Yellow House Artists to host Dec. 4 artists reception for 'Reflections this Season' show
Yellow House Artists, an organization of artists who work in oil pastel and/or oil stick, will host an artists' reception on Sunday, Dec. 4.
Meet the artists featured in their fall show, "Reflections This Season," from 1 to 4 p.m. About 90 paintings are on display through Jan. 8 at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road, St. Charles.
This show features original paintings by 24 participating artists including: Kathy Furgason of Aurora; Eve Sofferman of Bartlett; Deann Alleman and Michael Lejcar, both of Batavia; Carol Kazwick of Downers Grove; Carol Zack of Elgin; Mary Enck, Rupali Kumbhani and Jasmeet Seekhon, all of Geneva; Donelle Flanyak of Glen Ellyn; Darlene Nawrocki of Lisle; George Bruce and Maureen McKee, both of Naperville; Donna Ostrye of Plano; Beth Larson, Teri Tossey, and Pat Van Dusen, all of St. Charles; Irene Peterson of Schaumburg; Diane Danese of Streamwood; Lynn Cesario of Sugar Grove; Barbara "Bunny" Holmes of West Chicago; Carol Kincaid of Wheaton; and Barbara Santucci of Coralville, Iowa.
Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays. Artwork will be for exhibit and sale.
Members of Yellow House Artists are oil pastel artists who are mostly from the Chicago area. In 2007 a group 17 oil pastel artists had a gallery in a yellow house during the St. Charles Fine Art Show.
All were students of George Shipperley, a nationally known artist from Aurora.
The group has since grown to nearly 50 members who are interested in creating and showing their work as well as informing the public about the qualities of this little known medium.
Members of Yellow House Artists use unique techniques, taking advantage of the special qualities of the medium. The group will celebrate their 15th year in 2023.
Oil pastels were developed in the 1940s at the request of Pablo Picasso. He wanted a medium with the qualities of oil but with ease of application and portability. Pure pigment is suspended in inert mineral oil, formed into sticks with a color palette much like oil paint. To the casual viewer the appearance of the round or square sticks may belie the serious artistic application of this medium. Colors can be layered and blended, smeared or smudged, using fingers, some type of tool, or left as applied, all at the artist's discretion.
The works are generally framed under glass to protect the surface image.
With Shipperley's retirement from regular teaching, three Yellow House Artists members, who were introduced to oil pastel by Shipperley, now introduce the oil pastel medium to students - George Bruce at the DuPage Art League in Wheaton, Maureen McKee at the Naperville Art League, and Carol Zack at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles and the DuPage Art League.
More information about the group and the medium can be found on their website: www.yellowhouseartists.com.