the internet. This is the first time using Velour and I can't say I love it. Since I purchased a pad I will definitely use it more. Maybe I'll grow to like it better. Thanks for keeping our imaginations and fingers going." - Rutherfordton, NC
JAN COBB ~ Too Pretty, 12 x 9", pastels on Pastel Mat - "Opium Poppy growing in our community garden." - Black Mountain, NC
CLAIRE BENTON ~ Celebrate!, 8.5 x 11", Shizen Design green cotton rag, used pans, pencils, sticks, whatever I could grab - "I considered doing flags. Considered a decorative chicken. Maybe just the colors in abstract. Then while discussing the challenge with Linda Medders-Jackson, I decided on Ladybugs jitterbugging." - Riverview, FL
JANICE JACKSON ~ Winnie's Garden, using mostly pastels from the Jack Richeson Primary set on Uart 400 - "My husband's summer garden has the perfect colors for our challenge!" - Hendersonville, NC
LINDA MEDDERS-JACKSON ~ Liberty - "Meet Lil' Liberty with a little Happy Birthday America scarf. This is a quick practice painting done in mixed pastel sticks (mostly Mt. Vision, 1 pan pastel and that obnoxious, stays with you forever TL Eggplant ). I used Art Spectrum paper but I have gotten so used to UART 600 I found it hard to work with." - Cross, NC
CAROL ROLLICK ~ Strawberry Time, 9 x 11", unknown paper - "I thought I was using PastelMat when I started the piece and it was some strange Velour and not a good one at that. It made it very difficult, but I love the subject." - Point of Vedra Beach, Florida
PAT FENDA ~ Welcome 250!, 11 x 9", wax pastel - "Trying Carand'Ache water soluable pastel sticks on LaCarte Pastel paper. Found it difficult... but experimenting." - Tampa, FL
CATHARIN BANTA ~ Hiding Bird, 13 x 9", Uart, Nupastels and Terry Ludwigs - "While traveling, I came across this Rock Ptarmigan sitting amongst the lava rocks in Iceland. Other than his red eye you might not have seen him! Lots of fun to stumble across him and participate in this challenge." - Laurel Park, NC
MARGARET-LYN-SOROKEN ~ 7.5 x 8" - "Red plums sketch…continued adding to larger thumbnail… working out angles of light on white dish and red on red… a challenge…" - Black Mountain, NC
J KAY GORDON ~ Maine Lobstah Boat, 6 x 8" - "I took photos of this boat last year while they were working their traps off the Schoodic shore. The bright red color of the boat, along with the blue water fit right into this week's Adventure. I painted on dark blue Colorfix... using Derwent pastel pencils. I was going to do some of the work with soft pastels, but I use those only in my studio (tent), and didn't want to work out there this time due to poor Air Quality! I used the dark color of the paper for much of the water, only using the pencils for some highlights and reflections." - currently in Winter Harbor, Maine, but from Weaverville, NC
NANCY CLAUSEN ~ Semper Fi, 12 x 12", Ampersand board, Unison, Sennelier and other pastels - "Our 250th anniversary made me remember that last year the Marines celebrated their 250th. They began in Pennsylvania when a man hung out a sign recruiting for the Militia. The sign said they were looking for "A Few Good Men." - Swannanoa NC
MARYANN GRIB ~ Festive Dessert, 7 x 5", pastels on multi media paper primed with clear gesso - "My favorite part of any celebration is dessert, especially ice cream in the summer. So I went with that as my subject matter and I gave it the patriotic theme of this challenge. This was pretty much composed from my imagination." - Gallatin, NC
JANE BEST ~ Waiting, 12 x 9”, Art Spectrum paper, Terry Ludwig and AS pastels - "I found and old photo I took in Peggy’s Cove and liked the red, , and blue boats together with the gray/neutral rocks behind them so chose for this enjoyable adventure. Thanks!!" - Morganton, NC
WILL EVANS ~ Blur Ridge Celebration, 5 x 5", dark board - "The black scratchboard I had proved to be too smooth, but here it is. Happy 4th!" - Fairview, N.C.
