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clark Mitchell, psa

FEATURE ARTIST MARCH 2018

Growing up in the shadow of the Rockies, Clark Mitchell very early discovered a love of the natural world. Given a set of fine old German pastels by his father when quite young, he quickly embraced the medium for its ease of handling, brilliance of color and portability.  

He received a bachelor’s degree in art from Colorado College in the seventies and moved to San Francisco to continue his studies at the Academy of Art College. Through personal exploration as well as study with artists Albert Handell, Skip Whitcomb, Michael Lynch and Bill Hook, Mitchell has developed the talent to create both tightly rendered scenes as well as looser, more abstract suggestions. In order to fully immerse himself in the countryside he loved to portray, Mitchell left San Francisco with his partner over thirty years ago and moved north to the beautiful Sonoma County wine country. Painting expeditions throughout the state as well as across the country continue to provide challenge as well as inspiration.
Clark Mitchell Website
Picture
Clark Mitchell
​COMPETITIONS
​PSST:  We all feel encouraged by your leadership toward our upcoming exhibition. As a juror for Art of the Pastel 2018, do you have advice for participants of this international competition or of competitions in general?
​
CLARK:  Always submit your best work. Something unique: in color, vantage point, subject matter. Albert Handell told me years ago, “Enter the best work you have and the biggest you can afford to frame and ship.”

​Don’t be disappointed by rejection. It happens all the time to me and every other artist I know. Keep entering shows, keeping in mind the kind of work the juror(s) and judge do.
Picture
Painting by Clark Mitchell

PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR

PSST: Do you have tools to recommend or any tips you would like to share on preparing for Plein Air events, where you have experienced a good deal of success? How has competition affected your productivity and personal growth? 
​
CLARK:  Have your materials ready. Paper cut to the size of your frames; backing, glass and wiring prepared. I always use non-reflective glass, but don’t go the extreme expense of museum glass. I use Tru-Vue AR. Have a sturdy, wind tolerant easel you can comfortably work in front of many hours a day. Immerse yourself in an unfamiliar region as quickly as possible, and ask local artists to recommend scenic locations.
I seem to do well under the pressure of competition. I’m always aiming to better my own work. I’m doing larger work on location than ever before. 12 x 16 used to be the largest size I did. Now it’s among the smaller.


Picture
Painting by Clark Mitchell

website and social media

​PSST: The fires of 2017 were devastating and many of us are concerned for Sonoma County and other parts of California. Have the recent fires in your area affected your current work or the ways in which you work now?
​
CLARK:  Certainly there was a region wide pain and sadness, which would affect any artist emotionally. We were very fortunate to have no damage.
 
PSST: Your website is a warm and inviting spot online, and it seems to work well as a place to mentor others. The revision process you describe for the commissioned work Valley Guardians holds a good deal of information for all of us, for example. How long did you work toward your current website, and can you advise pastel artists about key design features of your site? And does social media play a part of your marketing strategy?

CLARK:  I’ve worked on the site over several years. We’re always updating, rearranging, polishing. Writing new blogs and newsletters. It’s better maintained than previous sites I’ve had. It was built through FASO, offering an amazing range of choices and levels of complexity. They have a very responsive support team.

I work with a very talented lady, Jennifer King, of ConnectArtistMarketing.com, who assists me on a regular basis, both with my website and with social media, which I feel is becoming more and more important all the time. The most advantageous social media platforms for reaching the art buying and appreciating public keep changing. Jennifer keeps up to date with these. Working in the studio with both pastels and oils, and on location solely with pastels, I ‘m extremely busy and want to devote as much time as possible to creating!
Picture
Painting by Clark Mitchell
Picture
Painting by Clark Mitchell
Pastel Workshops and Instruction
  • One day a month I hold a six hour workshop in my country studio in Sonoma County, CA. Topics are Pastel Landscapes from Photos, Introduction to Plein Air (outdoors on my country property), and Still Life
  • Kalamazoo, Michigan: three day plein air workshop, July 13-15, 2018. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, kiarts.org
  • Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational, October 6 – 14, lpapa.org

Click for complete schedule on Clark Mitchell website.
Pastel Society of Southeast Texas, bringing the beauty of pastel to international artists and collectors. A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, based in the Greater Houston area.
​All images on this website copyright 2025 by listed artist and PSST.
​

  • Home
  • About PSST
  • MEETINGS/WORKSHOPS 2025
  • Membership
    • Membership Benefits
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Honors
  • Member Gallery
  • Resources
    • Photograph & Edit
    • Sponsors
    • Blog
    • Interviews >
      • Pamela Hamilton 2021
      • Jeri Greenberg 2021
      • Dawn Emerson 2021
      • Dakota Pastels 2021
      • Jen Evenhus 2021
      • Karen Margulis 2020
      • Cindy Crimmin 2020
      • Bethany Fields 2020
      • Rita Kirkman 2020
      • Interviews 2014-2019
  • Classes
  • Exhibitions
    • AOTP Past Winners
    • AOTP Past Shows
    • Member Shows
    • Competition Entry & Etiquette
  • Members Only
    • Lists, Info & Ops
    • 2025 Artist Demos/Meetings
    • 2024 Artist Demos/Meetings
    • 2023 Artist Demos/Meetings
    • Zoom 2022 Demo/Meetings
    • Zoom 2021 Demos/Meetings
    • Zoom 2020 Demos/Meetings
    • Live Model Groups
    • Your Membership Card
    • Critique Groups
    • Pastel Atelier >
      • Seeing Values
      • Unified Color
      • Playing with your Pastel Palette
    • Resources
    • ByLaws
    • Policies & Procedures
    • Exhibition Chair Guidelines
  • Contact Us