Nupastels.”Mostoften,Latalauses
softpastelsexclusivelytocomplete
hispaintings,mostlywithTerry
Ludwigpastels.“Naturally,I prefera
heavilysandedsurfacetoobtainmy
desiredeffects,”hesays.“Istillhave
Wallispaperand,attimes,prepare
myownsurfacewithacrylicand
pumiceonGatorBoard.”Essentialto
hisworkisa senseoffreshnessand
spontaneitybysimplifyingshapes
downtotheiressence,creatinga
rangeofsofttohardedgesandseek-
ingopportunitiestocontrastlight
againstdarkandwarmagainstcool.
Thesecharacteristicsarereadily
seeninthetwoportraitsabove.In
José, a varietyofpastelapplica-
tioncreatesa palpableimmediacy.
Withitsarrangementofshapes,
expressivemark-makingandjux-
tapositionofcolortemperatures,
Maiadisplaystechnicalbrilliancein
a dazzlingdisplayofbravura.Blue
highlightsandwarmshadowsare
enlivenedbyaccentsofturquoise,
yellow-green,pinkandburntsienna.
“Ididn’treallyseethoseaccent
colors,”confessesLatala,“butthey
givethefeelingofwhatI saw.”He
usedhispalmtosoftenedgesand
drewa bluelineonthesubject’s
rightshouldertofurtherdirect
ourattentiontowardherface.“I’m
alwaysafteranaccurateyetloose
qualitytotherenderingofforms,”
saystheartist.“I’dcategorizemy
paintingapproachasa bravurastyle
ofrealisticimpressionism.”RobertK.Carsten(robertcarsten.com)
hasauthorednumerousarticlesonartand
artists,andishimselfa painter,instructor
andexhibitionsjuror.MichaelLatala
(latalaart.com)has
anassociateofarts
degreefromthe
AmericanAcademy
ofArt,andleda
successfulcareerin
advertisingdesign
beforebecominganaward-winning,
full-timepainterinpastelandoil,as
wellasa popularworkshopinstructor.
He’sa mastermemberoftheChicago
PastelPainters,anda memberofthe
PastelSocietyofAmerica,OilPainters
ofAmerica,theAmericanImpressionist
Society,thePortraitSocietyofAmerica
andtheSkokieArtGuild.Amonghis
awardsarefirstprizeattheChicago
PastelPainter’sNationalExhibition,best
ofshowattheCrabtreeNatureCenter
pleinaircompetition,bestinshowinboth
SeniorArtistsNetworkexhibitionsatthe
ChicagoCulturalCenterandtheSouth
ShoreCulturalCenter.He’srepresentedby
River’sEndGallery,inElmGrove,Wis.Turn the page for a
portrait demonstrationOPPOSITE
On the Kilkee Coast
(18x24)
BELOW LEFT
José (16x12)
BELOW RIGHT
Maia (20x16)
ArtistsNetwork.com 27