I just returned from a wonderful weekend in Albuquerque attending the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) Biennial Convention. Bob and I flew to Albuquerque Thursday morning arriving at 11:30 in the morning. This allowed us to get to the convention hotel in time for me to attend the first session of the conference. This convention draws people from all over the world, although the majority are from the United States. Yet, the convention is just small enough that you get to meet people easily at sessions and other convention activities. You also have the opportunity to attend sessions to learn from a large number of the artists one reads about in the art journals. I was able to attend sessions with Liz Haywood-Sullivan, Michael Chesley Johnson, Richard McKinley, Sean Dye, and Kim Lordier. I learned a lot!!! Some of the things I learned were new to me, but then some of the things I have heard or seen before......but they really jelled for me hearing them this last weekend. One of the concepts that really jelled for me was the fact that the artist is painting a concept....not specifically a scene. All the tools and techniques I have been learning are to be used to design a painting to communicate the concept that drew me to the painting to begin with. An artist is not a camera....faithfully recording a scene. An artist "designs" a painting, modifying and interpreting the scene to share the reason the scene first attracted them. I knew this...but never connected all the ramifications of "knowing this". After this last weekend I think I am going to be approaching my painting in a whole different way!!!
