If you are in the neighborhood, stop by the UCSF Faculty/Alumni House at 745 Parnassus before October 30 and see the landscape pastel paintings of Susan Ashley. Call 415-476-4723 first, as the Alumni House is not always open. Also on display are landscapes by Norma Paige.
Ashley has accurately captured the detail, colors and texture, as well as the relaxing beauty, of summer hillsides in California. From a distance, some of her paintings match the subject landscapes so closely, they appear to be photographs.
Some of her landscape paintings are more surreal, with the same attention to detail, as in this example.
Ashley has been working with pastel for eight years. She appreciates the immediacy pastel offers, along with freedom from color mixing, drying time, brush cleaning, etc.
Due to the large number of pastel sticks of varying hardness and shades that she uses, Ashley often takes photos and does sketches of the subject landscape. Working in the studio later allows her to work with care and attention at her own pace.
Ashley started out as a mostly self taught oil painter, then moved on to become a studio potter.
Ashley keeps her earlier connection to pottery by displaying her pastels in an annual show at the studio of accomplished and nationally recognized potter Mary Law in Berkeley. The show is the last weekend in November. See Mary Law Pottery for details.
Please note: Susan Ashley does not have a web site. The web site of the same name is someone else.
by Phil Gravitt
Posts
1 comment:
Hi Susan- this is Bob Elkjer (we had dinner at Nancy and Joanne's Sunday night). Your pastel landscapes are remarkable. Such detail, but retaining a softness.
Bob
www.robertelkjer.com
Post a Comment