Aline Ordman (alineordman.com),
of Vermont, earned a BFA at Cornell
University and went on to study
illustration at the Academy of Art
University, in San Francisco. She’s
a signature member of the American
Impressionist Society and the Oil
Painters of America, a Master
Pastelist with the Pastel Society of
America and a Master Circle member
with the International Association of
Pastel Societies. She has won many
awards and has been included
several times in the Pastel 100. She
teaches workshops throughout
the country and abroad. Her work is
represented by Camden Falls Gallery,
in Camden, Maine; Brickhouse
Gallery, in Essex, Vt.; Blue Heron
Gallery, in Wellfleet, Mass.; and Little
Mackinack Gallery, in Mackinac, Mich.I washiredtocreatea paintingforthepackagingfor
musictapes.I decidedit wouldbefuntoillustratea con-
ductormakinglotsofgesturalmovementsandthought
thatwouldtranslatewellinpastel.I neverlookedback.”
Theartist’sjoyatdiscoveringthemediumcontinuestothisday.“Ilovethe
immediacyofpastels,”shesays. “Whileit’struethatinpaintyoucanmixthe
coloryouwant,I enjoythesurprisesI cangetwithchoosingcolorsinpastel
thatmightnotbeexactlywhatI wantedbutmightgivea richnessthatI hadn’t
expected.Also,forme,pastelswerea logicalsteptowardcolorfromcharcoal.
ThewayI holdthemediumandtouchthepaperwiththepastelissimilar.”
ASeamlessContinuity
Withherinterestinmovementandanopenapproach,Ordman’sinfluences
arescarcelya surprise.“I’vealwayslovedImpressionism,andwhileI havegreat
respectforworkdoneveryrealistically,myheartlieswithworkthatallowsthe
viewersto‘fillintheblanks,’” shesays.“Ifindthatwhenworkisn’t‘finished,’
theviewerscanbecomemoreinvolvedwithwhattheyseeinit aswell.”
Notonlydoesthisapproachmakeforstrongwork,butOrdmanbelievesit
alsoreflectsthewayweseetheworld,sewingtogethera seriesofglimpsesand
impressionstomakea seamlesscontinuityofoursurroundings.“Wedon’tsee
everythingequally,”shesays.“Ourfocusatanyonemomentislimitedtosmall
areas.Oureyesthenmovearoundtoseemore.I alwaysaskmystudentsto
look me in the eyes and only let their
peripheral vision see my feet. Then,
when I ask them what I’m wearing,
they discover that they can’t see it.”The Element
of Surprise
As for how she’d like viewers to
respond to her work, Ordman says
she’d like them to have the same
sense of pleasurable surprise that she
experiences when she comes across
artwork that moves her. “I’m often
scrolling through work other artists
have done and suddenly I’m stopped
in my tracks and gasp at what I’m
seeing,” she says.
“Ideally, I’d like viewers to feel
that way when they see my work.
I want them to be attracted to the
color and design, but then look closer
and see something that surprises
them.” Undoubtedly, many viewers
will experience surprise, pleasure
and something of a thrill when they
see Finish Line. PJJohn A. Parks (johnaparks.com) is a
painter, a writer and a member of the
faculty of the School of Visual Arts in
New York City.ABOVE
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