Doug Dawson is one of those teachers who truly helped me understand how to improve my work considerably. I learnt this in a workshop that almost never happened.

In 2002, I was in Placerville, Sacramento for an International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) exhibition. I was privileged to have a piece in the show and I was there to celebrate! My new friend Stephanie Birdsall suggested I take a workshop with Doug Dawson which was running at the same time. I was a huge fan of Doug’s work but certainly hadn’t thought of taking the workshop. 

Doug Dawson, "Mountain Pine," pastel, 15 1/2 x 19 in. This was in the 2022 IAPS exhibition.
Doug Dawson, “Mountain Pine,” pastel, 15 1/2 x 19 in. This was in the 2022 IAPS exhibition.

The thing was, when we looked into it, there was one space left (and I’m not even sure if there was a spot but one did come up). Obviously, I was meant to take this class! 

And what an amazing opportunity it was to watch Doug’s process and to understand more about what went into his creations. It literally changed the course of my art.

Doug Dawson, "Above Silver Plume," pastel, 21 x 21 in.
Doug Dawson, “Above Silver Plume,” pastel, 21 x 21 in.

Doug really hammered home the benefit of doing thumbnails and I began to see why. The other thing I learned changed my work. This was the idea of layering pastels in a more thoughtful way. For instance, thinking about temperature as a way to choose a colour for the first layer.

When looking at his evocative work, observe how he uses colour.

Doug Dawson, "Fast Water," pastel, 17 x 20 in
Doug Dawson, “Fast Water,” pastel, 17 x 20 in

I’m over the moon that Doug will be teaching at Pastel Live this year so that you too can be influenced by this brilliant and articulate teacher. 

Doug Dawson, "Abandoned Homestead," pastel, 15 1/2 x 19 1/2 in.
Doug Dawson, “Abandoned Homestead,” pastel, 15 1/2 x 19 1/2 in.

And to get a sense of the wisdom of this gentle and philosophical man, check out this short interview I made a few years ago at the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) Convention.

 

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Pastel Live Faculty Member Wins Eminent IAPS Designation

 

Jane McGraw-Teubner has achieved her Eminent designation from IAPS. The road to this status is a long one. 15 points are needed to achieve this level. You gain a point for every IAPS show you’re juried into and if you win an award, you get an extra point. So you see, the fastest time you could get to this level is being accepted into five shows and winning an award every time….probably not going to happen.

So brava Jane!!

 

Jane McGraw-Teubner, "Finally Spring," pastel, 12 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. This was Jane's entry into the 2022 IAPS exhibition.
Jane McGraw-Teubner, “Finally Spring,” pastel, 12 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. This was Jane’s entry into the 2022 IAPS exhibition.

 

Catch this article to read more!

Join Jane McGraw-Teubner and Doug Dawson at the 2nd Annual Pastel Live! The dates are 17-20 August which means it’s fast approaching!! An amazing slate of pastel masters is on tap for you to learn from. 

And that’s it for now!

Gail


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