Lyn Asselta 
FEATURE ARtist January 2019

I have truly come to appreciate even the smallest things in nature ~ what beauty awaits, all around, and the artist in me is taking it all in, with great appreciation.

​Lyn is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA), an International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) Eminent Pastelist,  a member of the Salmagundi Club, the Eastern League of Professional Artists and American Women Artists.  She is the founder of the First Coast Pastel Society (FL) and is a Member of Excellence of the Southeastern Pastel Society.   Her award winning paintings have appeared in shows and exhibitions throughout the United States, and in invitational exhibitions in France and China.  


Choosing pastel as her medium, Lyn Asselta creates vivid, thoughtful images of places that tug at her heart.  These images are often purposefully meant to make her viewers feel as though they have stumbled upon a place of quiet strength and solitude.  She chooses to create a narrative in her images,but welcomes and encourages you to create your own. 

Art by Lyn Website

PSST:  Your landscapes express mood and atmosphere, from a variety of lighting situations. What would you say is the most important aspect of capturing a scene? Do you have particular colors or brands of materials that you rely on in your work?
 
 
Lyn Asselta: I truly believe that the most important part of capturing a scene is knowing why you were attracted to it in the first place, and focusing on ways to convey that “spark” or attraction to your viewer.  As for light, the exact same scene can say many different things, depending on how the light is handled.  Using the most effective light to convey the intent of your painting is important.
As for particular colors and brands, no.  I use a variety of brands; each has its own characteristics and reacts differently on different surfaces.  I also don’t rely on particular colors.  I look for whatever color I need to make the mark I want.
 
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PSST:  We read so much about composition and value studies. Do you experiment with design elements in your work? Has your approach changed over the years? 
 
Lyn Asselta:  For many years, I used a sketchbook to experiment with different formats and compositions for each painting.  I learned to work with notans and often use them as the basis of my underpaintings.  As I’ve painted more and more, I find that I do compositional sketches less and I tend to “see” the composition in my head.  I wouldn’t recommend anyone start that way, though.  We all need to put in the hours and hours of hard work necessary until we can be very confident in our ability to successfully compose a scene.  These days, I often find myself working directly on my surface, making adjustments as I go.
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PSST:  The PSST members are blessed to have an opportunity to learn from you in the upcoming March pastel workshops. Do you have videos or books to recommend to your students?  Are there any preparatory steps we could take to make the most of our time together? 
 
Lyn Asselta:  I think that one of the best books on pastel out there right now is “Pastel Pointers” by Richard McKinley.  As for videos, choose videos by known workshop instructors.  Anyone can make a YouTube video and, sadly, there are quite a few out there that probably shouldn’t be.  That said, every bit of information you can find will help you to become a better painter.  Read Pastel Journal…it’s a wealth of information. 
Prior to the workshop, my best recommendation would be to work in your sketchbook…a lot.  Paint everything and anything.  Make copious notes about what you see. 
Also, I recently published a book, “Seeing the Landscape”.  It’s not instructional, it is my own prose alongside my paintings.  My hope was that the book would give readers a bit of insight into what I think about as I choose my subject matter or make my paintings.  But, I wanted to do it in a way that didn’t feel like a textbook.  You can find it for sale on my website:  www.lynasselta.com
 

PSST:  Please tell us what other events you have coming up.
 
Lyn Asselta:  I'm pleased to say that Richeson Company recently introduced four pastel sets that I developed.  One is a 40-piece, hand rolled, basic workshop set (including a very light value, a very dark value and two mid-tones in each hue), a supplementary 20-piece Sky Studies set and a supplementary 20-piece Darks & Brights set.  Also, a 20-piece set called the Pocket Landscape set which is meant to be a small set you could easily carry out into the field for color studies.
 
I currently have two small works in the Salmagundi Thumbbox Exhibition in New York City and I have two large works in the Eastern League of Professional Artists exhibit in Gainesville, Georgia.  These exhibits run through January.
 
I will be teaching a two-day workshop and giving a demo in June at the IAPS convention in Albuquerque and I will also be on the Pro Art Critique panel, which allows you to sign up with professionals to have 20-minute critiques of your current work.

Along with a full schedule of workshops throughout 2019, I will be teaching a workshop at the National Arts Club in New York City in October for the Pastel Society of America.
 
If you find yourself in the northeast Florida area, my work can be seen in both of the Cutter & Cutter Fine Art locations (Saint Augustine and Ponte Vedra) www.cutterandcutter.com